CONTACT
P. 405. 603. 6622
F. 405. 722. 3244
E. [email protected]
LOCATION
8007 NW 122nd St.
Oklahoma City, OK 73142
HOURS
Monday – Friday
7:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Month in Review
September 2023
Patient Spotlight
We have so many patients at Speech Pathway who have long journeys that require incredibly hard work from their entire family and we want to start recognizing them for the effort they put in daily! Each month we’ll be highlighting a few of our patients who have shown so much improvement throughout their marathon in speech therapy. See our amazing patients below!
Kyler H.
Kyler is the sweetest three year old who has been in therapy for three years! He has made tremendous growth in his three years at Speech Pathway. He is now able to communicate using PECS, words, and sign language, but his favorite words are numbers! Kyler loves to count and in his free time, you can catch him propped in front of a microwave counting the numbers, or playing on his calculator or timer/stopwatch! Kyler has made incredible accomplishments with feeding therapy as well; developing an overall more positive relationship with foods. He’s touching, playing, and interacting with different food textures (as long as he can count the food items or arrange them to spell a word). Kyler’s mother is incredibly proud of his success, as she should be! “Kyler has autism, developmental delays, and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, yet he is beating so many of the odds and I am so proud of him! Kyler is the sweetest kid and has the most heartwarming smile. He is the caring friend that I believe every child needs. Similarly to Olaf, Kyler loves hugs, but in his case, make sure they’re compressing! He loves trains, cars, and books (his favorite is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom 123! Miss Katie loves working with Kyler each week and seeing his growth. “Kyler is a very sweet boy who makes me smile every time in therapy. He’s been steadily improving his ability to taste different textures of foods and we’ve started working on biting into a piece of food! He has also been improving his ability to communicate his wants and needs and even make comments of his own such as, ‘Yummy!’ or ‘Cool!’ I always look forward to seeing what new skill he learned over the past week and I’m excited for the continued progress!” Kyler, we love seeing you grow up and having you as a part of the Speech Pathway family!
Nora B.
At ten years old, Nora has spent seven years in therapy. When she started speech, she only had a handful of words. Following a diagnosis of apraxia of speech, her family was concerned she would never speak and would struggle in school. The best surprise is that she now speaks clearly and reads above grade level! Her caregivers are so very proud of her. “Nora worked so hard for this accomplishment. She went to speech three days per week for the first year, two days per week for the next few years, and then one day per week the following year. She’s now only going monthly, but works really hard in the summer with going twice weekly. This is completely her accomplishment with her speech pathologists. We are so proud of her!” Miss Kylie has loved getting to work with Nora through the years and agrees that she is one of the most hard-working kiddos. “She has been in therapy since she was two. Nora and her family have put in so much work to get her where she is today. We always have so much fun during sessions! She has a bright future and we’re so honored to be a part of her journey!” Way to go, Nora!
Parker G.
Parker is an amazing ten year old who has been in therapy for eight and a half years. He’s made incredible strides in that time, but most recently he’s started using his “talker” (augmentative alternative communication device) more, expanding his language more than a few words, using new vocabulary, participating in conversation, trying new foods, and using a rotary chew! He lights up the clinic with his amazing smile. We love having his family around and his caregivers are so proud of his progress. “Parker loves coming to Speech Pathway to see not only his favorite clinician, Abby, but all the other staff that encourage him to be his ‘best communicating self’! Parker loves swimming and playing in water, but has also become a big baseball fan. He plays on the Courage League Avengers baseball team and loves batting almost as much as he enjoys running the bases. Parker has two siblings that he has started to be able to communicate with more through the use of his talker. His brother has shown him how to program jokes and they enjoy laughing together when Parker hits the punch line.” Miss Abby has formed such a special relationship with Parker and loves working with him! “Parker is the best! His smile lights up every room he walks in and he brings joy to all those around him. He makes therapy fun and has made so much progress in both speech and feeding. Parker enjoys the silly moments, but is also a hard worker. I have loved getting a peek into his brain as he has become more proficient and comfortable using his AAC device. Parker is such a smarty and the sky is the limit for him.” We’re just so proud of your communication journey, Parker!
Chester's Party Barn and Farm
We had such a fantastic time at Chester’s Party Barn and Farm last month! Thank you to everyone who joined us! We love getting to see our patients out and about, but especially when there is so much fun involved! See you all next year!
