Gretchen 

Assistive Technology Specialist

Gretchen Hackstorm (Storm), MS, CCC-SLP, BSC-AAC

ghackstorm@dcsdk12.org

Gretchen is a creative, big picture thinker when it comes to Assistive Technology and Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Gretchen's pursued speech-language pathology in the steps of her mother who was a school based speech-language pathologist (SLP) for her entire career. Gretchen received her undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders from Western Michigan University and immediately after completed a graduate degree at Purdue University. Her love for complex communication needs and AAC started when she worked with her first AAC user at Adams Camp in the summer of 2010. Following that incredible experience, Gretchen began working as a center-based speech-language pathologist in Littleton Public Schools where her classroom was then chosen as the Colorado model classroom for the IMPAACT program through SWAAAC. During this project, Gretchen helped with research-based para and teacher training for AAC implementation in general education classrooms. For her final two years in Littleton Public Schools, Gretchen was the district-wide SWAAAC Coordinator. Gretchen has presented at several conferences nationally.  In the summer of 2025, Gretchen received her Board Specialty Certification in Augmentative Alternative Communication from the American Board of Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Her areas of expertise and interest are in AAC and literacy, AAC parent/teacher/para trainings and AAC immersion environments. She is trained in PODD and holds her Level 2 PROMPT certification.  Gretchen absolutely loves problem solving to help support individuals through technology solutions both AAC and AT. In her spare time Gretchen loves to spend time with her family, ski, waterski, bike and dance. She looks forward to supporting students in Douglas County Schools.