Oak Forest HS Teacher Wins 2014-15 Infinitec Professionals Award

Congratulations to Oak Forest High School DESTINY teacher Karen Annichiarico, who won the 2014-2015 Infinitec Professionals Award at a special ceremony at the Silver Lake Country Club. She was honored for 35 years of dedication to assisting students communicate through various means, whether it is through an electronic communication device, sign language, or an alternative communication system. There have only been 10 recipients of this award in the past 30 years.

Annichiarico, who started working for the Southwest Cook County Cooperative in 1979, came to Oak Forest High School to work in the DESTINY Program in 1984 as a speech and language pathologist for the program.

Throughout Annichiarico’s career, she was worked tirelessly to assist students in reaching their full potential using various communication devices.

According to Deborah Bumber, DESTINY Supervisor, Annichiarico serves a broad spectrum of students at Oak Forest High School in the DESTINY Program. “She serves many learners with autism, significant medical conditions, and sensory integration challenges. She is always willing to pull from her bag of tricks and to seek new methods when her bag runs empty. She is a master of learning low-tech systems to aid in slowing down their eating process, or using iPad voice-output apps for instruction to specific devices for her learners.” All of this is so her specific learners can communicate better with those around them.

Annichiarico takes the award in stride and feels that there are many rewarding parts to her tough job. “The rewards are many…working with colleagues that are committed to helping our students become as independent as possible, working with an administrative team here at OFHS that embraces the DESTINY students, and, on a personal level, having a career that has helped me come to realize what really matters in real life!”

Annichiarico recommends speech and language pathology as a versatile career choice. “There are opportunities to work in schools, hospitals, private practice, home health care, and in nursing homes,” she said.