Walk for Apraxia
The 2023 Walk for Apraxia was a hit! Apraxia Kids is an incredible organization that provides research, resources, and continuing education to families and professionals alike. Taking time out to attend, walk with families, and recognize all of the Apraxia Stars in Oklahoma City is such an amazing experience every year! There’s still time to donate, if you have it in your heart. Visit the Apraxia Kids website to make a donation, big or small, to provide resources to families navigating a new diagnosis, continuing education for professionals looking to up their game, and increased research for treatment of apraxia of speech!
Upcoming Events
There is no Event
Trunk or Treat Candy Drive
As our clinic continues to grow, and more and more patients come to our trunk or treat event, we need help being able to pass out all of the best candy and goodies! Our Amazon wish list allows you to send candy and toys directly to our front door. We’d appreciate any help you can give us in helping make this event incredible for our patients and their families!
Did you know Speech Pathway was featured in Luxiere magazine last month? It’s true! Click below to access the article. It’s worth the read, we promise.
Fall Therapy Tips
- Take a walk outside! As the weather cools down, a lot of changes happen outside. Talking about what you see, hear, and smell can help grow language! When you’re outside, ask questions that are open-ended (so not yes/no questions) to help your child build language as well.
- Bake a pie! Find your favorite recipe and work on sequencing while baking. What do we do first, next, and last. This is also a great activity for following directions. Don’t let your child see the recipe, but instead, they must listen to instructions and complete the activity based on the directions!
- Work on articulation while making a snack or dessert (eh hem, s’mores anyone?). For each group of 5 repetitions, your child can get an ingredient for the dessert.
- If you’re celebrating Halloween, ask wh-questions about the costume! Who is your child going to be? Why do they want to be that person/item/character? Where is this costume from? These questions will be asked as your child dresses up, so they’re a great opportunity to practice!
- Make sure you’re practicing functional vocabulary and words with your child at home. If you’re celebrating Halloween, but they have difficulty saying trick-or-treat, that would be a great vocabulary word to practice! Some other functional vocabulary to practice for fall would be: Halloween, candy, the name of their costume, cold, pumpkin, ghost, football, Thanksgiving, thankful, turkey, and whatever other words may be functional for your family at home!
- If you need to be inside frequently, check out these awesome home crafts to just have fun inside! We know that speech and language can be a full-time job when you have a child with a speech or language delay. It’s okay to take a break sometimes and just enjoy the weather or time together!!
Meet the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Team!
Morgan is a registered behavior technician that joined the Speech Pathway team within the past 6 months. In that short amount of time, she’s loved the interactions she’s had with her clients and colleagues. Morgan loves the collaboration that both the ABA team and SLPs utilize at Speech Pathway, and has grown to feel motivated in her professional and personal goals through her interactions with colleagues and clients. Pediatrics are somewhat of a challenge to Morgan, but she feels she rises to the occasion when presented with something out of her comfort zone. She has grown to love that there’s always something new when working with kids. Morgan has always enjoyed the development aspect of psychology and she gets to see it every day in her work. It keeps her on her toes! When Morgan was working with adults, there weren’t as many changes to behavior or personality as there are with kids. She’s learned to appreciate both sides of the behavior spectrum. In the next year, Morgan is excited to learn more about ABA and speech pathology. Life after college has been a big adjustment, but she looks forward to the growth and adventures that independence will bring. Is there a grad school in Morgan’s future? She thinks maybe in speech-language pathology! When she gets home, Morgan likes to keep things fresh and is rarely doing the same thing each day. She always prioritizes self-care in the form of reading a book for at least 25 minutes per day and journaling. You can also catch her running, baking, and practicing her Spanish. We’re glad to have you as part of the team, Morgan!
Michala is a registered behavior technician that also recently joined the Speech Pathway team as our ABA department began to grow. She’s grown to love her coworkers, their support, and how much they truly care about her. Michala the excitement she gets to share with her patients as they work on and achieve their goals. Big or small achievements, she loves being a part of the process. Over the next year, she’s excited to continue to grow and learn as an RBT and to see the progress her patients will make. In the short amount of time she’s been here, Michala has seen such positive changes and continued growth is definitely something to look forward to. When the time comes to clock out, you’ll find Michala at home playing with her puppy, Khloe! Welcome to the team, Michala!
