Amber’s background is in serving students with visual impairments. She is a National Leadership in Sensory Disabilities Scholar and received her PhD in 2021. Amber’s research efforts have focused on variables and experiences related to optic nerve hypoplasia, self-regulation, and challenging student behavior. Amber has over 20 years of experience working as a teacher for students with visual impairments and orientation and mobility specialist in large and small metropolitan school districts. 

In 2019, Amber supported Englewood Schools through a gifted education review with the Colorado Department of Education and fell in love with working in gifted education. Since that time, Amber has assumed the role of Gifted Education Coordinator in Englewood Schools and is working on obtaining the Metro Area Certification in Gifted Education. Outside of her public school work, Amber is an adjunct instructor in the  teacher preparation programs at the University of Northern Colorado and Florida State University. 

Amber was identified as gifted in the 3rd grade and is the parent of children with exceptional needs–all over the spectrum of exceptionalities. She is especially interested in executive functioning and problem solving strategies that support neurodiverse learners.