Autism Spectrum Specialized Education and Training
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florida state university
department of communication
l.l. schendel speech adn hearing clinic
crawford

Allison Crusoe
I am currently in the graduate program for communication disorders at FSU and I am looking forward to becoming a speech-language pathologist. I am very interested in the communication skills of people with ASD.  Being a part of ASSET allows me to gain so much more knowledge on how to help those with autism as well as their families.
doglione
 Noel Doglione
I have always wanted to work with children who have special needs, after volunteering with children who have Autism in high school, I decided I wanted to pursue a career in improving the lives of people on the Autism Spectrum. Through the ASSET program I will be able to better understand home life, school life, community supports, and new research. This great program will help me to improve my classroom and will also give me more support to better accommodate children and adults on the spectrum that I will be working with.
Garcia

Georgia Garcia
I feel that it is important to view every child as a child, rather than as a disability. I am thankful to have the opportunity to work closely with children who have autism and their families and to see what children who have autism experience on a daily basis. I am excited to learn more about the disorder, how it impacts families, and what can be done to help the child and family as a whole. I know that working with children can be frustrating, and even more challenging when the child has a disorder, but I feel that the rewards outweigh the challenges when it comes to touching and changing a child’s life for the better. I feel that it is our responsibility as a society to help these children break down the walls that autism creates between the child and the rest of the world. I am looking forward to this wonderful opportunity for me to learn, and am excited for the professional and personal growth it will bring.
Geiger
 Elishann Geiger
I have lived javascript:parent.send('smtp')in Florida all my life and I can't imagine living somewhere where it snows.  I am a  first year student in the Communication Disorders program at FSU. I am particularly interested in the way that higher functioning autism and Aspergers effects language and social skills, especially for adolescents and adults.
hicks
 Robin Hicks
I have always had an interest in working with children whether it be through psychology or teaching. It wasn't until a couple of young family members were diagnosed with Autism that I realized teaching and researching students with autism brought the best of both psychology and teaching together.
kessleman
 Sarah Kessleman
My fascination in Autism was initially sparked by my mother, a physical therapist specializing in sensory integration. Numerous conversations regarding Autism, social skills, sensory needs, and communication led me to peruse a degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Ithaca College. Following graduation, I began working with a 10-year-old boy with autism as a home service provider. After working with this child and his family for two years, I was inspired to seek opportunities that would allow me to continue learning about Autism and working with families that have been affected by Autism.
Leech Rosalyn Leech
My name is Rosalyn Leech and I am a first year graduate student in Communication Sciences & Disorders. I have a husband, Trey, and a six year old daughter, Rebecca Matteson. I became interested in ASD as a result of my exposure working with early intervention specialists in the Texas hill country.
Leptrone Lauren Leptrone
I am a graduate student in the Speech Language Pathology program at Florida State University. I love working with young children and hope to center my education towards younger children. It is a great joy of mine to work with children with special needs and their families. Through experiences of my own I understand the importance of family and community involvement when working with children with special needs. I am very excited to be a part of the ASSET team.
McElhone
 Bethann McElhone
I always knew I wanted to be a teacher but I didn't know what type until my little cousin was diagnosed with autism. My aunt would tell me about the problems he had in school and how they didn't have enough teachers. Instantly I knew what I wanted to teach and I knew I wanted to work with children who, like my cousin, would inspire me daily.
Poyer
 Ann Poyer
I have worked with the Early Steps Program for children with developmental delays as an Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist where I worked with children on the ASD spectrum. After starting on my masters in Speech Language Pathology I have learned I want to focus on Children with autism. I work with a family who has a 2 and a haply year old with autism.
Robinson
 Jessica Robinson
I developed a passion for Special Education when I was in High School. After becoming involved with my program, I knew that my focus would be in autism. I am really interested in working with younger students especially in the areas of reading and writing.
Steinberg
 Becca Steinberg
While working with children with autistic spectrum disorders as an Early Intervention Assistant, I watched as the children I worked with grew more confident knowing they had made drastic strides in improving their communication and social skills. During my experience, a tearful parent told me that I was her child’s first friend; ironically I explained that to the parent that it was her child that gave me the confidence to pursue my goal of becoming a motivating Speech-Language Pathologist for children. The ASSET grant continues to provide me with the opportunities to expand my growth of knowledge and experiences with children, adults, and families affected by autism spectrum disorders.
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