Mary Washington Thrives in Her Role at Mid-South ACT

Mid-South ACT is a small center powered by big talents. One of those talents is Mary Washington, Mid-South ACT's resident speech-language pathologist. Ms. Washington has been a speech-language pathologist for 30 years, part of which she spent in Memphis City Schools.  Ms. Washington works with people with developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injuries and specializes in the usage of augmentative alternative communication with non-speaking individuals or individuals with severe speech intelligibility.

"I enjoy solving puzzles that accompany complex communication and cognitive difficulties," she said.

Ms. Washington obtained a B.A. and M.A. from Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis. Her Master's degree is in Speech Pathology. Working at Mid-South ACT, which is located on the University of Memphis campus, where she obtained her degrees, is a bit of a full-circle moment for Ms. Washington. She sometimes works with graduate students in speech pathology, mentoring them with the aid of her years of expertise. But her role also allows her to help people with disabilities gain a higher quality of life.

"I enjoy helping people to reach their full potential, by gaining communication and learning skills," said Ms. Washington.