Katy Kronenwetter '92

Kathleen Kronenwetter attended CU at Boulder and received both her BA (1990) and MA (1992) in Communication Disorders and Speech Sciences.

Kathleen (Katy) Kronenwetter MA, CCC-SLP,has worked for the Cupertino Union School District in California (CUSD) for four years. Two years ago she began working very hard with the Cupertino Educator Association and the CUSD Board Members to get the speech language pathologists off the teacher’s pay scale and onto the psychologist's pay scale.

Katy is proud to report success with her endeavor. She writes, “This was successful and with increased pay, recent graduates are now applying for jobs within the CUSD”. Other school districts should take note of her endeavor which, according to Katy, “solved the shortage problem and the high cost of contract speech language pathologists.”

Katy didn’t stop there. As Director of Special Education for her teacher's union this past year she took steps to insure economic stability for special educators at Cupertino. She revealed that while the pay scale issue was in the works, “the school district administrators were asking the employees for ways to save money--to determine what programs could be cut. Our business accountant attended our Pupil Services meeting and asked that we talk to him if we had any ideas. The day after he spoke to all of the special education staff, I decided to walk in and read the four ideas I had written down. I was nervous, I was a bit shaky, but I kept moving forward.”(continued)

CU Photo by Casey A. Cass

The Speech Language and Hearing Sciences recognition ceremony 2009 was held on May 8 from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., at the UMC Middle Ballroom.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL GRADUATES AND WELCOME TO OUR CU SLHS ALUMNI WEBSITE!
The phrase "the last best place" was coined by William Kittredge, a well-known western writer, as the title for an anthology of stories, poems and memoirs about Montana. We'd like you to think of CU SLHS as one of your last, best places, where you worked hard, prepared for your career and shared experiences with fellow students. Stay in touch with us, we want to hear about your experiences as you establish and continue your career.

Here are some ways to stay in touch as a CU alum:

1. Sign up in order to continue to use your CU e-mail address. Find these and other benefit explanations at: http://cubuffalum.org/members/benefits/
2. Contribute ideas and stories as a member of our In Touch website. You can do this by directly entering comments or updates on many sections of the website or contacting us at slpweb@colorado.edu. Let us know about your accomplishments/new jobs/roles/awards/ or share therapy successes with your colleagues.
3. Over time, visit the department and say hi to old colleagues and friends.
4. Form small groups/stay in touch via mini-reunions (see our story about a mini-reunion at http://www.speechlanguagepractice.org/?q=node/114)
5. Offer to host CU interns
6. Update your CU alumni contact information regularly with the CU Alumni office. https://www.cualum.org/members/
7. Contribute to your favorite program in the SLHS department through the CU Foundation.

Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, "at ASHA's urging, introduced legislation supporting the goals and recognition of BHSM. House Concurrent Resolution (H.Con.Res.) 352 was introduced by Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), co-chair of the Congressional Hearing Health Caucus, and Senate Concurrent Resolution (S.Con.Res.) 83 was introduced by Senator Hillary R. Clinton (D-NY).

Both resolutions recognize the importance of speech and hearing services for all age groups in the United States, including those who have experienced hearing loss, speech-language disorders, and traumatic brain injury.(continued)

RDI's newest publication, 2009

Dr. Rachelle Sheely is passionate about examining the complete and often complicated life of children with autism. Along with her husband, Dr. Steven Gutstein, she is director, author and well-respected family interventionist for Relationship Development Intervention (RDI), an internationally recognized treatment program for autism spectrum disorders. Using RDI principles,Dr. Sheely and her husband founded the Gilbert Hall School newly opened in California this past October. They have also authored books and guides widely used by professionals in the field of autism. The latest book by Dr. Gutstein, The RDI Book: Forging New Pathways for Autism, Ausbergers & PDD. It is described as "the most comprehensive and updated guide for parents and professionals who are interested in constructing and retracing small, gradually more complex developmental steps, to provide opportunities for people with ASD to attain a quality of life as competent, independent and emotionally connected adults."

