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    • Home
    • Mission
    • COVID-19 Clinic Changes
    • Services
    • Contact Us
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Summer Therapy Packages
    • Therapy Corner
    • Reviews & Testimonials
    • Job Postings
    • Downloadable Forms
The Pediatric Place, LLC
  • Home
  • Mission
  • COVID-19 Clinic Changes
  • Services
  • Contact Us
  • Meet Our Staff
  • Summer Therapy Packages
  • Therapy Corner
  • Reviews & Testimonials
  • Job Postings
  • Downloadable Forms

Speech-Language Pathologists

Carmen Rathert, M.S. CCC-SLP, COM®, Owner

 

Carmen was honored to receive her first job with the Warrensburg Public School District as Speech-Language Pathologist for the Early Childhood Special Education Program. Carmen worked closely with students, parents, teachers, and therapists over the next six years assessing and treating a variety of speech and language disorders, developing and implementing Individualized Education Plans, and learning how to manage student behaviors. It was here that she developed her passion for working with this population. 

Carmen left the Warrensburg Public Schools in search of part-time employment due to the birth of her first son, Nolan. Carmen accepted a part-time position with Western Missouri Medical Center in Warrensburg, Missouri, as a pediatric outpatient Speech-Language Pathologist.  Carmen immensely enjoyed working one-on-one with pediatric patients and their families and quickly saw the importance and effectiveness of parental involvement within the treatment setting as well as in the home environment.  

In 2012, Carmen and her husband were delighted to find out they were expecting identical twin boys; however, at 20 weeks, they discovered their boys were suffering from Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). (www.tttsfoundation.org) Tyson and Carmen lost their son, Luke, due to the disease that April. Carmen was monitored closely at the University of Kansas Hospital and welcomed the birth of their son, Lane, at 32.6 weeks. Lane spent 9 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Carmen gained a lot of perspective through this experience about pediatric feeding and swallowing and the emotional roller-coaster of having a child in the NICU. Lane received occupation and physical therapy through the Missouri First Steps program from the first 6 months he was home. The family was responsible for following through with Lane's home programming.

Carmen continued at Western Missouri Medial Center for three years before returning to the public school system. In 2014, Carmen and her family moved to her home town of Clinton, Missouri. She became the Speech-Language Pathologist for the Early Childhood Program and served for one year before opening her private practice. 

 Carmen immensely enjoyed working one-on-one with pediatric patients and their families and quickly saw the importance and effectiveness of parental involvement within the treatment setting as well as in the home environment. Carmen has a strong clinical background in early childhood speech and language development which includes phonological processing disorders, articulation, childhood apraxia of speech, receptive language and auditory comprehension and memory, expressive language, and Autism Spectrum Disorders. She enjoys challenging patients and loves working with families. Carmen never stops learning and is always looking for new tools/strategies for her therapy toolbox.

Carmen has completed her certification in Orofacial Myology (COM) through the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM) in March of 2019.

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Hannah Witt, M.S. CCC-SLP

 Hannah began her career working at Golden Living Center in Clinton, Missouri as well as at Windsor Healthcare and Rehab. Throughout her time there, she had the opportunity to serve the geriatric population by evaluating, treating and providing supplies and strategies to facilitate greater independence. Working in skilled nursing allowed her to work closely alongside physical and occupational therapists, allowing for greater collaboration and success for patients. 

In December 2015, Hannah was given a chance to join Chatterbox Speech Therapy, LLC., as a part-time therapist working with children. Hannah was thrilled as she began seeking 1-2 kiddos a week, slowly progressing to 7-8 a week. Working with children had always been a desire for Hannah. Through Chatterbox, she was given the opportunity to continue working with children not only at the Chatterbox clinic but also throughout the Knob Noster School District. 

Hannah has experience working with a variety of diagnosis with ages ranging from pediatric to geriatric and everything in between. Hannah loves trying new techniques and learning strategies to see greater growth in her clients. Hannah is going into her third year as a speech pathology and is excited to see what this next year holds.

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Megan Hilsabeck, M.S. CCC-SLP

Megan began her career at the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg, MO. In her short time there, she had the opportunity to serve local veterans by ensuring comfortable and safe eating and swallowing. While she enjoyed working for and interacting with the gentlemen, she found that she longed for a greater variety in her caseload and missed working with children. 

