About

Working with children is my passion. As a speech-language pathologist, I was able to focus my career path towards doing just that! I earned a bachelors degree in Communication Disorders from Truman State University, followed by a Masters in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Rockhurst University. During my externships at Rockhurst, I worked in elementary schools, preschools, and with adults in an in-patient rehab unit in a hospital. I fell in love with the preschool placement, and following graduation, landed my first job as an SLP in a preschool setting in Colorado. My husband's work led us to Houston after two years, where I took a job with a co-op for the hearing impaired within a public school system.

My first son was born after I had worked with the coop for 1.5 years. My husband and I made the decision that I would stay home with him, and so I resigned from my job. It was a hard decision, but one that I do not regret! Being at home gave me a new perspective on child language and speech development. It is one thing to read about it in books, but to see it first hand is truly awe inspiring. The human mind is simply amazing! I can't tell you how many times I got excited about little things like, "he's using articles! he just followed a 2-step direction! was that a "th" sound??".

That brings us to the present...I am now a mom of 2. I have recently gone back to work part-time in early intervention (birth-3). I am loving the opportunity to put the knowledge I have gained by becoming a parent to use in my job!

Philosophy:
I believe that children learn through play. I believe movement, creativity, exploration, being in nature, and following the child's interests all encourage a love of learning. I believe speech therapy can encompass all of those things. "Play is the work of the child"-Maria Montessori

I believe in collaboration between professionals of different disciplines and love incorporating movement from OT or PT goals into speech sessions. I look forward to being able to collaborate with music therapists someday, as well. Take advantage of your colleagues knowledge! You never know what piece of the therapy puzzle you are missing that they might hold.

I believe in continuously educating oneself. I have recently become fascinated with pediatric swallowing and feeding disorders and have been reading as much research and knowledge base books on the subject as time allows. I have attended 2 conferences on feeding disorders and will continue to learn more. You are never too old to learn something new!

Thanks for stopping by! I'd love to hear from you-questions, comments, concerns, and offers of food are always welcome :)