Tag Archives: SLP

Employee Spotlight: Kelsey Martin, CCC-SLP

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What do you love most about working for PlayWorks Therapy?

My favorite part about working for PlayWorks Therapy is being surrounded by such an amazing support system. I truly view all of my coworkers at PlayWorks not only as colleagues, but friends as well! I have grown so much as a therapist due to the collaborative environment that this company creates, and I especially love how easy it is to bounce ideas off of one another to provide our clients with the best therapy possible.

What is your favorite children’s book?

My favorite children’s book would have to be “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.” I adored this book as a child and appreciate it now as a therapist because the illustrations and plot allow for tons of language opportunities!

What do you enjoy most about living in Chicago?

My favorite part about living in Chicago is having so many family and friends nearby. I grew up in a suburb outside of the city and earned both of my degrees in the Midwest, so many of the people that I love most happen to be here too! I also love the fact that there is always something to do in Chicago, whether it be a sporting event, concert, outdoor activity by the lake, or a street festival to check out!

What is your favorite childhood memory?

It’s hard to pick just one, but I hold my memories of Christmas Eve at my grandparents’ house are very close to my heart. My entire extended family is OBSESSED with the holidays and spreading Christmas cheer, so I vividly remember how excited I always was to spend time with my grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and sisters singing Christmas songs, wearing matching pajamas, and of course, eating lots of cookies. It’s been pretty amazing to see how our traditions have continued over the years as new family members have been welcomed, too!

Mountain or beach vacation?

I think I’d have to say both… I would probably pick the beach in the summer and mountains in the winter, as I love soaking up the sun and being by the water, but also am a huge fan of skiing!

Share a proud “therapy moment” with one of your clients.

One of my absolute favorite parts about working with children is that every accomplishment, no matter how big or small, is celebrated and cherished. One moment that I remember specifically was when one of my clients on the autism spectrum looked me directly in the eye and said, “bye-bye Kelsey!” Not only had he never said my name before, but I was so unbelievably proud to see this little guy initiate such an awesome social interaction!

What is your hometown?

Prospect Heights, Illinois.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, I love to spend time with my friends and family, run along the lake or attend a yoga class, cross restaurants off my extensive bucket list of places to try, and support all of my favorite Chicago sports teams! I also love to sing and play guitar, as well as sing karaoke with friends on the weekend!

Fun fact about yourself?

Speaking of singing, I once sang the National Anthem to open a Bret Michaels concert in 2013! I got to hang out with Bret for a little after the show and take some pictures, too!

Favorite therapy toy?

My favorite therapy toy, without a doubt, is my sock monkey ball popper. Not only do kids of all ages find it extremely entertaining, but it’s an amazing facilitator for language, such as asking for help and more, working on directions (up vs. down), working on body parts, and more!

Kelsey Martin, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

Speech Therapy: Debunked

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Most people have had some exposure or connection to speech and language therapy, whether it was for themselves, a friend, or a family member. It could be that your child has recently been recommended speech therapy and you are not sure what this will entail. In this blog, I hope to debunk a few common misconceptions regarding speech and language therapy, as well as provide a brief overview of the field of pediatric speech-language pathology.

Common Myths and Misconceptions: Debunked
While it may look to the outside world that we are simply playing with toys and games, there is a method to this play-based madness. Our job is to find out what motivates your child and use it to target their therapy goals. When your child is a toddler, this might mean making a cow jump over a barn. While that isfun, your speech therapist may be working on improving your child’s engagement and ability to imitate play-actions, which will hopefully lead them to imitating sounds and words. A population that is often thought of when discussing speech therapy are those with disfluencies, or those who stutter. This is true but is a small percentage of children worked with for a general speech therapist. Articulation therapy is another familiar area, as many of my friends remember being pulled-out of class to play Candyland and work on speech sounds as a child.  Although I do own Candyland and use it semi-regularly, there is so much more we, as speech-language pathologists, do to help improve your child’s communication skills.

What is speech and language therapy?

Variety is the spice of life, and as speech therapists, we get a good taste of this! Speech therapists have a broad scope of practice when it comes to the pediatric population. Below are a few of the most common areas a speech therapist might help your child with.

  • Articulation/Phonology:The actual sounds your child makes to create words.
  • Motor planning:Your child’s ability to plan and execute the fine motor movements required to speak in words, phrases and conversation.
  • Language:The words and phrases your child both usesand understands.
  • Feeding:This involves oral-motors skills like sucking, chewing and swallowing. Also, the sensory processing of different textures, tastes and consistencies.
  • Voice:Your child’s vocal quality. Is it appropriate for a child their age and size or is it breathy or hoarse?
  • Fluency:The way your child’s speech flows.
  • Pragmatics:Your child’s social communication skills, such as making eye-contact, initiating communication with peers, and taking conversational turns.
  • Advocacy: Your child could benefit from additional therapies that you may not be aware of. Your speech therapist can help advocate for your child to ensure they get the best possible care from a qualified team of providers, if necessary.

If your child is demonstrating difficulty in one or many of the areas above, consider contacting one of our speech-language therapists.

Questions or concerns?

If you have questions or concerns about your child’s communication or feeding skills, please contact us at info@playworkschicago.com or 773-332-9439.

Ana Thrall Burgoon, M.S., CCC – SLP 
Speech-Language Pathologist

Photo Credit: Photo by Leo Rivas on Unsplash