Our Team
Maria Welch
M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
My beliefs after 30 plus years of working with both adults and children:
I believe everyone should have a voice and be heard whether speaking or non-speaking
I believe that speaking or clarity of speaking rarely match thinking ability.I believe that invisible motor, memory and organization challenges can mask what someone actually knows.
I believe that most individuals or possibly all have an innate desire to feel and truly be a part of a community.
I started this practice 20 years ago with those beliefs and the desire to team with caregivers pushing toward goals in communication and feeding. I have been so grateful and amazed with what I’ve learned from the many students and families that have fed my experiences. My mission then and now was to create a place for each client to learn and understand their best path to communication or eating and collaborate with their support people in how to best travel that path. I believe that therapy sessions meet needs individually and in groups best when built around presuming competence, determining and providing supports, expanding ideas based on a person’s chronological age and engaging humor, creativity, and problem solving while building a community for both clients and support people. Over the years I’ve met many students with both sensory and communication needs. During those many sessions, I’ve gathered and honed skills to meet challenges and celebrate gifts. My hope is to share all my experiences and certifications with clients and their support people so that they become their own best coaches. In my private life, I try to spend as much time as possible outside swimming, biking, hiking or running. When not outside, I enjoy British TV, cooking and reading.
One last belief:
I believe the British are way better story tellers than most.
Education: Undergraduate: Western Kentucky University/Graduate: Vanderbilt University
Certifications: Prompt, Rapid Prompting Method, Spell2Communicate (S2C), NMRI level 1