A little bit about myself….

I was born and raised in St. Louis , MO , attending 12 years of parochial school. In my adolescent years, public speaking, writing, and performing were pivotal elements to both my academic and personal growth. I have always wanted to work with children so when I learned of the field of speech pathology in high school, it was a natural combination of my two passions; language and children. My junior year I began researching colleges with the intention of entering a field in which I could give to children the same power and opportunities that language had given me. I attended the University of Montevallo, just south of Birmingham, Alabama, for my BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders. I then continued on for my MA degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Tennessee , Knoxville .

I began my professional career in the Northern Virginia area. For 2 ˝ years I worked in a clinic setting with children ages 2-16, across a variety of developmental levels and interventions. I then spent almost a year working with Fairfax and Prince William Early Intervention Programs, serving children up to three years of age in their home environment. I have greatly enjoyed both clinic and home-based interventions over the years. I have been providing private home-based services to my own clients since October 2006. It is my goal to provide family-centered therapeutic activities within the natural environment, empowering more parents to become their child's greatest resource.

I have extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of Pervasive Developmental Disorders/Autism, Articulation and Phonology, Oral Motor, Developmental Language Delays/Disorders, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, and American Sign Language . I have additional training in Beckman Oral Motor, Auditory Processing, Feeding and Sensory Integration. I strongly believe in a collaborative model; working with the child's family and school to provide a consistent integrated treatment approach. I look forward to continuing to serve families in the Northern Virginia area, opening the doors for more children to have every possible opportunity.