Center for Early Communication and Learning

Family Services

Infant-Toddler Services

Service Providers

Equipment Loan Library

Center for Early Communication
and Learning

300 Enola Road
Morganton, N.C. 28655

Phone: 828-438-6503

About Us
	Director Maureen M. Schepis maureen.schepis@ncmail.net
Maureen M. Schepis, Ph.D., is the Director of the Center for Early Communication & Learning. She received her Ph.D. from George Mason University in Education with a specialization in teacher training and technology. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and has a private consulting firm with a focus on providing behavioral services to young children with autism. She has been an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University and Appalachian State University and has taught at University of Notre Dame and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has served as the Education Coordinator of the J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center (JIRDC) and as a Senior Coordinator at the Family, Infant, and Preschool Program of JIRDC. She has over 30 years experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities and autism. Her background in applied behavior analysis (ABA) has fostered a research career focused on effective interventions for people with developmental disabilities. She has presented over 100 presentations and has published over 30 articles in peer reviewed journals. Dr. Schepis lectures and consults widely on autism and behavioral research applications. She has been the recipient of numerous grants to support model development programs and research efforts in the field of developmental disabilities. She serves on the editorial board of the journals Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention and Behavior Analysis in Practice. She has served as the President and Secretary-Treasurer for the North Carolina Association for Behavior Analysis (NCABA). She is a recent recipient of the Fred S. Keller Excellence in Behavior Analysis Award given by NCABA. She is a recipient of the North Carolina Award of Excellence in Assistive Technology.

	Equipment/Loan Coordinator Janet Franklin jfrank@compascable.net
Janet Franklin holds degrees in accounting and child development and has over 20 years experience in early childhood education with an emphasis on curriculum development. Janet has been employed as an inclusion specialist and has provided support to children with special needs in traditional preschool settings. She has been involved in the field of assistive technology for 7 years and serves as the equipment loan coordinator for the C-ECL library. Janet's knowledge and experience with AT has made her a valuable addition to our program. Janet manages the equipment database, coordinates buying new equipment and has created literacy kits and other curricular materials for loan. She has presented on AT and literacy at state and national conferences. Janet continues to offer trainings and support to teachers and families on various topics related to assistive technology. Janet’s expertise also includes assisting consumers with many computer related applications including Boardmaker, Intellitools, SoftTouch, Clicker 5, and Kurzweil.

	Speech/Language Pathologist Carol Houston carol.houston@ncmail.net
Carol Houston is a licensed Speech/Language Pathologist, certified by the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). in addition to ASHA certification, Carol is certified as an Infant, Toddler, and Family Specialist with the NC Infant-Toddler Program. Carol has 28 years experience working with children with communicative disorders. Her background includes 12 years experience as a school SLP where she was twice chosen as the system-wide teacher of the year. Much of Carol's work in the public school setting focused on the use of assistive technology and augmentative communication with students with developmental delays and autism. Additional experience includes 15 years working a a member of a multi-disciplinary evaluation team providing in-depth communication assessments. Carol's educational background includes an undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders from Old Dominion University and a graduate degree in Speech Pathology from Appalachian State University. She as been an adjunct faculty member at Lenoir-Rhyne College and Catawba Valley Community College. Carol has presented at numerous conferences including the National Association for the Education of the Young Child and Closing the Gap. Carol has a particular interest in literacy development in young children and continues to present seminars and workshops in our area regarding the relationshop between speech, language, and literacy development and how it interfaces with the the field of assistive technolgy.

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