Kellie Ivie, MS CCC-SLP

POSITION: Speech Language Pathologist + Speech Team Lead + Student Coordinator

SPECIALTIES: Dyslexia, articulation deficits, phonological deficits, expressive and receptive language disorders, social-pragmatic deficits, autism spectrum disorder, childhood apraxia of speech, stuttering/fluency, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), global developmental delays, and various genetic/chromosomal disorders.

EDUCATION & TRAINING: Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from St. Ambrose University; Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from St. Ambrose University; Trained in See the Sound: Visual Phonics.

Lauren Deppe MA, CCC-SLP/L

POSITION: Speech Language Pathologist + Marketing Manager

SPECIALTIES: Receptive and expressive language delays, articulation deficits, phonological deficits, voice disorders, autism spectrum disorder, social-pragmatic deficits, stuttering/fluency disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), delivering therapy to Spanish speaking families

EDUCATION & TRAINING: Master of Arts in Speech and Hearing Science from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Science with an emphasis in speech-language pathology and minor in Music (Vocal) from The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; training in flexible and rigid laryngeal endoscopy

WHAT’S YOUR WHY? Growing up, Brittany’s mom did in-home care for a couple with cerebral palsy. Brittany became fascinated with the couple’s AAC device at an early age and knew she wanted to learn more about helping others find their “voice”. Being diagnosed with Selective Mutism as a child also motivated Brittany to pursue a career that has been an integral part of her life. Brittany loves working with children and their families to build relationships and celebrate milestones

FUN FACT: Brittany enjoys watching movies from the 80’s and 90’s. Her favorites include: Jurassic Park, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, and Beetlejuice. You may also see her sporting fun socks with those movies on them.

IN YOUR FREE TIME: During Brittany’s freetime, she enjoys spending time with her husband and her family. She loves to be outside where she can enjoy nature, especially while camping. Brittany also loves attending baseball games and visiting local coffee shops with her husband. In her spare time, you can find her spoiling all of her nephews!

RANKINGS:

Cooking ★★★★☆

Athletic ability ★☆☆☆☆

Speech Therapy ★★★★★

WHAT’S YOUR WHY? Renee's brother is ten years younger than her and when he was younger, he needed speech therapy. Renee went with him and her mom to every visit and fell in love with the profession. Since that experience, Renee found any opportunity to shadow or volunteer in the field which reinforced her desire to be a speech therapist. Renee loves working with children and their families to help them set and reach their goals.

FUN FACT: Renee grew up in a military family and lived in 5 states and Italy. 

IN YOUR FREE TIME: In her free time, Renee loves to spend time with her husband, family, and friends. She loves going on road trips and exploring new places. Renee is new to the midwest and is excited to explore all the new places. Recently, she has enjoyed learning how to play golf with her husband. 

RANKINGS:

Speech Therapy ★★★★★

Cooking ★☆☆☆☆

Home Decor Shopping ★★★★☆

WHAT’S YOUR WHY? Taylor became a speech language pathologist because she has always loved helping others. Seeing how important it is for everyone to express themselves clearly, Taylor felt a strong pull to make a difference, especially in her hometown area. Whether it's helping someone say their first words or assisting them in being understood more easily, Taylor finds joy in every step of the journey. Being a speech language pathologist allows her to support others in finding their voice and connecting with the world around them.

FUN FACT: Taylor enjoys learning new skills. This past year she has learned how to design and launch websites as well as produce and edit promotional videos!

IN YOUR FREE TIME: In Taylor’s free time she enjoys being with her kids, Nolan and Penelope, and husband, Kyle. They enjoy walking their dogs around their neighborhood or going on golf cart rides!

