Hannah is a Speech Language Pathologist who attended the University of Minnesota and completed a double major in Speech-Language-Hearing-Sciences and Child Psychology. She then went on to receive her master’s degree in Speech Pathology from Marquette University. She gained experience working with children in undergrad by volunteering at numerous schools, outpatient clinics, and the Child Language Intervention Lab at the U of M. Throughout graduate school, she worked with children in-person and virtually through Marquette’s private clinic and in an elementary school. After graduating she began working at a Head Start to 8th grade school in the Milwaukee Public School District. She has worked with children with a variety of diagnoses including phonological disorder, articulation disorder, fluency disorder, language delay/disorder, and ASD.
When she is not working Hannah enjoys reading, playing pickleball, going to breweries, playing board games, hanging out with my friends, and visiting family members in Wisconsin, Arizona, and Colorado!
Melissa is a Speech Language Therapist who attended Hope College and completed a BA in Psychology, and then went on to complete her Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Minnesota. During graduate school and throughout her career, Melissa has worked in a variety of pediatric settings, including outpatient clinics, schools, an Autism center, and UMN’s cleft palate-craniofacial clinic. Melissa has worked with children ranging from 2 months to 21 years of age. Her passions are working with children diagnosed with apraxia and feeding, but she’s seen a big range of diagnoses in her career and enjoys it all!
When Melissa is not at work she enjoys doing anything active with her family and friends - walk, run, bike, golf, you name it! She is also an avid reader and loves to create new and fun recipes in the kitchen!
Tricia is a Speech-Language Pathologist who graduated with both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Minnesota Duluth in the mid 1990’s. She comes to Family Chatterbox following a 23 year career at Children’s Minnesota St. Paul where she worked with infants, children and young adults with a wide variety of speech, language and feeding difficulties. She has extensive experience with feeding and swallowing disorders and has worked with infants as young as neonates with feeding difficulties. For her entire career at Children’s, she worked in the Children’s Minnesota Feeding Clinic where she worked closely with Occupational Therapy, nutrition, nurse practitioners, child psychologists, physicians and most importantly families. She developed a love for kids with all different types of feeding difficulties including but not limited to aspiration, oral motor difficulties, sensory feeding, behavioral feeding and plain old picky eating. She is a certified lactation consultant (CLC) as well as a certified provider of VitalStim Therapy. She comes to Family Chatterbox excited to have the opportunity to work with families in their homes. There is no greater gift than being invited into a home and getting a glimpse into the world of a child. To help them interact with that world is something she loves and does not take for granted.
Judi is a pediatric Occupational Therapist who has worked in the pediatric field for over 30 years primarily within an outpatient clinic setting. Judi has a great passion for sensory integration, and the impact that it can have on children. Although sensory integration has been around for longer than 30 years, it is still an area that is difficult to understand for many, and lacks consistent research, but has helped so many children overcome challenges and sensitivities that impact their daily lives. Judi has been able to mentor with one of the highly regarded sensory integration therapist, Lucy MIller, OT in Denver. Judi has also sought out education and training in the areas of Cranio-sacral therapy, Masgutova Reflex integration, therapeutic listening, trauma release, and SOS feeding therapy, and Floortime through Profectum. Judi has worked with a variety of diagnosis including autism, Down’s syndrome, motor involved children, developmentally delayed, selective mutism, children with feeding difficulties. Judi finds the greatest pleasure and satisfaction from seeing the faces of parents as they experience positive changes in their child, and to be able to connect with them. To be able to see children have fun and engage with others is Judi’s primary goal for the kids that she works with. “We need to meet kids where they are at in their life, and work through play to progress them “ is a common statement for Judi to make with her families. Judi is excited to be a part of Family Chatterbox as she feels that working within kids natural environment seems to be the best approach for ultimate success and progress.
When Judi is not working she is at home with her family in their rural home with their two dogs. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking and playing with her dogs, and sitting in front of her sewing machine quilting and making crafts.
Amber is a Speech and Language Therapist who attended the University of Minnesota for both her undergraduate and graduate programs for Speech and Language Pathology. While completing her undergraduate degree, Amber learned American Sign Language through her classes and has continued to enjoy teaching sign language to her clients to supplement their verbal language and boost their confidence and communication abilities. During her graduate program, she had the opportunity to work in a clinic that specializes in Autism Spectrum Disorder, a clinic that focuses on social interactions of children with peers in a group setting, outpatient work at a hospital with children, and an intense aphasia group. While in these settings, she found her passion for feeding therapy and has been attending different conferences since to learn more about pediatric feeding (both sensory and oral motor difficulties). Following graduation, she began her career at a clinic and was part of a feeding evaluation team that included an Occupational Therapist as well. While Amber has a passion for feeding, she enjoys all aspects of speech and language therapy with children and helping them to find their voice, in whatever mode that may be (speech, pictures, signs, or AAC devices)!
When Amber is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and teaching her baby new things. She loves going to the zoo, the pool, and just being outside. Amber also loves to be active and play volleyball and go on walks in the evenings.
When she is not providing therapy, Kasey enjoys hanging out with family, going out to eat, and being outside in the sunshine! She is the oldest of seven children, and has many family events (graduations, sports, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) that she attends throughout the year with her extended family. Kasey’s favorite food is a cheeseburger, favorite color is pink, and her favorite animals are her two dogs Ivy and Brixen!
Michael graduated from Bethel University with a major in Biblical and Theological Studies while also obtaining two minors in Psychology and Family Studies. After graduating Michael got a job at MN Teen Challenge. While there he held many different jobs from support staff to legal liaison, where he got the opportunity to work directly with judges, parole officers and residents of the program. After Teen Challenge Michael started working at Fairview Hospital in their mental health and adolescent crisis and stabilization unit. It was there that Michael was able to work one on one with teens and lead educational groups on topics such at depression, anger, and coping skills. Michael loved his time on that unit, however, feeling the need to continue to grow and expand his knowledge in other areas of his life Michael left Fairview and pursued a job at a tech company as a Quality Assurance Specialist. During this time Michael learned the value of a good team, and how important it was to not just have co-workers but to have and to build a team that you could count on, lean on, and trust. It was during this time that Kasey and Michael started Family Chatterbox. From the beginning it was decided that Michael would take care of all the business side of things so that Kasey could focus on the things that she loved and was most passionate about, providing therapy, building a team, and serving families in their home. Michael has loved his role within Family Chatterbox, he loves being able to see the entire team do what they love and provide therapy. As Family Chatterbox has grown the business side of things has taken more and more of Michael's time and thus, he is now happily employed full time through Family Chatterbox.
When Michael is not working on Family Chatterbox you will likely find him walking either or both of his two dogs, Brixen and Ivy. He loves being outdoors in the summer, grilling, playing games and being with friends and family.
