Presenters at Using a Strengths-Based Approach in Schools

Magdalen A. Balz, MS, CCC-SLP, is an SLP specializing in treatment for neurological and neurodegenerative disorders as well as preventative cognitive intervention for seniors. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Boston University with an MS in Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences. She is clinical faculty in the Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences Department at Boston University.

Financial Disclosures:

• Employee of Boston University

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Member of ASHA

Erin Beasley, MS, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) is an assistant professor and clinical supervisor for the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences at Nova Southeastern University (NSU). Her areas of interest include aural rehabilitation, articulation and phonological disorders, pediatric language disorders, and clinical supervision. She teaches courses in aural rehabilitation, clinical processes, organization and management of school-based SLPs, and clinic and diagnostic lab.

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

Victoria Bondurant, MS, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) is an SLP in her ninth year in the high school division of The Howard School in Atlanta, Georgia. At The Howard School, she works with students who have a range of language-based learning disabilities, including dyslexia. Her professional interests are executive functioning as well as the intersection of language and academic learning in adolescents. Past professional presentations include ASHA, IDA, GSHA, SPALS, and in-serivce learning at The Howard School.

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

Nancy Brady, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a professor at the University of Kansas. She has published widely in the areas of communication assessment and interventions for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities. She is an ASHA Fellow.

Financial Disclosures:

• Research discussed in the presentation has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Education

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

endever* corbin (they/them/theirs or xe/xem/xyrs), the self-advocate training coordinator at Oregon Health & Science University's Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities program, is a semispeaking autistic self-advocate who is multiply disabled, trans, and queer. They enjoy sharing their lived experience and expertise as an AAC user with professionals, caregivers, and peers. Xe is proud to contribute to academic work as a community research partner and as a presenter in professional, educational, and community settings.

Financial Disclosures:

• Self-advocate training coordinator at Oregon Health & Science University
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

Amy L. Donaldson, PhD, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) is an associate professor in the Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences at Portland State University. Using a participatory research model, she is interested in investigating communicative choice and agency, social interactions, relationships, and disability, particularly within the autistic community.

Financial Disclosures:

• Associate Professor at Portland State University
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Editor of American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology

Melissa Edrich, EdD, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) is an associate professor, department chair, and the director for the Master’s Program in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She teaches graduate-level online courses and supervises graduate student clinicians completing their clinic semesters at NSU’s Speech-Language Pathology Clinic. Melissa holds a Florida state license and ASHA certification. She has been an active participant in the Florida Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (FLASHA) for the past 28 years and served as president 2010-2011. Melissa is also involved in ASHA; she served a 3-year term as the Florida representative of the Speech-Language Pathology Advisory Council (2015–2018) and is currently the Associate Coordinator of ASHA's Special Interest Group 11 (Administration and Supervision). In addition, she served as Convention Program Topic Co-Chair for Supervision & Precepting for the 2023 ASHA Convention.

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

Lauren Enders Gonzales, MA, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) is a licensed and certified SLP and educator with 27 years of experience in Eastern Pennsylvania schools. Working as an SLP and Assistive Technology Consultant in K-12 school programs, she has developed expertise in Assistive Technology and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) with a focus on creating rich, meaningful, and engaging learning experiences. She also teaches as an adjunct professor at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Lauren enjoys collaborating with other professionals, AAC companies, and app developers to create more accessible and customizable AAC systems and evidence-based clinical and educational practices. Known for bright, user-friendly resources and an interactive presentation style, Lauren is a sought-after speaker at local, national, and international conferences. She regularly shares her knowledge, networks, and continues learning at larger conferences including Closing the Gap, ATIA, ASHA, and ISAAC and smaller speaking engagements. Touting engagement and human connection as essential for ALL learners, Lauren demonstrates creative uses of widely available open-ended materials and encourages use of neurodiversity-affirming practices. She is proud to mentor other professionals and family members who seek knowledge or support in her areas of expertise locally, nationally, and globally, via social media.

Financial Disclosures:

• Salary as adjunct professor from Delaware Valley University

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• ASHA member
• ASHA SIG 12 affiliate
• ISAAC member
• USSAAC member

Shannon Hall-Mills, PhD, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) is an associate professor in the School of Communication Science and Disorders at Florida State University. Her work focuses on language and literacy development and disorders in children and adolescents, educational policy and practices for students with disabilities, and school-based issues in speech-language pathology. Dr. Hall-Mills is a proactive researcher, leader, teacher, speaker, and advocate for school-based speech-language services.

Financial Disclosures:

• Salaried employee at Florida State University
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Member of 2024 ASHA Convention Program Committee, Language and Learning in School-age Individuals

Stephanie Hubbell, MS, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) is the Director of Clinical Education at Rutgers MS Speech-Language Pathology program located in Newark, New Jersey. Stephanie specializes in working with autistic children and adults, implementing and coaching strength-based and neuroaffirming practices. From 2014–2021, Stephanie worked within Neighborhood Charter Schools Harlem and Bronx's Integrated Autism Program, where she continues to support the school as a member of the Board of Trustees. During her time working in this public charter network, Stephanie implemented teacher partnership and coaching models that focused on supporting students with various social cognitive and linguistic differences in the classroom setting. She brings a similar vision for collaboration to her work in the Rutgers University SLP Clinic with graduate students, clients, and families.

