About Us - Our Leadership
HALO was chartered as a non-profit organization in Austin, Texas. In January 2004, Soma Mukhopadhyay, HALO founder Linda Lange, and a dozen RPM advocates nationwide joined to develop the mission of HALO, which serves as a SomaŽ RPM instructional clinic available to students with autism of all ages, from all over the globe. In January 2005, HALO moved Soma's clinic from Burbank, CA to a larger facility in Austin, TX, and began collecting video progressions as descriptive research of the hundreds of students who attend the clinic for Soma's RPM instruction. HALO continues towards growing its efforts in RPM instruction, research and training.
STAFF
Executive Director of Education - Soma Mukhopadhyay
BS Chemistry with Honors
MS Chemistry
B.Ed
A native of India, Soma is a teacher and mother who developed her trademark Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) to instruct her son Tito who is now a published writer and poet, in spite of his severe autism. Soma and Tito have been featured on 60 Minutes II, Good Morning America, Scientific American, the New York Times, National Geographic and numerous other media.
Soma has instructed hundreds of students (youth to adult) with autism and similar disorders at schools and organizations across the U.S. as well as at her clinic in Austin, Texas. She uses RPM to teach academics and communication by eliciting responses through intensive verbal, auditory, visual and/or tactile prompts. Her prompting is designed to keep students focused and successful. Soma's approach presumes competence and comprehension at age level, and it is a very low-tech method requiring only paper and pencil. Student responses evolve from picking up answers, to pointing, to typing and writing which reveals students' comprehension, academic skills and eventually, conversation.
SomaŽ RPM Apprentice - Erika Anderson
Erika holds a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Human Development from the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay. She started her career in the field of autism working three years as an ABA therapist for Fox Valley Autism. Her students ranged in age from 3-18. Erika began teaching students with RPM in 2005, and she attended and completed SomaŽ RPM Level I training in 2006. Newlyweds, she and her husband Mark recently moved to Austin so that Erika could join the HALO staff to further her training with Soma and to gain exposure and experience working with a wide range of students with autism. Beginning in 2008, she will be providing 1:1 sessions with students at the clinic.
Administrative Coordinator - Patricia Anglin
Patricia "Trish" Anglin is a native Austinite. She attended St. Edward's University from 1991 - 1993 where she majored in Religious Studies. She has worked with several different youth groups as a volunteer for the past 6 years and has also been a volunteer Religious Education teacher at the same parishes for grades ranging from first grade thru middle school. Trish was also a volunteer volleyball coach at the YMCA for a period of time. She and Ben, her husband of 8 years, currently reside in Cedar Park, TX along with teenage daughter, Gabby. Trish also has two grown step-children, Lani Rosales and the late Ben Aaron Anglin. Through her step-children they enjoy 4 beautiful grandchildren. Trish enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, reading, going to the movies and enjoys photography as a hobby. She also enjoys volunteering with her husband; they currently serve the Mobile Loaves and Fishes organization and are active in other areas at their church. Trish is also a member of a community service based sorority, Delta Rho Delta.
