EAST MAINE DISTRICT 63 SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATOR MEGAN MUSSANO C0-AUTHORS ARTICLE FOR NATIONAL MAGAZINE

Megan Mussano, M.S. CCC-SLP/L, Speech Language Pathologist and Assistive Technology Facilitator for District 63 in Des Plaines, Illinois, recently co-authored "Practical Strategies for Increasing Communication and Success for Students with Exceptional Needs" with Kathleen Garrity, M.S. CCC-SLP/L MAEL, Pro Rata Professor at Aurora University's School of Education. Published in the February/March 2015 issue of Closing the Gap Solutions, a national magazine that focuses on how to incorporate assistive technology into the lives of persons with disabilities, the piece details practical strategies and adaptive tools that have proved to be successful in working with students with exceptional needs.

Mussano, who lives in Hoffman Estates, joined the District three years ago. She attended Eastern Illinois University and Purdue University, graduating with a degree in speech, language, and hearing sciences.

East Maine School District 63 serves a diverse population of more than 3,590 students who live in portions of Des Plaines, Niles, Glenview, Park Ridge, and Morton Grove. The district operates six elementary schools (Pre-K-6), and a junior high school (grades 7-8). More than 60 languages other than English are spoken within the district; 80 percent of the students come from homes in which a language other than English is spoken. District 63 offers a full range of services for academic, social, emotional, and physical growth - including cutting edge special education and ESL/bilingual programs.