Brittany Hoffmire MS, CCC-SLP/L

POSITION: Speech Language Pathologist, Feeding Therapist + Resource Coordinator

SPECIALTIES: Articulation of speech, phonological disorders, expressive and receptive language disorders, social-pragmatic disorders, autism spectrum disorder, stuttering/fluency, AAC, overall global developmental delays, apraxia, hearing loss, auditory processing disorders, and various genetic/chromosomal disorders.

EDUCATION & TRAINING: Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology from St. Ambrose University; Bachelor’s of Science in Communication Science and Disorders from Northern Illinois University.

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.

WHAT’S YOUR WHY? Kellie always knew she wanted to pursue a career that involved helping others. Growing up, she worked a lot with kids during summer camps and babysitting, which only strengthened her desire to work with the pediatric population. Once she started working with children and young adults with special needs, she knew she wanted to become a speech language pathologist so she could help others find their voice and reach their fullest potential.

FUN FACT: Kellie loves to travel. She has been to Ireland, Italy, England, Whales, Mexico, US Virgin Islands, and several states throughout the US. A few places she wishes to visit someday include Hawaii, California, Australia, and Greece.

IN YOUR FREE TIME: In her free time, Kellie enjoys spending time with her husband and son, family, and friends. Some of her favorite things to do include playing with her dog, spoiling her nieces and nephews, reading, trying new coffee shops, and traveling.

RANKINGS:

Speech Therapy ★★★★★

Liking Winter ★☆☆☆☆

Drinking Coffee ★★★★★

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? Kayla has always been drawn to the intersection of science, psychology, and education, and there's no field that embodies all three quite like pediatric speech therapy. During her clinical experience, she witnessed firsthand the transformative power of effective communication in children's lives, which solidified her passion for the field. Kayla believes that every child is unique and special and she finds joy in helping them unlock their potential and navigate the world with confidence.

FUN FACT: Kayla loves to explore different cultures and photograph beautiful landscapes. She has adventured to Italy, Scotland, Greece, and Mexico, as well as to multiple U.S. states and territories. Where to next? Kayla would love to travel to Japan, New Zealand, Hawaii, Costa Rica, and Iceland.

IN YOUR FREE TIME: In her free time, Kayla can be found spending time with her husband and three children, taking said three children to all the things, reading, listening to podcasts, watching football, and planning her next adventure.

RANKINGS:

Speech Therapy ★★★★★

Keeping plants alive ★☆☆☆☆

Travel Planning ★★★★☆

Social-Emotional

WHAT’S YOUR WHY? Growing up in a rural community, Taylor recognized the need for accessible social emotional services for young children. Taylor enjoys building trusting relationships with children and providing them with a safe environment to be their authentic selves. 

FUN FACT: Taylor lives in rural Central Illinois on a cattle farm. Taylor even has a pet cow named Daisy!

IN YOUR FREE TIME: In Taylor’s free time she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and animals. In the summer, Taylor enjoys weekends at the lake and in the fall she spends many weekends on the farm. 

RANKINGS:

Social Emotional Therapy ★★★★★

Mario Kart Expert ★★★★☆

Navigation ★☆☆☆☆

Dr. Joanna Capobianco, aud.,ccc-a

POSITION: Audiologist

SPECIALTIES: Pediatrics, Auditory Processing Disorders, Educational Audiology

EDUCATION & TRAINING: Doctorate in Audiology (AuD.) from Illinois State University 2010, Bachelors of Science in Audiology from Illinois State University 2006, ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-A)

Jenny McDowell PT, DPT 

POSITION: Physical Therapist & Clinical + Program Director

SPECIALTIES: Pediatrics 🫶 Social-emotional learning, connection, gait analysis, developmental delay, neurological and orthopedic impairments, genetic disorders, assistive  technology, sensory processing, reflex integration and play! 

