Anna A. Allen (she/her), Ph.D., CCC-SLP
I was born and raised in the Boston area. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in biology and psychology at Smith College, I went on to complete my Masters of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Following my graduation in 2003, I spent many enjoyable years as an SLP in a public elementary school, which is where I was working when the first iPhone was released in 2007. Parents often asked me if I thought it had any potential as an educational tool, and I became extremely interested in finding ways mobile technology could help the autistic kids that I worked with.
I am an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) with over 20 years of experience providing evidence-based speech-language services to young people with special needs.
To that end, in 2012 I returned to the MGH Institute as a student in the Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences Program to study with Dr. Howard Shane, a pioneer in augmentative and alternative communication technology. While working toward my Ph.D., I served as a clinical instructor for Masters students, and then as a doctoral fellow at Boston Children’s Hospital. With Dr. Shane as my mentor, my dissertation research explored the effect of visual supports on direction-following in children with moderate to severe autism. This work led me to a position as the Director of Research, Training, and Development at Puddingstone Place, LLC, an outpatient clinic formerly based in Wellesley, MA. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Puddingstone Place merged with Autism Care Partners, and I transitioned to providing SLP services via telepractice.
Over the last 20 years, my work in public schools and outpatient clinics has found me developing clinical programs, managing therapy staff, mentoring graduate students, chairing team meetings, and training caregivers how to support communication development. I have also been involved in a number of clinical research studies, and am very interested in clinical effectiveness research with neurodiverse populations. Most of all, I am passionate about creating individualized visual supports that make life easier and communication more vibrant for children and families.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband, our 5-year-old son, and our two cats. I love nature, animals, yoga, embroidery, reading, and gardening.
Contact me
I would love to hear from you! Simply fill out this contact form; you’re also welcome to contact me by email, phone, or text. We’ll start by scheduling a free, 20-minute Zoom or telephone consult to discuss what you’re looking for and whether I may be the right person to help!
Anna Allen, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
aaa.ccc.slp@gmail.com
(617) 651-1260