Beth Speaker-Christensen did her undergraduate work at Northern Illinois University in Communicative Disorders. Also at Northern Illinois University she completed a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She is presently a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) specializing in augmentative and alternate communication (AAC). Beth has been working in the area of AAC for over 20 years.
While working with children with complex needs in an orthopedic hospital, Beth discovered a variety of technological tools at her disposal. Environmental control units, augmentative communication systems, assorted switches and other items ignited Beth’s desire to learn more about rehabilitation technology and to go on to earn a certificate in Assistive Technology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
With years of experience and a certificate in hand, Beth obtained the Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) Certification from the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) in 2006. Beth serves as an SLP-ATP for individuals with complex communication needs. She has completed hundreds of hours of evaluations and treatments to give her clients the language and voice needed to enjoy life to the fullest. Beth’s dedication to giving, not only a voice, but language to people is her goal. She feels this allows them to grow their knowledge and enjoy communicating with others. Her philosophy is that communications devices should be: engineered, taught, and used to allow people to reach their potential.
Beth is an active member of the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA), Illinois Speech Language Hearing Association (ISHA) as well as RESNA. She has supervised many graduate student clinicians and mentored numerous SLPs in the area of AAC. She has served on numerous committees for ISHA and is a key member of the team composing examinations for the ATP certification offered by RESNA.