Soon after her realization, Megan was blessed with the opportunity to accept a position as Speech-Language Pathologist at Western Missouri Medical Center at the beginning of 2013. Here, Megan has broadened her scope of experience by working with children and adults, and training in videofluoroscopic swallow study. She also gained immense appreciation in working closely with families, speech language pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and nursing staff. It was also here that Megan first met Carmen, where Carmen recognized her learning style and fostered her clinical skills by encouraging open communication and collaboration in treatment approaches.  

In 2015, Megan was thrilled to join her friend and mentor, Carmen Rathert, as a contract therapist for Carmen’s new practice. Through Chatterbox, Megan is able to provide accessible services within the Warrensburg and Whiteman Air Force Base communities. She is enjoying the opportunity to gain experience in new settings, and is pleased to provide convenient therapy services for the busy lifestyles of today’s families.

Megan considers herself a “generalist” and has experience in working with a wide variety of diagnoses across the lifespan. Megan particularly enjoys working with pediatric language delays and disorders, phonological processing disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, literacy and dyslexia, and adult dysphagia. Megan enjoys thinking outside of the box and incorporating learning input strategies she has learned in collaboration with physical therapists and occupational therapists. Megan feels that it is important to offer learning opportunities through a variety of input channels, including tactile, auditory, and visual experiences.  

Megan is anxiously awaiting her fifth year as a Speech-Language Pathologist so that she can begin to pursue her Clinical Specialty Certification in Child Language and Language Disorders. In the meantime, Megan hopes to participate in PROMPT training courses to obtain her PROMPT certification. Megan has experience in error-less learning and discrete trial training through her time as an ABA tutor while in Graduate School. Megan has also been trained in the Institute of Multi-Sensory Education’s Orton-Gillingham literacy and dyslexia treatment program. 

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Amanda Littrell, M.S. CCC-SLP

 Amanda began her career working for the Warrensburg School District in 2012 as an early childhood speech language pathologist. While working there, she evaluated, treated, and provided materials to children 3-5 years old with a wide range of diagnoses. She was blessed to have the opportunity to collaborate with a wonderful team of teachers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and an educational interpreter, which allowed her to implement various modes of communication for her students to include assistive technology devices, pictures exchange systems, and sign language.

While she loved working for the school district, Amanda found herself looking for part-time work following the birth of her son. She was soon blessed with the opportunity to work part-time for Carmen at Chatterbox Speech Therapy, LLC in April of 2016. Amanda has enjoyed the challenge of expanding her repertoire from only serving early childhood to serving children from birth to 18 years old. She enjoys learning and tailoring new techniques and strategies to meet the individual needs of her clients.  Amanda is pursuing certification in Orofacial Myology (COM).

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Jami Voelmeck, M.S. CCC-SLP

 Upon  graduating from college Jami began her career working in the rehabilitation field working for rehabilitation therapy companies for two years in the hospitals and nursing homes.  Jami loved performing video swallows and working with diet changes for patients  that had suffered strokes. Upon returning to Clinton Jami was blessed to interview for a position in the Clinton School District where she had grown up and attended school.  Jami has now been working for the Clinton School District for 20 years. She has had  the privilege of working with students aged preschool through high school. Jami currently works at the intermediate school and works with students in grades 3-5. Her students have a wide range of diagnoses that she learns from everyday.  She has had the privilege  and opportunity to work with students that have been diagnosed with Autism, ADD, ADHD, Downs Syndrome, and Retts Syndrome. 

She  works with students that have been identified with speech and/or language deficits, as well as, some augmentative communication devices.  Jami had the opportunity to work part-time for Carmen Rathert at Chatterbox Speech Therapy , LLC in November of 2018.  This has been a wonderful experience to widen her scope of practice and learn the differences between private practice and educational speech therapy services.