Financial Disclosures:

• Full-time salaried employee of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Trustee, Neighborhood Charter Schools

Monique T. Mills, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL (she/her/hers) is an associate professor of communication sciences and disorders at the University of Houston. Her research program employs mixed methods to examine the cognitive, social, and linguistic resources that school-age African American children draw upon to narrate or tell stories. She directs the Child Language Ability Lab, which is currently engaged in projects examining narrative assessment and dialectal code-switching between African American English and Mainstream American English. Dr. Mills teaches her students about language development, language variation, and research methods in communication sciences and disorders. She believes that her utmost vocation, or calling, is to help humans thrive. In addition to her work, Dr. Mills loves being on her couch, cooking, hiking, listening to music, playing with new ideas, reading, spending time with friends and family, and thrift shopping.

Financial Disclosures:

• Employee of University of Houston

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Member of ASHA

Kim Murza, PhD, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) received her doctorate in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Central Florida, where she specialized in literacy. She is currently the Associate Dean of Research and Faculty Affairs in the College of Natural and Health Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado and previously served as a Professor of Speech-Language Pathology in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Dr. Murza has worked privately and in the public school system as a speech-language pathologist with children and adolescents of all ages. She is passionate about supporting school-based speech-language pathologists to provide inclusive and collaborative services. Her main research area is the development, delivery, and evaluation of high-quality professional learning in the schools. Additional research interests include interprofessional collaboration in the schools, coaching of extenders, community-engaged learning, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. More recently, she’s been involved in the development and program coordination of the Greeley Treasure Chest Program and Project L.I.F.E. (Literacy for Immigrant Families Everyday).

Financial Disclosures:

• Salaried employee at the University of Northern Colorado
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

Daniel Price, PhD, is an Associate Clinical Professor at the College of Medicine and the Honors College at the University of Houston.

Financial Disclosures:

• Employee of University of Houston

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

Nina Reeves, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-SCF (she/her/hers) is a board-certified specialist in fluency differences, and co-owner of Stuttering Therapy Resources. She is an author of clinical materials and presenter of professional development workshops. For her contributions as a career-long public school SLP, Nina has received the ASHFoundation Van Hattum Award, the 2019 ASHA Excellence Award for outstanding contributions to public schools. She is also an ASHA Fellow.

Financial Disclosures:

• Stuttering Therapy Resources co-owner

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

Geralyn R. Timler, PhD, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) is a professor in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Director of the Social Communication and Language Evaluation (SCALE) Lab at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Her research program includes examination of peer conflicts tasks, narrative and conversational analyses, and parent report and child self-report to describe the social communication profiles of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Her work has been published in Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, Topics in Language Disorders, Clinical Linguistics, American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, and Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. She currently serves on the editorial board for Topics in Language Disorders. Dr. Timler is an ASHA Fellow.

Financial Disclosures:

• Academic year salary from James Madison University
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Editorial board member for Topics in Language Disorders

Seijra Toogood, SLPD, CCC-SLP (she/her/hers) is an assistant professor at Hampton University. She has previously worked as a school-based SLP in the public schools for 22 years and has a wealth of knowledge around bilingualism. Her clinical and research interests include cultural and linguistically diverse populations, specifically bilingualism and bilingual assessments. Seijra is a Past President of Speech-Language Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV) and current Communication Disorders Foundation (CDF) Board Member. She has served as the Chair of the ASHA Government Affairs and Public Policy Board (GAPPB) and is a Leadership Development Program (LDP) graduate, Cultural and Linguistic Diverse (CLD) topic committee member, and Leadership Development Program Health Care, Schools, and General Cohort reviewer. Seijra is currently a member of ASHA Committee of Ambassadors, representing Virginia in speech-language pathology (2024).

Financial Disclosures:

• Salary from Hampton University
• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• Volunteer on ASHA Committee of Ambassadors

Joseph A. Walsh, MS, MEd, CCC-SLP (he/him/his) is an SLP in his 13th year at the Howard School in Atlanta, which serves K-12 children with a range of language-based learning disabilities, including dyslexia. He works with both high schoolers and elementary schoolers. In addition to the focus on executive functioning that will become evident during the presentation, his principle interest and area of intervention concerns later language development. In the past, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer, worked as a paleontologist, taught high-school science for 10 years, worked in the public schools, and returned to school in his 40s to become an SLP.

Financial Disclosures:

• Financial compensation from ASHA for this presentation

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

J. Scott Yaruss, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-SCF, (he/him/his) is a professor of Communicative Sciences and Disorders at Michigan State University. A board-certified specialist in stuttering, Dr. Yaruss has provided more than 800 continuing education workshops for clinicians around the world as well as published more than 135 peer-reviewed papers and more than 300 other books, booklets, articles, and online posts about stuttering. He is the co-author of the OASES and practical treatment guidebooks from StutteringTherapyResources.com.

Financial Disclosures:

• Co-owner of Stuttering Therapy Resources

Nonfinancial Disclosures:

• None

"I was most impressed by the speakers and their depth of knowledge and experience. This was an impressive and memorable learning experience."