Speech Therapy

What is Speech Therapy?

Speech therapy helps individuals to communicate effectively. It can also be used to help treat swallowing disorders. Speech therapy may use therapeutic activities that involve tongue and mouth exercises, facial movements, reading out loud, or word games.

Speech therapy can help to improve:

Coordination between brain and mouth
Language skills
Using your voice
Understanding language
Fluency
Speaking clearly
Swallowing

UR Medicine's Approach

UR Medicine's providers are experts in speech and language rehabilitation, cognitive retraining, voice therapy, swallowing services, and augmentative and alternative communication services.

We see patients of all ages, from newborns to elders, and evaluate and treat people with speech pathology conditions, including communicative, hearing, cognitive, and swallowing disorders.

What Happens During Speech Therapy Evaluation?

Our speech language pathologists (SLPs) place the highest focus on person and family centered care. Prior to the patient visit, the SLP reviews the patient’s medical history and completes a thorough patient and family interview to learn about patient concerns, perspectives, values and goals for their care.

Speech language pathologists treat a variety of disorders, including those that impact communication (speech, language, voice), cognition (memory, attention, executive functioning), and breathing and swallowing disorders. Given the diverse conditions SLPs treat, it is important that evaluations are tailored to the patient and family’s individual needs and goals for therapy.

The SLP completes informal and formal evaluation measures to assess the patient’s current level of functioning. Following the assessment, the SLP will explain the results of the evaluation, as well as the type and frequency of services recommended. Evaluation appointments are typically about one hour long.

UR Medicine Voice Center

UR Medicine Voice Center is the only voice center in Upstate New York with a comprehensive team of voice experts. We provide state-of-the-art treatment for voice, swallowing, and airway disorders using the latest surgical, non-surgical, and in-office treatment techniques.

What Sets Us Apart?

Our speech-pathologists are licensed by the New York State Department of Education and hold Certificates of Clinical Competence for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), in addition to postgraduate training and certifications in several clinical subspecialties.

Our patients benefit from close collaboration with other specialty departments at Strong Memorial Hospital and the University of Rochester Medical Center. Team members from other disciplines may include audiologists, otolaryngologists (ear, nose, and throat), psychologists, behavioral specialists, dietitians, nutritional support specialists, rehabilitation specialists (including psychologists and occupational and physical therapists).

Our speech pathology team

Ashley Amodio, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Ashtin Argentieri, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Kinga S. Brunelle, M.S., CCC-SLP, CLC
Speech-Language Pathologist
Jaime Rosa Campeau, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Heather Coles, M.A. CCC-SLP
Senior Speech-Language Pathologist
Ashley Eivers, M.A., CF-SLP
Speech-Language Pathology Fellow
Acute Care
Deborah Falcòn, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Andy Goings, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Liane C. Grasso, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Gerriann Jackson, M.S., CCC-SLP
Senior Speech-Language Pathologist
Judith Kennedy, M.S, CCC-SLP
Senior Speech-Language Pathologist
Alexa Liss, M.S., CF-SLP
Speech-Language Pathology Fellow
Acute Rehabilitation
Sheryl A.N. Maier, M.A., CCC-SLP
Senior Speech-Language Pathologist, Manager of Outpatient Speech-Language Pathology
Katherine Maruska, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Marissa Nemitz, M.A., CCC-SLP, CLC
Speech-Language Pathologist
Kelly Julian O'Brien, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Andrea Perkins, M.A., CCC-SLP
Senior Speech-Language Pathologist, Manager of Inpatient Speech-Language Pathology
Amy Topel Platt M.S., CCC-SLP
Senior Speech-Language Pathologist
Melanie Redeye, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Elizabeth Rossborough, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Noheli Ruiz, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Taylor Russell, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Lindsay R. Schwab, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Amanda Shuttleworth, M.S., CF-SLP
Speech-Language Pathology Fellow
Acute Care
Peter Sullivan, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Lisa Valasek, M.S., CCC-SLP
Senior Speech-Language Pathologist