Sarah is an American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) certified speech-language pathologist who is licensed in the state of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. She received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of New Hampshire and has been practicing in pediatric outpatient facilities in the state of NH since 2011.
After completing her graduate clinical rotation at Easter Seals The Family Place, Sarah returned to the family-centered pediatric outpatient facility for her Clinical Fellowship Year. She had the opportunity to mentor under Joleen Fernald, an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist and selective mutism expert in Dover, NH for several years. During that time, Sarah was part of an interdisciplinary team that provided comprehensive selective mutism evaluations and on-going therapy using Joleen’s DIRFloortime® model in conjunction with the Systematic Sound Sequencing Strategy (SSSS). Sarah now uses a hybrid approach utilizing her background in the DIR-SM model in conjunction with more behavioral approaches such as fade-ins within her therapy sessions. Selective mutism continues to be a special area of interest that Sarah enjoys and finds gratifying as she helps support each child to access their brave voice and share it within their communities.
Throughout her career, Sarah has also had the opportunity to work alongside a variety of occupational therapists. This has allowed her to gain a strong understanding of children’s sensory systems and how one’s regulation can impact their ability to engage and communicate with those around them. Sarah incorporates a variety of movement-based activities and regulation strategies to support a child’s ability to access their brave voices within her play-based, child-centered therapy approach.
Over the course of her career, Sarah has supported children with a variety of needs from 18 months to 20 years of age. In addition to selective mutism, she also enjoys working with children who have speech sound disorders and expressive language delays.
In her free time, Sarah loves spending time with her husband, daughter, family and friends. She enjoys being outdoors, going to the beach, hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, gardening, reading and practicing yoga.