Stemming from her background in special education (deaf and hard of hearing emphasis), Amber Parks has always been fascinated by the importance of making language as concrete as possible for students. Particularly for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, the need for language to be visual is paramount for their comprehension and use of new vocabulary. Along with students with hearing loss, she also taught English as a second language to students in Spain and South Africa and continues to work with many English language learners in classrooms across the country. Throughout her teaching career, students continually challenged her to find ways to visually show thinking processes and language structures. As she worked with teachers and students on three continents, she developed a revolutionary approach to writing, Writing with Design (www.writingwithdesign.com). She’s now on a mission to transform the caliber of language and writing development in classrooms across the country by combining her expertise in language acquisition for students who are deaf and hard of hearing, her experience teaching English as a second language, and her passion for writing.