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Kim Shields, M.S. CCC-SLP

 

Kim obtained a Bachelors in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and a minor in Early Childhood Education from Central Missouri State University (now University of Central Missouri). Following graduation, Kim pursued her Masters in Speech-Language Pathology from CMSU. Upon graduation, Kim began her career at the Clay County Health Department in Liberty, Missouri. During her time there, Kim provided speech and language services to children and adults with various cognitive-communicative disorders. Although she enjoyed working at the health department, she knew her passion was in the school setting. She spent the last 29 years in the public-school system, 25 of which were with the Clinton School District. 

During her tenure in the Clinton School District, Kim was honored to be recognized by her peers and community by receiving Optimist Educator of the Year, CSD Educator of the Year, Outstanding Service Award, and CSD PTO Kindness Award. 

Kim strongly believes communication is the golden thread that runs through everything. Because of this belief, her 29 years in public education were spent with early childhood and early elementary students and included a variety of diagnoses, such as articulation and phonology, language disorders, social communication, autism spectrum disorders, fluency, and chromosomal anomalies. While in public education, Kim worked collaboratively with parents, teachers, and colleagues to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat communication disorders in children. She also provided training and education to families and caregivers to promote generalization and carryover into natural settings. Kim also had the privilege to supervise several speech-language pathology practicum students from UCM. Kim is trained in Orton Gillingham dyslexia treatment program, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), and regularly attends continuing education conferences to remain current in the ever-changing field of speech pathology.

Kim is excited to work at Chatterbox and continue serving communicatively impaired children!

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Lauren O'Hare, M.S. CCC-SLP

 Lauren is a certified, speech-language pathologist with a passion for working with the pediatric population.  She currently works with patients in their homes and through the school setting.  She enjoys working closely with students, parents, and a variety of therapists and professionals dedicated to supporting the development of children with a variety of diagnoses. She recently earned her Master’s in Communication Disorders in December of 2018 and continues to work with Chatterbox to provide speech and language therapy to students at Knob Noster Middle and High School. Lauren has been trained in the Institute of Multi-Sensory Education’s Orton-Gillingham literacy and dyslexia treatment program as well as orofacial myology. She loves researching and finding new ways to provide successful and evidence-based treatment to her clients. Lauren is excited to continuing learning about AAC, orofacial myology and dyslexia. 

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MacKenzie Cooper, M.S. CF-SLP

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Katelee Miller, M.S. CCC-SLP

 Katelee Miller graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a Masters in Speech-Language Pathology. She started her career at Mosaic Life Care, working in the hospital setting with the geriatric population. Her true passion came forward when she began working with children with an array of communication and speech difficulties. She is excited to start this new chapter in her career and is ready to see what new experiences and opportunities she can obtain through Chatterbox Speech Therapy!


Go Chiefs!! 

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Holli Meuschke, M.S. CCC-SLP

Holli is a retired United States Air Force Chaplain Corps sergeant. She is working on her second career as a certified, speech-language pathologist with a passion for working with the pediatric population. She recently earned her Master’s in Communication Disorders in December of 2019. She currently works outpatient services in our Clinton and Knob Noster locations.  She enjoys working closely with students, parents, and a variety of therapists and professionals dedicated to supporting the development of children with a variety of diagnoses. Holli has been trained in the Institute of Multi-Sensory Education’s Orton-Gillingham literacy and dyslexia treatment program. She loves researching and finding new ways to provide successful and evidence-based treatment to her clients. Holli’s plan is to focus on developing advanced skills for working with medically complex patients as well as professional presentation, leadership, and clinical teaching skills.

Holli is married to novelist and podcaster, Jason A. Meuschke and they share 4 children and 5 grandchildren together.

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Morgan Fowler, B.S. SLP-A

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Danielle Brooks, B.S. SLP-A

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Courtney Siebert, M.S. CCC-SLP

Courtney completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Central Missouri, earning both a B.S and M.S in Speech Language Pathology. Originally from Illinois, Courtney fell in love with the Kansas City area during college and is now a resident of Lee's Summit. After completing her Master’s, Courtney began her career at St. Mary’s Medical Center where she was able to provide evaluation and treatment for the adult and geriatric population in acute, short term rehabilitation, and the outpatient settings. Recently, Courtney had the wonderful opportunity to join the Chatterbox team. She is looking forward to collaborating with other therapists and working with the pediatric population!  

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