Kathleen Bridgforth
Kathleen is currently a second-year graduate student pursuing her master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She graduated with a B.S. in Communication Sciences & Disorders from The University of Arkansas in 2022. She is passionate about supporting transitions to adulthood for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and she is eager to learn how to contribute to a multidisciplinary transition support team as a future SLP.
Amy Castillo
Amy graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor of science in Psychology and a certificate in Forensic Science in 2023. She is a first-year graduate student pursuing her master's degree in Autism and Developmental Disabilities at the University of Texas at Austin. She currently works at a clinic as an RBT and hopes to pursue her career as a BCBA. Amy is very excited to be part of the BRIDGE project and to improve transition outcomes for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities.
Gwendolyn "Annie" Evans
Annie graduated from the University of Texas with an undergraduate degree in social work and is currently working towards her Masters degree at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Throughout her undergraduate experience, she worked alongside a child with autism and it opened her eyes to a new passion. Annie intends to continue working with children with all disabilities post graduation. She is thrilled to be a part of the BRIDGE Project and is eager to develop new skills and learn more about a population that she loves.
Dana John
Dana John earned her BSW degree from UT and has been actively engaged in the crisis field, specializing in working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). She is passionate about continuing her education in this field, and is currently pursuing a master's degree at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. She is excited to collaborate with professionals from diverse disciplines to improve transition outcomes for this population through the BRIDGE program.
Grace Maher
Grace is a masters student in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Program. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2023 with a degree in Psychology and certificate in disability studies. She is deeply passionate about serving people with disabilities in their different life experiences; whether that is through applied behavioral analysis therapy, self advocacy, independent living, etc. She is currently a registered behavior technician, intending to become a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst, but is also interested in disability nonprofit and hospital work. She is eager to support transitions to adulthood for individuals with ASD and Developmental Disabilities through the BRIDGE program, as this is a deeply needed resource that Grace is also passionate about!
Rachel J. Rubinstein
Rachel Rubinstein (she/her/hers) is a second-year Speech-Language Pathology graduate student at UT Austin. She strongly believes in the value of person and family-centered practices, interprofessional collaboration, and the necessity of inclusive, neurodiverse-affirming services across the lifespan. She is currently completing her externship at a bilingual school for students with high intensity needs, and has been involved in the UT Voice Lab and Blank Center for Stuttering at UT. Her past experience spans ten years and encompasses AAC-focused camps, adaptive recreation programs, specialized schools for cerebral palsy, and as SLP-A in public middle and high schools in Burlington, Vermont. Rachel is passionate about augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), bilingualism, language development, gestalt language, and literacy intervention. Additional interests include: Parkinson’s disease, voice, cognition, and stuttering. She is currently interested in collaborative, interdisciplinary projects that center emic perspectives, or the voices of individuals with learning and language disabilities. Rachel supports holistic therapeutic services that are grounded in cultural humility, self-compassion, and innovation.