Cara Macedo

M.S. CCC-SLP

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Cara is a Speech Language Pathologist originally from Encinitas, CA. She earned her master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Western North Carolina after spending many years as a paraprofessional in school districts across the West Coast. She found her passion for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) through working collaboratively with speech therapists in the schools. Her students with complex communication needs continuously teach her to think critically from a lens of neurodivergence and rethink accessibility.

In her spare time, you can find Cara reading, hanging with her dogs (one is a sled dog from Mt. Bachelor!), and traveling with her husband and friends.

Areas of Specialty

Cara has experience in multiple settings, including private practice, early childhood programs, hospitals, and public schools, with patients ranging from early infancy to geriatric populations. She has successfully acquired alternative communication devices for 100% of her clients (so far!) who require varying communication access methods, such as eye gaze and direct selection.

Cara has completed training in the evaluation and treatment for AAC use, including programs such as LAMP Words for Life®, Tobii Dynavox Snap Core, Proloquo2Go, TouchChat® HD, and more. She has completed continuing education in virtual AAC assessments and team-based approaches to AAC. She continues to build her skills through research and continuing education courses.

Education

  • Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, University of California Santa Cruz

  • Post-baccalaureate of Communication Sciences and Disorders, California State San Marcos

  • Master of Science, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Western Carolina University

Certification

  • LAMP Words for Life®

  • Tobii Dynavox Snap Core

  • Proloquo2Go

  • TouchChat® HD

  • Licensed by the State of Oregon by the Board of Examiners For Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology