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Aimee Pharr, Speech Language Pathologist

about Aimée Pharr

Aimée Pharr is an ASHA-certified Speech-Language Pathologist, licensed in the state of Maryland. She earned her B.A. in Linguistics from The University of Virginia and completed her graduate training at The University of Maryland at College Park with a Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology. While attending Maryland, she conducted research on the early speech development of late-talking toddlers, presented at several national conferences, and published her work in a peer-reviewed journal. Upon graduation, she worked at The Lab School of Washington before taking time off to raise her three children.

 

With her own kids in school, Aimée returned to work with Anne Arundel County Public Schools, focusing on the evaluation and treatment of preschool- and elementary-aged children in two county elementary schools. During her tenure with AACPS, Aimée presented to the educational community on assessment practices, stuttering, and vocabulary development. She served on workgroup committees to develop more comprehensive guidelines for qualification and services for receptive and expressive language disorders and social language needs. Aimée also had the privilege of providing assessment and treatment support to therapists county-wide, as well as to the AACPS Compliance Manager and the Diagnostic/Prescriptive Student Assessment Team.

 

In addition to her employment with AACPS, Aimée also worked part-time with The Summit School’s Resource Center staff, where she provided in-depth assessments of children’s speech and language skills. This allowed her to develop a comprehensive profile of strengths and weaknesses and identify the potential impact on all areas of daily life. She worked collaboratively with center staff to assist families in understanding their child’s learning differences and how to access additional community support. As an empty nester, Aimée transitioned to private practice where she serves local families, using a relationship-based approach to treating a variety of communication disorders.


Aimée is a certified Phono-Graphix provider, with knowledge and experience in reading acquisition and a special interest in language-based learning disabilities. She has completed training in Brain Frames and EmPOWER, a writing process to help all children who struggle with written language. She also completed PROMPT Level 1 Training, which serves to integrate oral motor production and cognitive-linguistic function. Aimée continues to be an active member of both the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Maryland Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Aimée has earned the ASHA ACE award, which recognizes professionals for their commitment to continuing education.

 

A New Jersey native, Aimée has lived in Annapolis for the past 30 years. It is where she raised her three children, now in college and graduate school across three different states. She enjoys home renovations with her husband, playing with her two shaggy dogs, Saylor and Luna, and spending time outside on hikes, bike rides, and in the garden.

Evidence-based speech therapist near me

Continuing education

2023

EmPOWER - An explicit way to teach the writing process. Vivido. Dr. Bonnie Singer.

Brain Frames - Visual Tools that Organize Language. Vivido. Dr. Bonnie Singer.

Emergent Reading Master Course. The Lavi Institute.

     Forging a Pathway Toward "Reading to Learn" by Dr. Jaumeiko Coleman.

     Teaching Emergent Readers via the Synthetic Phonics Approach by Tatyana Elleseff.

     Using Phonics Based Assessment to Develop Targeted Phonics Intervention by Lauren Thompson.

     A Deep Dive into the Dyslexia Diagnosis by Tatyana Elleseff.

     Which Came First: The Sound or the Letter? The Role of Phonological Awareness in Evidence-Based Reading Instruction by Angie Neal.

 

2022    

Tackling the Elusive /R/. AACPS.

Literacy & AAC: How to support students with complex communication needs during literacy instruction. AACPS.

Supervision & Ethics. The University of Maryland, College Park.

Trauma-Informed Care: How Language Development is Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences. AACPS.

Office of Special Services Annual Conference. AACPS.

2021     

Playground Core Board, Giving AAC A Shot! AACPS.

Tongue Tie 101. AACPS.

Supporting Kids Impacted by Trauma. AACPS.

The Intersection of Dyslexia, Reading Disorders, and Language Disorders. Pearson.

Office of Special Services Annual Conference. AACPS.

Knowledge, Skills, and Competencies for Supervision. ASHA Learning Center.

 

2020     

Cycles: A Phonological Approach for Highly Unintelligible Children. AACPS.

Cluttering: Another Look. Stuttering Foundation.

ASHA Connect Online.

        Opening Keynote: The Power of Acceptance and Positivity by Chris Ulmer

        Strategies for Engaging in Difficult Conversations in the School Setting

        Roles and Responsibilities of an Expert Witness

        Reading Between the Lines: Connecting to Comprehension for Readers with ASD

        Children With Hearing Loss: Speech-Language Assessment Challenges & Appropriate Expectations

        Children With Hearing Loss: Speech-Language Treatment and Technology Considerations

        Treating Speech Sound Disorders: Considerations for Intervention Planning

        Literacy Assessment: Controversies, Explanations, and Essential Components

        Literacy Intervention: Controversies, Explanations, and Targeting Strengths and Needs

        Ethical Considerations in Private Practice

        SLP Well-Being During the Pandemic

        Assessing for Childhood Apraxia of Speech in the Schools

        Apraxia Intervention in the Schools

        Compassion Fatigue: Strategies for Resilience

Office of Special Services Annual Conference. AACPS.

Teletherapy Bootcamp. Speech Therapy PD.

Essentials and Best Practices for School-Based/In-Home Services. Presence Learning.     

 

2019     

Conflict Resolution: When an IEP Meeting Goes Wrong. AACPS.

Safe Travels with OSS Airlines. AACPS.

Conflict Resolution: Putting Words into Practice. AACPS.

 

2018

Narratives: Why Do They Matter? How Do We Teach Them? AACPS.

IEP Development/ESY. AACPS.

SMART Goals and Objectives/Progress Monitoring. AACPS.

ASHA Connect Conference, Baltimore.

