About me

Dr. Amanda Blackwell, EdD, SLPD, CCC-SLP

Dr. Amanda Blackwell has lived and worked full-time in Guatemala for more than 9 years. She graduated with a clinical doctorate in speech-language pathology in 2019 and went on to complete a Doctor of Education (EdD) degree from Murray State University in 2022. Her dissertation laid the groundwork for creating a postgraduate degree program in speech-language pathology at a Guatemalan university – the first of its kind in Central America.  Along with a handful of local colleagues, she started the official professional association for Guatemalan speech therapists (SomosTLgt), which offers twice-monthly continuing education opportunities for its 60+ members.  She currently directs the speech therapy department at the Guatemalan Association of Down Syndrome (now Tebow Down Guatemala) in their centers in four different Guatemalan cities and runs an autism education social project for Spanish speakers called LUNAautismo (on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook @LunAutismo). With a Canadian colleague, Amanda recently launched online courses in Spanish and in English about Natural Language Acquisition and Gestalt Language Processing (@ComunicacionNatural). She serves as an adjunct research fellow working with doctoral students in the SLPD program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, Utah, and as a thesis advisor for students in the Master's Program in Early Literacy offered by the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala and the Network for Early Literacy in Central America and the Caribbean. Amanda teaches AAC and Autism classes as an adjunct professor in the MS SLP programs at Minot State University in Minot, ND, and at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, IN. She is passionate about communication in all forms and loves to travel and collaborate with professionals around the world.

    • ASHA Certified (CCC-SLP since 2011)
    • Licensed SLP in California, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington
    • Certified Early Childhood through 6th Grade Teacher (EC-6 Generalist), State of Texas
    • ADOS-2 and ADI-R Certified
    • Hanen More Than Words® Certified 
    • Completed several SCERTS® Model Trainings
    • Completed Intensive PLAY Project® Workshop
    • Two-time recipient of ASHA Award for Continuing Education (ACE)