Kate Ahern, M.S.Ed. Educational Specialist Certified teacher of learners with complex disabilities focusing, on children and adults who use multi-modal communication including Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Kate Ahern is an educational specialist in complex communication needs in private practice. She is certified as an intensive special needs teacher, for ages birth through adult in Massachusetts. Kate has vast experience in the field of assistive technology with children and young adults.
Kate has spent twenty years plus working with children and young adults who have complex communication needs. She is also the author of a popular special education blog and moderates several social media groups about augmentative and alternative communication. Kate is often asked to guest speak or provide training about many issues in the field of complex communication needs. Kate holds a Masters of Science in Special Education from Simmons College. She has also been a Proloquo2Go Trainer and has completed the advanced Pragmatic Organization of Dynamic Display (PODD) course. She is the recipient of the Federation for Children with Special Needs Inclusive Teacher Award and a Fighting Angels from the Fighting Angels Foundation. |
Maggie Wurm Assistive Technology and Family Support SpeCialist An assistive technology specialist with twenty years of experience in supporting families to support their child with disabilities. Maggie Wurm has been inspired by her daughter for over 15 years in the world of assistive technology which led her in this field. She has a background in working directly in Early Intervention to adults in schools and in private with a variety of disorders from Autism to complex bodied individuals. She is fluent in English and Spanish and is an assistive technology (AT) specialist having completed the AT program at California State University, Northridge. She has completed the 3 day PODD workshops to include Alternative Access and Teaching Movement for Communication.
Working in family support services under the Federation for Children with Special Needs has given her a vast knowledge of resources in Western MA, New England and nationally. Maggie has state grant management service experience for families of children. She is skilled at organization of educational and medical information and training others to implement such organization. Maggie is a trained special educational advocate focusing on those with complex communication needs and use of assistive technology. As a parent of a teen age girl who has Rett Syndrome, Maggie brings the unique experience and compassion of being a parent of a child who has Complex Communication Needs to all her clients. |