About -

Working to Support YourFamily’s Goals

Supporting Your Child (and You) Where They’re At

After years of trying unsuccessfully to support social skills in children with autism, we figured that there had to be a better way. Our approach comes from over 15 years of working with children, adolescents, and young adults with neurocognitive differences, including individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to communicate. In using this approach, we don’t focus on teaching social skills or changing behaviors to confirm to the “norm”. Instead, we target understanding social relationships from a cognitive level. We take a deep dive into learning about an individual client’s social cognitive profile and provide an individualized approach to target those skills that are important to the client and their family with the ultimate goal of supporting social success.

Your Family Comes First

We know that you have many options when it comes to supporting your child’s communication and development. And we know that when it comes to you or your child’s well-being (or both!), you want to make sure that you’re putting your time, energy, and resources into something that aligns with your values. We’re here to help!

About Me

Ashley Brien is an ASHA certified Speech Language Pathologist with licenses in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Vermont. Ashley has over 15 years of working with children, adolescents, and adults with neurocognitive differences, and over 10 years of experience as a speech language pathologist with expertise in supporting communication and social learning in individuals with autism and those with complex communication needs. She has provided services in several capacities, including through her own private practice, public schools, and in families’ homes. She is trained in several neruo-affirming approaches, including Hanen More Than Words, PEERS (UCLA), and Brian Frames (Bonnie Singer), and is a certified H.A.P.P.Y Coach (trained by Dr. Peter Vermeulen).

Ashley received her M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders and her Ph.D. in Interprofessional Health Sciences from the University of Vermont. She had the pleasure of receiving mentorship from Dr. Tiffany Hutchins and Dr. Patricia Prelock, both of whom have established careers in the areas of autism, family-centered care, and designing and implementing strategies to naturally support social communication in individuals with autism.

In addition to providing direct services, Ashley conducts and disseminates research focusing on designing and implementing caregiver-delivered interventions to support memory and social communication in children with autism. She has presented on her findings nationally and internationally, and has published several peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and books that have shaped her focus of intervention.

Ashley also works as a professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, teaching both graduate and undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing careers in speech language pathology. She has taught courses related to autism, social communication, augmentative communication, deconstructing disability, and research methods.

Specialized Training & Certifications

Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2 (ADOS-2)

Certified H.A.P.P.Y. Coach (Peter Vermeulen, PhD)

PEERS for Teens (UCLA)

Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2 (ADOS-2)

Sessions Attended

S01 (05/22/2023 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EDT): Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (Modules 3-4), 6.75 Hours Dr. Suzi Naguib
S02 (05/23/2023 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EDT): Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (Modules 1-2), 6.75 Hours Dr. Suzi Naguib

This certificate only affirms completion; no CE hours earned.

Sunfield Center for Autism, ADHD and Behavioral Health – training@sunfieldcenter.com – 3940 Ranchero Dr. Suite 100Ann Arbor MI 48108 USACE-Go.com, a service of CE Learning Systems LLC – 9450 SW Gemini Dr. Unit 65397 Beaverton, OR 97008 USA – 1-888-498-5578