201 East Matthews Street
Suite 102
Matthews, NC 28105
Phone: 704 443-2990
Fax: 704 443-2991
Driving Directions
Contact Us
Suite 102
Matthews, NC 28105
Phone: 704 443-2990
Fax: 704 443-2991
Driving Directions
Contact Us
Our Staff
Meet Our Staff
The ABC Educational Services team is committed to helping individuals reach their full potential.
Linda Goddard
M.A., CCC-SLP, Co-director of Speech and Language Services
Linda has over twenty years of experience working with pre-school and school age children. She has a Baccalaureate of Arts from the University of Colorado and a Master of Arts from the University of Denver. Our ABC Language Stimulation School is a direct result of her vision for children with speech/language delays to succeed in a language-rich environment. She has been a director of our school since its inception at ABC.
Laura Walton
M.S., CCC-SLP, Co-Director of Speech and Language Services
Laura has over fourteen years of experience working with pre-school and school age children as well as adults. She has a Baccalaureate of Science and a Master of Science from Miami University, Oxford Ohio. As a mother of a child with special needs, Laura readily identifies with the many challenges and rewards our families experience during the early childhood years.
Suzanne Grace
M.S., CCC-SLP, Speech and Language Assistant
Suzanne has over seven years of experience working as a speech/language pathologist with preschool and school age children. She graduated with a Baccalaureate of Science from Duke University and has a Master of Arts from Northwestern University. Suzanne comes to ABC after spending the past several years as a stay-at-home mom and is currently working on obtaining her full SLP license for North Carolina.
Sharon Bouchard
B.S., Occupational Therapist
Sharon has many years of experience working with children in various settings, as a mom, in the classroom and as an occupational therapist. She has over 25 years of experience working with children and adults. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Sharon is trained in NDT for Adult Hemiplegia and completed a comprehensive program in sensory integration enabling her to administer and interpret the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT). Sharon’s quiet, warm rapport with children and adults further enhances her natural abilities as a therapist and member of a team. .
Ashley Aselton
B.S., Elementary Education, Academic Teacher
Ashley taught in a special education program working with children of various ages in New Hampshire prior to her move to Charlotte. She holds a Baccalaureate of Science in Elementary Education from Plymouth State University.
Ashley is energetic, enthusiastic, creative and flexible. These are important traits in any classroom and especially helpful in a program catering to children with speech and language delay. She is a natural teacher and an inspiration to her students.
Robin Brandhorst
Teacher Assistant
Robin has worked with special needs children for over 5 years as well as raising three children of her own. Prior to her positions with ABC and as a mother, Robin used her art skills as a visual merchandiser for a clothing company. This experience translates well into fun and educational hands-on art projects for our students.
Robin brings patience, knowledge and a sense of humor from her daily life to the classroom.
Jo Ann Crabbe
B.S., M.A., Director of Testing
Jo Ann is an integral part of the educational assessment team as well as the director of our admissions screening program. She earned a Baccalaureate of Science in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Elementary School Counseling from The Ohio State University before teaching in Long Beach Unified School District in California, Columbus City Schools in Ohio and overseas in schools for the children of U.S. Armed Services personnel.
During many of her years with Columbus City Schools, Jo Ann served as school counselor and consultant to the gifted program there. Her wealth of experience, wisdom and genuine concern for others continues to enrich the programs at ABC.
Christine Warren Ramich
Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist
Dr. Ramich conducts psychoeducational evaluations, including assessments of cognitive and academic abilities as well as testing for Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD). She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Duke University; and her Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Clinical Psychology from Penn State University. Dr. Ramich’s background includes individual testing and multidisciplinary evaluation, providing individual and group psychotherapy, and consulting.
In schools, Dr. Ramich has provided consultation to district-wide mental health teams, counselors, and classroom teachers. She has participated in meetings for the development of special education plans; and she has taken part in program development for character education. Dr. Ramich values positive working relationships among students, parents, and educators. Dr. Ramich is also the mother of three young children.
William Brandhorst
Psy.D., Licensed Psychologist
Dr. Brandhorst conducts IQ testing for ABC Educational Services. IQ testing can be part of a larger evaluation, conducted by several staff members, or can be administered by itself for purposes of early Kindergarten entry or as a prerequisite for private school admission. Dr. Brandhorst has prior experience working as the Child and Youth Director at Piedmont Behavioral Healthcare and the Executive Director for Positive Impact of Union County which focused on the mental/academic needs of youth ages 14-17.
Our evaluators are degreed professionals who work one-on-one with children applying for admission to one of the many schools we contract with for admissions screening.
Meg Hollingsworth
M.S., Director of College Advisors
Meg leads ABC College Advisors, partnering with students and their parent(s) to guide them in making good decisions about their future. She previously served as Director of Admissions for a junior college and for a private school system. She received a Baccalaureate degree from UNC Chapel Hill and a Masters degree from UNC Charlotte. As an Associate member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, Meg is committed to providing her clients with the information they need to make informed educational choices.
Linda Goddard
M.A., CCC-SLP, Co-director of Speech and Language Services
Linda has over twenty years of experience working with pre-school and school age children. She has a Baccalaureate of Arts from the University of Colorado and an MA from the University of Denver. Our ABC Language Stimulation School is a direct result of her vision for children with speech/language delays to succeed in a language-rich environment. She has been a director of our school since its inception at ABC.
Laura Walton
M.S., CCC-SLP, Co-Director of Speech and Language Services
Laura has over fourteen years of experience working with pre-school and school age children as well as adults. She has a Baccalaureate of Science and a Master of Science from Miami University, Oxford Ohio. As a mother of a child with special needs, Laura readily identifies with the many challenges and rewards our families experience during the early childhood years.
Sharon Bouchard
B.S., OTR/L
Sharon has many years of experience working with children in various settings, as a mom, in the classroom and as a physical therapist. She has over 25 years of experience working with children and adults. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Sharon is trained in NDT for Adult Hemiplegia and completed a comprehensive program in sensory integration enabling her to administer and interpret the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT). Sharon’s quiet, warm rapport with children and adults further enhances her natural abilities as a therapist and member of a team.
Our tutors are degree professionals who provide one-on-one instruction to children in a particular top area including math, reading, and foreign language.
Denise Cloran Gruender
B.S., Owner
Denise oversees all ABC activities and helps coordinate the admission screenings program. She was an elementary school teacher in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System prior to the inception of ABC Educational Services. She received a Baccalaureate of Science in Elementary Education with dual minors in Reading and Early Childhood Education from Ohio Northern University.
Denise is active in the community, speaks publicly on educational issues, directs the youth program at her church and has held seats on private local school boards in previous years. As an experienced educational professional and mother of two young daughters, she is vitally aware of the educational concerns of teachers and parents.
Terry Knudsen
B.S., Director of Educational Projects
Terry integrates the skills of the ABC staff with the needs of our clients, provides project planning, reference support, community contact and actively participates in the evolving educational projects at ABC. She received her Baccalaureate of Science from The University of California, at Davis. Terry held a seat on a school board, was a member of a school site council and later taught elementary and middle school students in Groveland-Big Oak Flat School District in California.
Terry’s enduring desire is to help individuals of any age and ability reach their full potential. She promotes a friendly, flexible atmosphere where innovative strategies thrive along with traditional "tried and true" techniques.