RANKINGS:

Speech Therapy ★★★★★

Singing ★☆☆☆☆

Staying caffeinated ★★★★★

WHAT’S YOUR WHY? Olivia grew up working with children and teaching private violin lessons. She quickly learned that she found the most rewarding activities to be those that allowed her to connect with people on an individual level. She loved to see the growth of her students and planned lessons that helped them develop new skills and feel successful. Seeing the joy and gratitude from those students was incredibly rewarding, and inspired Olivia to pursue a career that would allow her to be a part of many more individual’s lives in this way. Now, all of the children and families she has had a chance to work with as an SLP have become her “why”.

FUN FACT: Olivia grew up in the world of musical theatre, and even received a minor in Theatre in college! Growing up performing in a children’s community theatre, Olivia played favorite roles including Belle in Beauty and the Beast and Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins. In college, she enjoyed playing Junie B Jones in Junie B Jones the Musical. Olivia has also spent time vocal directing and stage-managing children’s theatre productions.

IN YOUR FREE TIME: Olivia enjoys spending time with her fiancé, family, and friends. Most often, you will find her going for walks, playing games, or reading a new book.

RANKINGS:

Winning Board Games ★★★★★

Cooking ★☆☆☆☆

Speech Therapy ★★★★★

WHAT’S YOUR WHY? Shelby has a passion for working with children and families to facilitate increased speech and language skills. Shelby received speech therapy when she was in elementary school and has experienced first hand how impactful therapy can be, especially with influence and support from families. Shelby is from Knox County and is excited to serve the children and families of her local community as she helps them find their voice and grow into successful communicators! 

FUN FACT: Shelby is taking flight lessons and is currently in pursuit of her private pilot's license!

IN YOUR FREE TIME: Shelby enjoys spending time with her husband, family, and cat, Lady. She also enjoys knitting, reading, and driving her 5-speed Jeep Wrangler in the summertime!

RANKINGS:

Speech Therapy ★★★★★

Drinking too much coffee ★★★★★

Not buying the shoes ★☆☆☆☆

WHAT’S YOUR WHY? Megan’s passion for speech-language pathology began in high school when she had the opportunity to work as an aide for her school district’s speech pathologist during her senior year of high school. She was inspired by the way the SLP built strong connections with her students and helped facilitate their communication growth. While in college, Megan pursued research relating to autism spectrum disorder, which furthered her desire to support neurodiverse individuals and their families. Now as a clinician, she finds joy in building connections with her clients and their families and being a part of their journey in developing meaningful communication. 

FUN FACT: Megan grew up learning and playing a variety of instruments, including piano, French horn, and ukulele. While she has been part of many ensembles, her favorite was marching band, where she played the mellophone and served as a drum major during her time in high school and college. Today, Megan stays connected to music by serving on staff for a local marching band during their competition season. 

IN YOUR FREE TIME: You can find Megan playing the piano, reading a new book, listening to podcasts, spending time with family and friends, or planning her next National Park trip.

RANKINGS:

Speech Therapy ★★★★★

National park knowledge ★★★★☆

Fan of early mornings ★☆☆☆☆

WHAT’S YOUR WHY? Growing up with a family member with cerebral palsy, Sarah has always been a natural when it comes to working with individuals with disabilities.  This special relationship shaped her childhood in many ways and likely explains her intuitive nature for quickly building meaningful connections with her clients and their families. 

FUN FACT: Sarah is quite the singer---she studied vocal performance in college and has even sang on the stage at Carnegie Hall! Did you know that music can even be incorporated into speech therapy sessions? Growing up practically attached to her toy karaoke machine and Fisher Price cassette player, it is not surprising that Sarah found her passion in a career rooted in communication!

IN YOUR FREE TIME: When Sarah isn’t running the show at Way to Grow, you might find her spending time with her husband, toddler, and newborn twins, listening to podcasts, traveling around the Midwest, and spoiling her nieces and nephews!

RANKINGS:

Speech Therapy ★★★★★

Athletic ability ★☆☆☆☆

Laughing louder than anyone else ★★★★☆

CONTACT: Contact Sarah directly at smyers@WaytoGrowPediatrics.com.