Neurodiversity and Autism
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Welcome to the University of Maryland's NATS program developed for neurodivergent college students and college-bound high schoolers who want to understand others, express themselves and navigate academic & campus life in better ways without losing their INDIVIDUALITY
Leadership Team
Kathy Dow-Burger, M.A., CCC-SLP, Friedman Family Director of Neurodiversity & Autism Transition Services
Kathy has been a Speech-Language Pathologist for 30 years and is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is licensed to practice in Maryland.
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Kathy is an Associate Clinical Professor and the founder and coordinator of SIGNA. She has expertise in the evaluation and treatment of pediatric, adolescent, and adult autism, language-learning & reading disabilities, speech/language disorders and stuttering. In addition to SIGNA, she does research in the intersection of identity (race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, financial status, etc.,) and disability; full acceptance and inclusion of neurodiverent people in the workplace; and, Universal Design of learning spaces. Kathy is a certified PEERS® provider for the adolescent, school-based professional and young adult curricula.
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Norah AlJunaidi, M.A., CCC-SLP, Faculty Assistant, Dept. of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland
Norah is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and she is licensed to practice in Maryland. Norah also oversees the administration of UMD's PEERS & EFFECT teen programs.
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Norah is a Faculty Assistant for the SIGNA Program in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences. She has worked with adults with disabilities in the areas of social, academic, and cognitive skills in public schools, a special needs summer camp, and her graduate clinical work. Norah is inspired by working with neurodivergent individuals. She also passionate about social justice, intersectionality and inclusive language, all which will be an important part of her work at SIGNA. Norah received her M.A. degree in Speech-Language Pathology from George Washington in May 2021.
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Devon Brunson, M.S., CCC-SLP, CBIS
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Devon is a Faculty Assistant for the SIGNA Program in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences. Previously, she worked with teens in the UMD Executive Functioning For Effective Cognitive Transformation (EFFECT) program. Devon has experience serving individuals across the lifespan with developmental and acquired neurological disorders. Prior clinical experiences include: early intervention, elementary education, and hospital settings for children and adults. Devon's areas of interest are in autism, executive functioning (developmental & acquired), neurodivergent learning, cerebrovascular accident, traumatic brain injury (including concussion), and telepractice.
Devon has her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from Vanderbilt University. |
Aruna Hari Prasad M.A., CCC-SLP,
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Aruna is a Faculty Assistant at the University of Maryland's Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences. She received her Master’s of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Maryland-College Park.Aruna is a PEERS School-Based Professional certified provider and has worked in Montgomery County, MD for over fourteen years. During this time, she has worked with preschool, elementary, middle and high school students with language learning disabilities, autism, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Reading Disabilities, Writing Disabilities, and Other Health Impairments.
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Kaitlin McCloskey, SIGNA Graduate Assistant, SLP Graduate Student, Dept. of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland
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Kaitlin "Kait" is SIGNA's graduate assistant and is involved in guiding the SIGNA undergraduate peer coaches and mentors. She also manages the administrative work for SIGNA. Kait is a first year MA student in Speech-Language Pathology.
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Kait aims to start her own practice one day, alongside her sisters who practice audiology and occupational therapy.
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