Breanne grew up in the Chicago suburbs and began her journey to becoming a speech-language pathologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (I-L-L!), where she completed her undergraduate degree in Speech and Hearing Science. She developed an interest in the medical side of speech pathology and attended graduate school at Rush University in Chicago. While there, she completed an internship at Lurie Children’s Hospital which ignited her passion for medically fragile populations and complex communicators in the pediatric setting.

Breanne explored this in her first few years as an SLP, working for Chicago Public Schools with students with a high level of medical and educational needs as well as developing her knowledge of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) by avidly seeking professional development and mentorship. She was drawn to the uniqueness of each student, and greatly enjoyed the problem solving and collaboration involved in choosing AAC systems for each individual. Breanne’s work with this population ultimately led her to a position with the district’s Assistive Technology Resource Center, where she traveled the city of Chicago conducting AAC evaluations and training staff on assistive technology. In this role, she also honed her knowledge of alternative access methods and considerations for working with individuals who use switch access and eye gaze. This dedication to the field continued when she moved to Denver in 2020 to work as an Assistive Technology Specialist at Aurora Public Schools, and she is excited to now join the Forbes AAC team!

In her free time, Breanne enjoys being active and is always trying something new. Outside of being certified to teach yoga and maintaining a daily practice, you can find her in the mountains. Catch her at the climbing gym, paddleboarding one of the many beautiful Colorado lakes, hiking the latest trail, or skiing with friends.