Stephanie D. Sanders, MA, CCC-SLP, is an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) and the originator of The F.I.L.T.E.R. Approach: Social Communication Skills for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She began her career in the Brevard County Public School System (Florida) in 1996 as an SLP. In addition to working in the public school system for 15 years, she spent six years in private practice as an SLP for pediatric rehabilitation. The idea for this book grew out of her frustration when trying to explain the concept of a "conversation filter" to students labeled as "having no filter." Her inspiration for this book is her younger brother with an autism spectrum disorder and many of the students with whom she has worked that have consistently struggled to display appropriate social skills. Mrs. Sanders graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor's of science in communicative disorders (1996) and a master's in communicative disorders (2000). She and her husband are the proud parents of two elementary-aged children. Mrs. Sanders is active in the community, primarily in her local church.
