Kathy began her career over 40 years ago focusing on finding ways for students with the most complex needs share their voices in the world.  Since that time Kathy has worked in a variety setting including schools for students with significant disabilities, inclusive preschool programs, specialized AT clinics, and several school jurisdictions across Alberta.  From 2004 to 2008 Kathy was lead for Assistive Technology for Learning Initiative of the Alberta Government. She has developed and taught numerous graduate level courses, and was instrumental in the creation of the Teaching Students with CCN Certificate at the University of Alberta. 

Kathy’s academic pursuits began with a BSc in Psychology, followed by an MSc in Psycholinguistics. She drew heavily upon those areas of study throughout her career. After a lengthy time in practice, she was called to engage in doctoral studies. She received her PhD in Special Education from the University of Alberta in 2017. Her doctoral research drew upon hermeneutic phenomenology to seek to understand what is it like for young people with complex communication needs (CCN) to speak with (or is it with) speech generating devices.  

She is currently an educational consultant and a teaching in the Teaching Students with Complex Communication Needs Master’s Certificate at the University of Alberta.  She is President of ISAAC Canada, and has been a board member of the Alberta Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children. In addition, she has held positions on the Inclusive Learning Network of the International Society of Technology in Education (ILN/ISTE), and on the leadership team of the Universal Design for Learning -Implementation Research Network (UDL-IRN).  

Kathy provides ongoing consultation to Alberta school jurisdictions in supporting children and youth with CCN in developing communication, language and literacy skills, UDL, and inclusive education. Most recently Kathy is working under contract with Alberta Education as part of the Provincial Wide Low Incidence team with primary responsibility in the area of complex communication needs.  

Kathy is thrilled to be sharing information about AAC whenever and wherever she can. 

 

Kathy will be presenting on ‘The Meaning of Voice’. 

What is voice?  What does it mean to have a voice? What is the meaning of voice for one who in order to speak aloud must do so through a Speech Generating Device? 

This keynote address will share and reflect on the lived experience of people who use augmentative and alternative communication to make their voices heard.  AAC professionals and others who interact with people who use AAC will be challenged to consider the unique, yet recognizable, experience of young persons who uses an SGD in order enter into the taken for granted world of one who when speaks aloud. Questions of how a better understanding the lived experience can, and should, influence our practices will be considered.