Autism Program

LEND 2001 Distinguished Alumni Award

Susan Winthrop

Susan Winthrop was a speech-language pathology intern at the CDRC. She went on to work as a clinician in the Portland Public Schools with a keen interest in children with severe physical impairments. She became "hooked" on augmentative communication as the subspecialty was just forming.

Susan earned her administrative certificate from Portland State University. She became the principal at the Holladay Center and then the Kelly Center and helped close the special schools. She then moved on to be a supervisor for ROMS (Regional Outreach Motor Services) and later CROS (Columbia Regional Orthopedic Services), district supervisor for speech pathology, and then the Area 4 supervisor for special education within Portland Public Schools.

In the school district, the only children who were eligible for augmentative communication specialists were within the Regional Program for Children with Orthopedic Impairments. Susan knew that there were many many children falling through the cracks who were in desperate need of speech alternatives but who did not qualify for the 01 program. As an advocate for children with special needs, she was able to convince the Portland Public Schools to start an augmentative communication team within the district to consult for children who had MC needs but were not 01 eligible. This is the only team of its kind in Oregon. Susan continues to supervise the active PPS MC team, and is still a special education area supervisor.

Susan has supervised therapists from all disciplines who work with children with severe disabilities. She is an excellent model of an interdisciplinary leader who has added new dimensions to any system that she works in.