What Do Staff Have To Say?

"… I am writing to you in support of Dr. Kristin Rytter who I have worked with over the last 13 years. I began working with Dr. Rytter as an assistant and had the privilege of assisting her through her dissertation project at the children's therapy center and the successful defense of that dissertation.

I have watched Dr. Rytter overcome every challenge laid at her feet and I consider her to be one of the most capable, inspiring, and driven people I have ever known. Despite the severity of her physical limitations, I have seen Dr. Rytter, when allowed the personal freedoms that everyone is entitled to, shatter boundaries and create an amazing life for herself…"

- Kim

"… I began working for Dr. Rytter during my senior year of college at the University of Washington. I chose to work for her because I saw it as a unique experience for someone who wants to pursue a career in speech-language pathology. It was a very wise choice. I got to see the reality of life for someone who uses an Augmentative and Alternative Communication device (AAC) and lives with a physical disability. The challenges Dr. Rytter had to overcome on a daily basis was something that could never have been taught in a classroom. If other college students could get the opportunity to work for Dr. Rytter, I think it would broaden their perspective for their future careers and get life experience before graduation…"

- Alex

"…Once I started training with Kristin and her staff, I felt much better and less stressed about the responsibilities. This is because Kristin had a very organized method of training that was specific to her needs and allowed for me to observe another staff member working with her performing all the tasks. Then as both Kristin and I felt more comfortable with each other, Kristin would have me start to perform more of the tasks with the staff member helping me as needed and Kristin communicating to me how I was doing. Eventually after several training sessions, I was able to start working with Kristin on my own. Whenever there was an issue with how I was performing the tasks, Kristin would communicate with me through her eye gaze computer…"

- Jessica M.

"… During the period that I worked for Dr. Rytter I witnessed her publish an autobiography, obtain and learn how to use a speech generating device operated by eye-gaze, give a lecture at the University of New Mexico, work with children and families one-on-one in their homes, and create educational materials aimed at improving literacy in children with severe speech and motor impairments. Attending to Dr. Rytter at home during her daily activities, as well as assisting her in her professional tasks, provided insight into the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families that has been valuable to me in my career as a speech-language pathologist…"

- Julie

"… The most valuable lesson from my time with Dr. Rytter was learning how to support rather than take care of someone. The traditional caregiver model does not apply to a person fully capable of living an independent life that only requires physical assistance with some tasks. Unfortunately, my prior experience in home health inoculated me with the idea of doing things for someone rather than empowering someone to do the things they want. But as a cognitively competent adult, Dr. Rytter can and should be enabled to make her own choices in all aspects of life.

The range of experiences I have had with Dr. Rytter immeasurably help my interactions with patients today. Understanding different modalities of communication, seeing how a disability does not mean a person is literally disabled, and learning how to support instead of disenfranchise have affected my whole framework of how to deliver healthcare. And this in turn leads to better communication and better outcomes…."

- Linda