EDUCATION & TRAINING: Doctorate of Physical Therapy and Bachelors in Health Management, Exercise Science

Tara DeWolfe, PT, DPT, CNT, CLC

POSITION: Physical Therapist, Developmental Specialist, Certified Lactation Counselor, & Marketing + Growth Director

SPECIALTIES: Infant development,  developmentally supportive care to facilitate milestones and functional skills, trauma informed care approach for infant follow-up post hospitalization, neuromotor or movment concerns, developmental delay, torticollis,, brachial plexus injury, Down syndrome and other chromosomal or genetic disorders, cerebral palsy, other birth related concerns, drug exposure in utero and any history of medically complexities. 

EDUCATION & TRAINING: Doctorate of Physical Therapy, St. Ambrose University; Bachelor of Arts Psychology, Minor: Biology, ​​St. Ambrose University

Drew Leathers, OTD, OTR/L

POSITION: Occupational Therapist + Motor Team Lead

SPECIALTIES: Sensory integration, sensory regulation, sensory diet, fine motor deficits, handwriting and grasping, emotional regulation, visual motor skills

EDUCATION & TRAINING: Bachelors of Psychology and Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from St. Ambrose University

Hannah Schultz, OTD, OTR/L

POSITION: Occupational Therapist

SPECIALTIES: Pediatrics, Sensory Processing Disorder/Autism Spectrum Disorder, oral processing, occupational therapy in the dentist office 

EDUCATION & TRAINING:  Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Concordia University Wisconsin

WHAT’S YOUR WHY?  Hannah worked with the Penguin Project, a play for children with different abilities and their mentors, where she realized her passion for learning through play. She had the opportunity of working at a summer camp specifically for people ages 8-88 with physical and emotional diagnoses. It was here that she learned about occupational therapy and how to help others enjoy every day activities no matter their diagnoses. Hannah finds joy in helping children participate in whatever activities make their light shine brightest. 

FUN FACT: Hannah finds her happiness outdoors. She loves to travel and has completed her clinical fieldwork on each coast! One day hopes to open a camp for children with different abilities, to help them engage in various outdoor activities no matter their diagnoses. 

IN YOUR FREE TIME: Hannah spends most of her time outside, exploring a new city, or with friends, family, or her cat Pippin. She grew up in the area and loves to find the best spots in Peoria to read, hike, and drink coffee.

RANKINGS:

Occupational Therapy ★★★★★

Ability to keep a plant alive ★☆☆☆☆

Lover of Coffee ★★★★★

WHAT’S YOUR WHY?  Kaelie has always enjoyed seeing children grow and learn new things. During her clinical rotations in physical therapy school, she was introduced to the world of pediatric therapy. She found that she was able to help families empower their children to improve their mobility and function in order to be able to be active participants in their daily routines, classrooms, and communities. It brought Kaelie so much joy to be able to celebrate with these children and families as they progressed towards their gross motor goals! 

FUN FACT: Kaelie loves to explore new and local restaurants. If it was up to her, she would never eat at the same restaurant twice!  

IN YOUR FREE TIME: Kaelie enjoys going on long outdoor walks and exercising. She loves spending time with her husband, son, and their 2 dogs. She also expresses her creativity with new Cricut projects.

RANKINGS:

Boy Mom ★★★★★

Ability to parallel park ★☆☆☆☆

Pumpkin Spice Latte Connoisseur ★★★★★

WHAT’S YOUR WHY?  Kristi’ has always had a passion for working with and helping children grow. When searching for what she wanted to do as a career she stumbled upon the Occupational Therapy program and knew instantly that OT would be the perfect fit!   

FUN FACT: Kristi’s oldest son is an Occupational Therapist.  

IN YOUR FREE TIME: In her free time Kristi enjoys reading, going for walks, and spending time with her family. Especially her new granddaughter! 

RANKINGS:

Occupational Therapy ★★★★★

Committing to social plans (Homebody) ★☆☆☆☆

Organization ★★★★★