Welcome to Inchstones
Our Co-Owners, Bridgette Campbell and Michelle Campbell are not related! Michelle was brought into Bridgette's life as a Teacher of the Deaf for her daughter at 7 months old. That was over 13 years ago! Since then, they have developed a lifelong friendship and have been co-workers for over 6 years.
Bridgette Campbell, Special Instructor
My name is Bridgette Campbell and I am a Special Instructor! I live in Camp Hill with my husband, two daughters: Annaleigh and Margaret, and our labradoodle, Sullivan. I went to Shippensburg University where I received my Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a minor in Spanish. Following graduation, I was employed as a regular education second grade teacher for 6 years in Carlisle. I completed my Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Phoenix in July 2010.
In 2011, my world was “turned right-side-up” with the birth of my daughter, Annaleigh. Due to a birth injury, she has multiple disabilities including: Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Cortical Visual Impairment, and Bilateral Sensorineural hearing loss. Because of her, I was opened up to the world of special education starting with Early Intervention: Birth-three programming starting when she was just two months old and just recently out of the NICU. By the time Annaleigh was one, I started working as a Special Instructor for Sovia Therapy and continued working there until December 2020. While working as a Special Instructor, I was able to receive coaching training and more specialized autism spectrum disorder continuing education while continuing to learn American Sign Language. My strengths with the Birth-3 population are establishing routines by using the Coaching Model, Behavioral Intervention strategies, and building communication at the earliest stages by utilizing varied modes including: American Sign Language, Gestures, Picture exchange systems, and augmentative communication.
Beginning in 2018, I started working as a Special Educator for the Western PA School for the Deaf in their Hershey Preschool. This preschool is an Approved Private School as a part-time/part-time placement for the Early Intervention Preschool program. A unique aspect of the program was the reverse inclusion program. As educators, we strived to include our students as much as possible with other same-age typically-developing peers. I was lucky enough to teach right alongside Michelle Campbell (co-owner of Inchstones) and learn the ropes of leading a class of young children with varying needs that included: Deafness and hearing loss, communication delays and disorders, Down Syndrome, physical disabilities, and medically-fragile children. I began my Master of Science in Special Education from Saint Joseph’s University in the Fall of 2022. I continued as an acting Teacher of the Deaf for the three/four-year-old classroom until June of 2024. A strength of this program was the consistent and regular communication with families as well as continued sharing of resources for families to continue to advocate for their child’s education - a pillar of our beliefs for Inchstones.
I am looking forward to the return to Early Intervention: Birth to three with many more tools in my back pocket to share. I am looking forward to the connections to the families that I will serve so that each family can build competence and advocacy skills that will last them through their lifetime. We will continue to create inclusive opportunities and establish high-expectations for all children.
Michelle Campbell, Special Instructor - Hearing
My name is Michelle Campbell and I am a Special Instructor for Deaf and Hard of Hearing kiddos. I live in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania with my husband Adam, Daughter Shelby, and two Wheaten Terriers: Rey and Mara. I went to Flagler College in St. Augustine Florida where I received my Bachelor of Science in Deaf Education and Elementary Education with endorsements in English as a Second Language and Reading. Following college, I moved back to Central Pennsylvania to get married and start our lives here. I worked at The Vista School in Hershey, PA for three years. During my time there my favorite times were when supporting the whole family and watching children succeed in different ways!
Following that, I started at The Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and worked in Early Intervention as well as the Hershey Preschool for 14 years. I worked with families from diagnosis to amplification and communication model selection to kindergarten. It was such a joy to walk along parents through the transition from Birth-3 to Preschool and then from Preschool to Kindergarten. My strengths include navigating the medical system, establishing communication for connection, and working with children with multiple diagnoses while presuming competence and continuing to push them to success and ensure they feel loved and understood. I also love sharing resources with families to ensure the whole family is supported through each step because a diagnosis is not only for the child but for the whole family (parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, daycare staff, and extended family).
While working at The Hershey Preschool, we traveled to China to adopt our daughter right before she turned 2. This is when Bridgette Campbell (co-owner of Inchstones) joined me at preschool as a co teacher. During this time, we established many routines and systems for the staff, classrooms, and families. We were lucky enough to work with kiddos with a variety of needs and communication modes including American Sign Language, Spoken English, Pictures, and Augmentative Communication Devices. We thrive on meeting the students where they are and helping them meet the next Inchstone. We love celebrating wins! During this time, I also began my Masters of Science in Special Education from Saint Joseph University.
Personally, after arriving home from China I instantly became a Special Needs mama and worked with Early Intervention, the Intermediate Unit, and the Public and Private School System to advocate through the use of an IFSP, IEP, and 504 plan. We have navigated second language learning, coordinating over a dozen medical teams, working on physical development including eating, gross motor, sensory, and fine motor development, and Gene Therapy including many hospital stays and most recently one, 2 months long. I love making connections and communication happen in the mundane and also making memories in mayhem. By making these appointments routine and “normal” but also fun and memorable I was provided many valuable hours of connection with my daughter.