Mary Kate is an RBT that is around the office sparingly, but when she is, she brings so much light! She’s grown to love the entire Speech Pathway community. “As a new employee, I have felt so welcomed! I have also noticed how everyone is so supportive of each other and their clients. I love how each employee is a champion for each and every child that comes through the doors!” Mary Kate loves working with kids because she gets to know their personalities. She loves their natural energy and zest for life. “I find that I typically learn just as much as they do!” Mary Kate loves working in pediatrics because she can make an important impact on a child’s life and set them up for a successful future. She’s looking forward to spending more time at Speech Pathway in the next year, continuing to learn about ABA, and furthering her journey as an RBT! When she walks in the doors of her home from work, she usually goes outside in the backyard with her dog. She has a patio that they sit on and enjoy the weather. If Mary Kate isn’t outside with her fur baby, she’s doing things around the house or a DIY project. Welcome to the team, Mary Kate!
Emily F is an RBT that joined our team as one of the first members of our ABA department. One of her favorite things about Speech Pathway is the relationships that she’s formed with her kids and their families. “I know how important our service is and I always try my hardest to tell our families about what we did throughout the session that day.” Family collaboration and carryover is definitely something we pride ourselves on at Speech Pathway, and Emily works to carry out that standard each day she’s here. Emily’s favorite thing about working in pediatrics is watching them grow. Over this past year, she’s seen both major and minor strides in her patients’ independence. She loves watching them learn and explore independence with support when they need it. Within the next year, Emily will graduate school and further her education, which is incredibly exciting for her future! She’s ready to keep growing alongside her kids and helping them excel at everything they do. After work, catch her at home in come comfy clothes with a book, or hanging out with her husband, Blake, and watching shows with him. Typically she’s going straight from work to school, and then working on homework as well. We love her dedication to her patients and furthering her education. We love having you, Emily!
Lynlee is an RBT that has grown to love the helpful and collaborative atmosphere at Speech Pathway! Her favorite thing about working with kids is getting to experience the world through their eyes. It’s exciting to see them grow into their personalities! Lynlee enjoys pediatrics because she loves to see the changes and progress being made with clients, and how that positively affects their relationship with their family and community. In the next year, Lynlee is excited to grow as a clinician and to see the growth in Speech Pathway clients! We hate to see Lynlee go home at the end of the day, but when she clocks out, she’s enjoying time with her son. They love to cook together, watch musicals and movies, and get creative making jewelry or painting. We love Lynlee’s creative spirit around the office!
Lauren is a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) that oversees the treatment plans for patients at Speech Pathway. She’s not in the office all the time, but when she is, we love her patience and understanding with others. She loves Speech Pathway because of everyone’s willingness to collaborate and learn from each other. Lauren loves working in pediatrics because they have such joy and enthusiasm. The smiles, giggles, and fun that take place during play-based therapy are so rewarding for her. Lauren especially loves being a part of a child’s journey and seeing their progress first-hand as they grow. Through the next year, Lauren is looking forward to traveling more with her daughter and husband. Professionally, she’s looking forward to seeing Speech Pathway and the children we serve continue to grow and thrive! Although Lauren isn’t in the office every day, when she is, after work you’ll see her spending quality time with her daughter when she gets home. Lauren is such a special person and we’re so grateful to have her as part of the team!
Whitney is the lead RBT and was one of the founding members of Speech Pathway’s ABA team! She is incredible at what she does and has such a passion for helping others. Whitney loves watching how everyone interacts with their clients, as she learns so many new ways to do therapy when she sees them. She loves working with kids and helping them grow into their potential. Being there and watching how they are able to overcome and improve is inspiring for her! Whitney is so excited to see the ABA program grow. It’s exciting to build new friendships and see their kids make progress. When Whitney isn’t doing amazing things at Speech Pathway, she’s typically at home watching movies or hanging out with her family and friends. We love you, Whitney!
Ashley is an RBT that joined our team in July as the most recent addition and fits in absolutely seamlessly to our amazing behavior team. She loves being at Speech Pathway because “everyone is so fun and they try to engage every person in some way.” Ashley works with kids because she loves watching them change and grow as individuals. She feels that she’s making a positive difference in the way children see the world. Ashley is looking forward to growing within her behavioral career as well as personal growth through her experience with the families she encounters. When she’s at home, catch her with a snack and her dogs! We’ve loved Ashley’s energy and positivity through the past three months, and we’re excited for her future with us!