Joanne P. Smith-Darden, MSW, CCC-SLP, Ph.D.

Joanne Smith-Darden holds degrees in education, speech and language pathology, social work and developmental psychology. She obtained an interdisciplinary doctorate in Social Work and Psychology at the University of Michigan. Her area of graduate school research specialization was the intersection of early childhood trauma, attachment and cognitive processing (specifically auditory and language processing). She has trained, practiced, consulted and acted as director in a variety of settings including schools, educational cooperatives serving low-incidence handicaps, rehabilitation facilities, hospitals and the Bureau of Juvenile Justice. Dr. Smith-Darden is the co-principal investigator for the "Cognition and Disabilities Project," a project spearheaded as a collaborative effort between the University of Michigan and the State of Michigan to better understand how early childhood experiences impact learning and development.

Dr. Smith-Darden has performed assessments on toddlers, children, adolescents and adults, covering a wide variety of developmental and acquired neurological disorders, particularly conducting evaluations of individuals with pervasive developmental disorders, traumatic brain injuries, speech and language disorders and oral motor disorders (including swallowing). Her assessments focus on providing diagnostic information and include individualized recommendations to optimize each client’slearning strengths and weaknesses. She has participated in, and directed, numerous school meetings that help parents, students, teachers and administrators incorporate assessment results to strategize meaningful educational as well as therapeutic objectives for the client.

Dr. Smith-Darden has published articles and abstracts in the field of psychology and social work and has presented at national and international conferences. She has co-authored two book chapters and is collaborating on a textbook in educationalpsychology with colleagues at the University of Michigan. She has presented at local organizations, including schools, universities and professional associations, on topics related to learning disabilities, pervasive developmental disorders, executive functioning skills and the importance of creating a safe therapeutic environment to enhance intervention efficacy. She was and continues to be involved in the training and supervision of social work and speech and language pathology interns.

Dr. Smith-Darden currently holds adjunct faculty appointments in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan and in the School of Social Work at Eastern Michigan University. In addition to teaching, Dr. Smith-Darden provides trainings and consults to the Michigan Bureau of Justice, VIP Mentoring, Ohio school districts and Detroit charter schools. She has been licensed with the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association for the past 25 years.

For more information on current research, interventions and programs, follow us on Facebook.

Coming to see you for an evaluation was so helpful and I’m so happy that I did this. After struggling for years with ADHD – but not knowing that’s what it was – and almost completely ruining our marriage because of it, your diagnosis helped more than you could know. Now I know that it’s not just me – the diagnosis has turned our lives around and helped me feel more accomplished at work. Thanks again for everything.

Sandy and Bob M.