        Making Real Connections in a Gadget-Crazy World

        Will This Child Stutter Chronically?

        Developing Executive Functions in Young Students with Learning Impairments

        Strategies for Expanding Oral Language-Narrative Development

        Clinical Exchange Roundtables

        You Are Key: Collaborating with the Cleft/Craniofacial/Velopharyngeal Team

        Concussion Schools-I Get a Headache Just Thinking About It TBI in Children-Adolescents-Treating, Advocating for Your Students

 

2017

Monthly Workshop: Attachment, Trauma, and Developmental Trajectory: Investigating the Continuum of Adaptation, Risk, and Resiliency. AACPS/MSDE.

Talkies and Visualizing and Verbalizing/Increasing Comprehension. AACPS.

Vocabulary: Building a Semantic Network. AACPS.

Unleash Your Superpowers. AACPS.

Portfolio Development. AACPS.

             

2016

Early Learning Assessment Training. AACPS.

Grand Rounds in Speech-Language Pathology: Case Studies. AACPS.

The Social Thinking Conference

        The Informal Dynamic Assessment & Core Treatment Strategies

        Social Detective, Superflex, and Friends Take on Social Emotional Learning

The Stuttering Foundation Mid-Atlantic Workshop. Philadelphia. Treating Children & Adolescents Who Stutter

SMARTer IEPs. AACPS.

Accessing the Online Early Learning Assessment. AACPS.

ASHA Convention. Philadelphia.

        Advanced Topics in Avoidance Reduction Therapy for Stuttering (ARTS)

        Preschool Stuttering Therapy: Let’s Get Direct

        Let’s Get Digital: Exploring Apps to Motivate Children Who Stutter as They Grown as Communicators

        Bringing Mindfulness & Meaning to Work: An Introduction to Acceptance & Commitment Therapy

        Vocabulary Instruction: Moving Beyond Using Language to Teach

        Who Belongs on My Caseload?

        Social Emotional Learning Meets Superflex and Friends

        A Framework for Documenting and Supporting Five Core Executive Function Processes

        Examining the Development of Theory of Mind Through Language: Implications for Assessment and Intervention

        Effect of Vocabulary Instruction on Reading Comprehension: Comparing Academic & Tier 2 Words

        Working Memory and Its Influence on Comprehension and Vocabulary Learning

        Evidence-Based Practice for Stuttering: Navigating the Fluency Frontier and Beyond

        The Interrelationship Between Reading Comprehension and Word-Level Spelling

        Sue or Shoe: The Speech Perception Skills of Children With and Without Speech Sound Disorders

        Working With Temperament Styles in Children Who Stutter and Their Families

       

2015

Times They Are A-Changing: CELF-5, Assessment Expo, Specific Learning Disability Determination, Assistive Tech Expo, Section 504 Updates. AACPS.

Creating Family Partnerships with ELL and International Families, Target: Oral Language, Enhancing Communication for Successful Transitioning. AACPS.

Transdisciplinary Conference OSS Kick-Off: Make it a Touchdown Year. Linking to the Curriculum, Legal Updates, Assistive Technology. AACPS.

SLP Initiatives: Portfolio for SLPs Part 1, RTI Successes and Challenges, Look Fors in Data Collection. AAPCS.

Clinical Connections Conference: Evaluating and Enhancing Phonological and Metaphonological Skills of Children. MSHA.

Thinking About You Thinking About Me with Michelle Garcia. Social Thinking Conference.

 

2014 

Working Smarter, Not Harder. AACPS.

Push-In Services, Continued. AACPS.

Moving on Up: Collaboration to Enhance Student Transitions. AACPS.

Consultative Services in SLP/Compliance Updates/Assessments. AACPS.

ASHA Schools. Pittsburgh.

         Building Better Readers for SLPS: Using Oral Language to Support Written Language

         Let’s Get Practical! Executive Functioning and Social Thinking

         The Role of the Speech-Language Pathologist in the Counseling Process

         Treatment Dilemmas and Strategies for Auditory Processing Disorders

         Keeping Current with Special Education Law: Recent Developments

         Phonological Complexity Principles: Promoting Efficient Change in Overall Intelligibility

         Ethics and School-Based Practice: Constraints and Considerations

         Systematic RTI: Collaborating Families, Teachers and Other Professionals

         Assessment and Treatment Strategies for Low-Income Students with Potential and Actual Language Impairments

         Reading Fluency in Children with Fluency Disorders

         Through a Different Lens, Effective Communication, What’s New in Compliance, Introducing Hot Topics. AACPS.

         New Tools in Speech-Language Therapy: Resource Guide for the Common Core, Screeners for Articulation, Language, Fluency & Pragmatics. AACPS.

         Language Dominance, Bilingual Assessments and Fact Sheets. AACPS.

         It’s Hammer Time: Apraxia of Speech. AACPS.

         Zooming in on Nuance Challenged Social Communicators Across the Classroom, Playground, and Home. Social Thinking Conference, Baltimore.

                        

2013 

Oral-Motor Basics-Tips & Training. AACPS.

Working Smarter, Not Harder. AACPS.

Preparing for Next Steps: Pre-K to Elementary. AACPS.

End of Year Wrap-Up: Records Management, SLOs, & Documentation. AACPS.

On Common Ground: Avoiding Compliance Pitfalls. AACPS

Demystifying Our Own Roles. AACPS.

Push-In Services. AACPS.

 

2012 

Sensory Processing, Behavior, and Education. AACPS.

New Directions in Speech-Language Therapy: Using the iPad in Tx. AACPS.

Introduction to Prompt: Technique, a 3-day workshop. AACPS.

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