Meet the Inclusive Education Enthusiasts
Sara Pericolosi
Sara is a dreamer, a change maker, and of course a passionate inclusive education enthusiast! A speech-language pathologist by training, she found her passion in supporting individuals with the most complex needs.
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Sara is dedicated to improving outcomes for ALL learners by supporting educators, family members/caregivers, and communities through intentional professional learning, collaboration, and coaching. She strives to create authentic opportunities where all stakeholder voices are heard, valued, and respected. Sara recognizes the power of truly partnering with all stakeholders, celebrating the good we see in ourselves and others, and in strengthening the teams we serve. She believes that each interaction is an opportunity for everyone to learn.
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Sara was an SLP for Dickinson-Iron Intermediate School District for twelve years before joining a state AT grant as an AT/AAC Specialist. Sara continues to be passionate about AT (including AAC), recognizing that in order to make change, we need to truly connect with and learn from one another.
Sara was raised and continues to raise her two children, Owen and Kate, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with her husband, Ryan.
Carolyn O'Hearn
When Carolyn was in graduate school for speech language pathology, she knew she wanted to work with learners in educational settings. What she didn't know was that she would fall in love with the work surrounding individuals with the most complex needs.
Traveling alongside complex communicators on their journey to becoming autonomous communicators (i.e., saying what they want to say, when they want to say it, how they want to say it) is a passion of Carolyn's. By supporting educators, family members/caregivers, and community members (in addition to the complex communicator!), Carolyn aims to create a space that encourages candor, humility, and vulnerability around the challenges we face on a day-to-day basis. By putting it all on the table, we can get down and dirty to brainstorming the right solutions for the individuals who need our best.
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Carolyn was an SLP for Lapeer County Intermediate School District for five years before taking on an AT/AAC specialist role for a state AT grant. She became a certified PODD trainer in 2019. She continues to be passionate about assistive technology and AAC, but more about the process and the connections needed for successful implementation.
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Carolyn is married to her high school crush, Jim, and is a mom to her sons, Jameson and Declan.
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Who is "Sarolyn Pericohearn"?
Sarolyn Pericohearn is simply our two names combined into one. Whether it's collaborating on a project, recording our podcast, or acting as each other's thought-partners, we live by the proverb, "two heads are better than one."
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In 2018, work brought us to the same physical space. Shared beliefs, a desire to continue learning, and overall enthusiasm created the foundation for our podcast. Our goal is for each learner to have access to the right team, the right education, and the right tools for them.