ABOUT
Aimée Pharr
MA, CCC-SLP
Aimée B. Pharr, MA, CCC-SLP, Founder
EDUCATION
B.A. Linguistics
The University of Virginia
M.A. Speech-Language Pathology
The University of Maryland, College Park
LICENSURE
Aimée Pharr is a Maryland-licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist with more than two decades of clinical experience. Early in her career, 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. She worked at The Lab School of Washington before taking time off to raise her three children.
Maryland-licensed SLP
CERTIFICATIONS & PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence
ASHA ACE Award Recipient
Phono-Graphix Certified Provider
Wilson Language Training Brain Frames
Wilson Language Training EmPOWER
With her own kids in school, Aimée returned to work at Anne Arundel County Public Schools, focusing on the evaluation and treatment of preschool- and elementary school children. She presented on assessment practices, stuttering, and vocabulary development and 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 Compliance Manager and the Diagnostic/Prescriptive Student Assessment Team.
Aimée also worked part-time at The Summit School’s Resource Center, where she provided in-depth assessments of children’s speech and language skills. 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, establishing Holding Hands Speech, where she serves as a deeply trusted and highly respected evaluator, therapist, and patient advocate. She believes in the importance of working collaboratively with families, schools, and other professionals involved in client care.
A New Jersey native, Aimée has lived in Annapolis for the past 30 years. It is where she raised her three children. She enjoys home renovations with her husband, playing agility with her Bearded Collies, Luna and Poppy, and spending time outside on hikes and in the garden.
Continuing Education
2025
A Blueprint for Vocabulary Instruction: More than a Definition. Brookes. Nancy Lewis Hennessy and Julia Salamone.
Dyslexia Foundation One-Day Conference. Dyslexia in Schools. Boston University.
IDA DyslexiaCon
The Power of Inference Instruction to Improve Reading Comprehension for Dyslexic Students
The Role of Cognitive Load on Instructional Design
When Phonics Isn’t Enough: Understanding the Role of DLD in Reading Difficulties
Building Fluent Readers—From Accuracy to Expression
Syntax Comes First: Understanding How Syntax is the Backbone of Comprehension
The Assessment of the Student with Reading Challenges
Science of Language Comprehension: Evidence about how the brain comprehends language
What’s in a Word? – A Brain-Behavior Focus on Morphological Awareness
Teasing Out Hidden DLD in School-Aged Children
Fluency Foundations: Effective Strategies for Developing Reading and Spelling Proficiency
Comprehension Monitoring: Building Metacognitive Muscle
The Top Five Strategies to Help Students with Weak Executive Functions
Talk Before Text: Empowering Multilingual Learners Through Oral Language
Illuminating Text From the Inside Out: Using Text Structure to Improve Comprehension
Effects of Syntactic Awareness on Oral Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension
Executive Functions in Service of Reading: Exploring the Overlap
Improving Spelling Outcomes Through Targeted Word Study: An Evidence-Based Approach
A New Screening Tool for the Early Identification of Risk Factors for the Development of Reading Problems in
Kindergarten and First Grade Students
National Equity Project: Implicit Bias, Structural Racialization, and Equity Webinar
2024
Which Fork in the Road Should We Take? How TILLS & SLS Results Can Show You Where to Go Next with Language &
Literacy Intervention. Brookes.
Identifying and Addressing Implicit Bias in Healthcare Delivery. Health HIV.
Brain Frames Master Class: Reading Comprehension. Vivido. Dr. Bonnie Singer & Jessica Curtin.
Beyond the Book: Digital Reading and Executive Function Skills. Reading with TLC. Sarah Ward & Kristen Jacobsen.
Accelerate Literacy: A Structured Linguistic Literacy Summit
Integrating Vocabulary, Etymology, and Morphology in SLL. John Walker.
Speech to Print Phonics and Spelling. Tricia Millar.
Decodable Books - A Bridge to Grade-Level Reading. Tami Reis-Frankfort.
Teaching Multi-Syllabic Words Without Syllable Types. Nora Chahbazi.
Improved RAN with a SLLL Approach: A Case Study. Dr. Svetlana Cvetkovic.
Language and Literacy Skills as Protective Factors in Childhood and Adolescence. Dr. Pamela Snow.
Advanced Phonics Instruction: Shifting Intervention from OG to SLL. Jennifer Cerra.
Leveraging the Power of Morphology in a Speech to Print Approach. Jennifer Hasser.
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.
10 TILLS Tips Every User Should Know: How to Administer, Score, and Interpret Results Like an Expert. Brookes Publishing.
When explanations fall apart: Discourse-level intervention. Vivido. Drs. Bonnie Singer & Anthony Bashir.
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 Grow 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