Don D'Amore MA CCC-SLP SpeechPage VISUAL LEARNING

The author AND illustrator of all of these materials is Don D'Amore M.A. CCC-SLP, a licensed and ASHA Certified Speech/Language Pathologist with over 25 years of Experience working with individuals with a wide variety of disabilities, including both school age and adult clients. Don has extensive experience with Augmentative/Alternative Communication (AAC) and with communication strategies for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Don collaborates with a large number of special education teachers and families of students with special needs and has made custom visual strategies, picture schedules, and learning materials for many years. Don D'Amore has presented regularly for over 20 years at speech language pathology conventions and at other SLP and educator gatherings. Don D'Amore has been designing AND illustrating hands on learning materials for thousands of educators as the author/illustrator and Co-Owner of SpeechPage.com Publishing Company which has produced ready-made hands on learning materials for SLPs and educators since 2005. SpeechPage Publishing Co. products are sold throughout the country and the world and are carried by many educational material companies such as National Autism Resources, School Specialty, NASCO. Different Roads To Learning, and eSpecialNeeds. SpeechPage has an expanded area on our site called PictureSchedule.com to provide a convenient location for families and educators to find items shipped ready-made ready-to-use visual strategies and picture schedule materials for use at home and school!

Learning takes place naturally when it is functional and real to life experiences. Visual strategies and hands-on materials allow a child to have a concrete understanding of what is being taught. Making teaching sessions a rewarding and interesting experience is key. Involving the family and other stake holders in the child's learning experience are essential.

Don D'Amore was the 2009 recipient of the Annual State-Wide Award: "Honors Of The Ohio School Speech Pathology Educational Audiology Coalition! Don D'Amore was chosen to be put IN THE SPOTLIGHT! by the popular website SpeechPathology.com! Don was their pick for School-Based Speech Pathologist to be put in their "Spotlight", a feature that highlights different Speech Language Pathologists throughout the United States! In 2022 Don D’Amore MA MA CCC-SLP was awarded his Third consectutive American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) ACE AWARD! (ASHA members and/or certificate holders, who earn 7.0 ASHA CEUs in 36 months and participate in the ASHA CE Registry, are presented the Award for Continuing Education (ACE) by the Continuing Education Board (CEB) in recognition of continued professional study.) Don is routinely invited to present to educators groups. Examples: Don D'Amore was invited to present in March 2014 at the Conference for Exceptional Children - Ohio Annual Convention in Columbus Ohio! Don's topic: Visual Strategies to Enhance Communication and Positive Behaviors In The Classroom! Don D'Amore was invited by colleagues from Cleveland State University’s Department of Speech and Language Pathology to co-present an almost five-hour teleconference in August 2016 to Barbado’s Special Education Staff and families of children with special needs! One of Don D’Amore MA CCC-SLP's best received presentations was in October 2017 at the Annual Conference of The Ohio School Speech Pathology Educational Audiology Coalition (OSSPEAC) in Columbus, Ohio. His topic was "AAC’S NOT WORKING! NOW WHAT? REAL SOLUTIONS ADDRESSING FIVE TOP FACTORS OF WHY MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM SD HAVE DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING" He has also presented in 2020 to the SLP Network of North Eastern Ohio in Independence OH. Most recently Don presented in October 2022 at the Annual Conference of The Ohio School Speech Pathology Educational Audiology Coalition.

B.A. John Carroll University, Cleveland OH. M.A. Speech Language Pathology, Cleveland State University, Cleveland OH. Three consecutive American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) ACE AWARDS for recognition of advanced continued professional study which is awarded every three years.

Don D'Amore has also been informally illustrating and drawing his whole adult life. Don does some freelance professional graphic art work and he has professionally illustrated work for two published books by different authors. All materials provided here are personally designed AND ILLUSTRATED by Don D'Amore. NO CLIP ART IS EVER USED! Don believes that he is very fortunate to be able to actually personally design and illustrate all of his materials. Clip art can sometimes be generic and may not actually accurately represent the intended ideas. Custom illustrations by the Speech Language Pathologist author & illustrator allow for a very unique learning material!