Speech-Language Pathologists

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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.

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. 

 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.

 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. 

 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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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, learning more as she completes her clinical fellowship, and working with the pediatric population!