Faculty Profiles

Amanda Blackwell

EdD, SLPD, CCC-SLP
Autism Studies

Email 

ablackwell@saintmarys.edu
Personal Website

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Dr. Blackwell is passionate about communication in all forms. She has had the opportunity to learn from a variety of people from diverse cultural backgrounds as she has lived and worked full time as a bilingual (English/Spanish) SLP in Guatemala since 2013. She loves to travel to collaborate with professionals in presentations, workshops, research, and autism identification (ADOS-2).

Education 

  • EdD, Murray State University 
  • SLPD, Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions
  • MS, University of Texas at Dallas
  • BA, Saint Mary's College

Areas of Expertise 

  • Autism
  • AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)
  • Cultural Humility

Research Interests 

  • Autism
  • AAC
  • International SLP Topics

Courses Recently Taught 

  • SLP 524: Communication in Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • AUST 560: Autism Spectrum Disorder and Communication
  • SLP 523: Multi-Cultural Populations Communication Disorders Across Cultures
  • SLP 450: Multi-Cultural Populations: Communication Disorders Across Cultures

Professional Experience 

  • Over 10 years working as a certified (CCC-SLP) speech language pathologist in early intervention, schools via telepractice, private practice, and therapy centers in the US and Guatemala
  • Adjunct Research Fellow for SLPD students at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions
  • Supervisor of Speech Therapy Program at Tebow Down Guatemala in Guatemala (www.downguatemala.org)
  • Worked as a clinical supervisor in a university clinic setting
  • Content creator for SLP Toolkit, developing materials in English and Spanish for school-based speech-language pathologists

Creative and Scholarly Work 

  • Baigorri, M., Crowley, C. J., Sommer, C. L., Blackwell, A., Miranda, A. J., & Moya-Galé, G. (2022). Examining the prevalence of intervention approaches internationally: The use of nonspeech oral motor exercises in Guatemala. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. :doi:10.1044/2022_PERSP-21-00285
  • Blackwell, A. (2022). The state of speech-language pathology in Guatemala: A case for creating a new post-graduate university program. Unpublished manuscript, Murray State University, KY.
  • Blackwell, A. (2019). Training the Communication Partners of Adults with Complex Communication Needs in Guatemala. Unpublished manuscript, Rocky Mountain University of Health  Professions, UT.
  • Blackwell, A. & Thibodeau, L. (2013). Verbal  Auditory Agnosia in Volkmar, F.R. (eds), Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders (pp. 3231-3225). New York, NY: Springer-Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1698-3_372
  • 2023: "Natural Language Acquisition: Echolalia as Another Way to Acquire Language", Live Webinar with Marge Blanc and Paulina Elias, SLP Summit Conference 
  • 2022: "Augmentative and Alternative Communication Telepractice in Low and Middle-Income Countries: Perspectives of Speech-Language Pathologists", Poster (In Person), 3rd Author, ASHA Convention, New Orleans
    "The Effect of Communication Partner Modeling on Social Communication in Pediatric AAC Users", Poster (Virtual) – 3rd Author, ASHA Convention, New Orleans
  • 2021: "Advocacy and Capacity Building for Global Equity: The  ASHA-PAHO Collaboration in Ecuador, ASHA Convention, Washington D.C.
    "Evidence-Based Practice in Speech-Language Pathology, Autism, and AAC", Virtual Presentations as part of the ASHA-PAHO Collaboration in Ecuador
  • 2020: "Warp Speed Download: Essential Info to Jumpstart Your Teletherapy Practice", Live Webinar with replays, SLP Telecon Conference, March 2020

Professional Memberships 

  • Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), since 2011 Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist in Texas and California Licensed Early Childhood through Sixth Grade Teacher (EC-6 Generalist), State of Texas, since 2009
  • Member of the ASHA-PAHO Ad Hoc Committee for Ecuador Approved by ASHA Board of Directors

Certifications

  • ADOS-2 Certified (Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale, 2nd edition)
  • ADI-R Certified (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised)
  • Certified Hanen More Than Words® Provider for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Inside Out Sensory Certificate for SLPs (2021)
  • Pediatric Aural Habilitation Specialist, conferred after completing the PAH program at UT-Dallas in 2010
  • Recipient of the Outstanding Scholarship in Communicative Disorders Award, Saint Mary’s College, 2009