Drs. Sheely and Gutstein became interested in autism over 15 years ago. They focused on the communicative relationships of children with autism. This orientation is grounded in the belief that relationships are the “vehicles of dynamic intelligence”. While other interventionists were focusing on language and academic deficits, they wanted to sort out what made autism relationships different from those deemed normal.(continued)

Patty (Ogrodnick) Walton, Tina (Roberts) Farrell, Laura Biegner, Julie (Cavalier) Artiglere, and Sherry (Ferguson) Baum celebrating Laura's birthday

University of Colorado SLPs Patty (Ogrodnick) Walton, Tina (Roberts) Farrell, Laura Biegner, Julie (Cavalier) Artiglere, Sherry (Ferguson) Baum, and Beth (Landry) Murphy have kept their alumni ties strong. Since graduating as SLPs from CU (then CDSS) in the mid-eighties, they treasure each others company amidst their busy work schedules. They gather to celebrate birthdays, meet at ASHA and document their fun with photos, some of which they have shared here.

Sherry (Ferguson) Baum writes: "We got together for our 20th at Patty Ogrodnick Walton's house with 15 of us, I think. Conferences are often a way to gather, like ASHA where we have shared laughs and sessions together. Most of use are very different in our professional paths, which is so great and fun. We all look the same when we see each other, not aging or anything. We are either blind or polite to each other. Some of the folks from classes a couple of years ahead and behind our class of '85 mix with us too.(continued)

Dr. Gail Ramsberger, SLHS Chair

By Donna Boudreau, PhD '97

The Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences experienced some exciting developments in 2008 and is looking forward to 2009! In an interview with Gail Ramsberger, Department Chair, she shared details about the current state of affairs in SLHS at CU with an eye towards what is to come.

One of the most exciting areas of change that has occurred since many alumni have completed their individual tenure at CU has been the addition of new faculty to SLHS. (continued)

ASHA Convention Logo

http://www.asha.org/about/events/convention/

ASHA convention 2008: Celebrating the Winds of Change comes to a close this weekend. If you missed it you can log in as ASHA member to "my planner" to check out the possibility of finding handouts from specific presentations (if the presenter uploaded them.) Go to: http://www.asha.org/about/events/convention/program-courses/myplanner.ht...

Join the CU Alumni Association

For all May 2008 and beyond graduates (see news for those who graduated earlier below):
From the CU Alumni Association Website
E-mail for Life lets you continue using your colorado.edu addresses or forward them to a personal address, so you can keep in touch with your classmates, potential employers and friends without having to give them a new address. Registration [for May, 2008 grads and beyond] is no longer required.(continued)

Kate Ingmundson, MA '88

Kate Ingmundson, MA, SLP '88 along with fellow musicians Annie Gifford and Duffy Keith of Sister Merry Harmony gave a unique thank you to Kate's friends at the Boulder Rock & Soul Cafe in Boulder on June 24, 2008. This was Kate's way of thanking those who supported her during her recent bout with cancer.

Sister Merry Harmony's inspirational couch

CU SLP alums Janet Beatty and Susan Elling were among Kate's many friends attending the performance. The songs were written by the band members, many by Kate. They combine delightfully clever lyrics, irony, unique harmonies, and great props (including an orange couch that inspired many of their compositions). Kate also wrote and performed a special song of thanks to everyone who helped her in her recovery from cancer surgery. It was a moving, hilarious and above all entertaining evening.

Kate was recently honored with SLP alum Ann Pendley and four other women cancer survivors during a day of fun in the Fun Fund Celebration held on June 9th in Ft. Collins. It was a dynamic day of golfing, biking and evening music provided by Liz Barnez and her band. (continued)

Beret, John & their son Marcus

Thoughts from a Parent’s Journey
Beret Strong*

I was once very worried about my child’s development. Unlike his older sister, who burst into charming sentences around the time of her second birthday, our son had few words and no sentences at the same age. Thanks to the advice of a close friend, the first help I sought was through SLHS. We went through the Pathways to Assessment for Learning (PAL) process, followed by a transdisciplinary team assessment. Everyone at SLHS was wonderful – but the path we were now on was still a painful, scary journey into the unknown. The assessments led us to become a Child Learning Center (CLC) family. The CLC provided a gentle, supportive entry into preschool for our son. It was an entry into a new community and culture, a benefit that has lived on in my life in remarkable ways, through friendships, connections and professional work. (continued)