May is Better Hearing and Speech Month

CRD celebrates Better Hearing and Speech Month
and it's Speech Therapy Staff!

Aditi Silverstein, MA, CCC-SLP is the Founder and President of Center for Rehabilitation and Development, Inc. offering Speech, Physical and Occupational Therapy in Blacksburg and Roanoke, Virginia, USA. She is also the owner of Innovative Therapies, PC, an international company that provides Fast ForWord in Great Britain. Ms. Silverstein graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and received her Masters Degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She has been a practicing Speech/Language Pathologist for over 30 years and has specialized in the treatment of Auditory Processing Deficits for the past 17 years. She is an authorized provider of the family of Fast ForWord™ Programs, Sensory Integration Training for Communication (Auditory Integration Training), SAMONAS Sound Therapy, The Listening Program, and Interactive Metronome™. Ms. Silverstein has presented trainings and seminars on Autism Spectrum Disorders, and on Auditory and Language Processing Deficits and their treatments, locally and internationally throughout the United Kingdom, Austria, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Ms. Silberstein regularly travels to the UK where she trains professionals in private practice and in schools to provide Fast ForWord programs locally.

Cheryl S. Vaughan, M.S. CCC-SLP is the Clinical Director of Center for Rehabilitation and Development, Inc. and the Clinic Administrator for the company’s Blacksburg clinic location. For over 18 years, Cheryl has served in multiple managerial roles while also maintaining her role as a practicing speech/language pathologist. She earned a Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Radford University, Radford, Virginia. In her managerial roles, Cheryl has been responsible for managing and directing therapy services in clinical sites throughout Central and Southwest Virginia while also overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Blacksburg clinic. She has served as the Director of Speech Therapy, and was a member of the company’s Executive Committee and Compliance Program Committee to ensure quality and ethical business practices. In her role as speech therapist, throughout her career, she has provided therapy services in a variety of settings including the clinic’s center based pediatric program, infant and preschool programs, Headstart programs, public schools, nursing homes, and developmental day programs. She participates in educational programs in the community and has contributed articles and information for the local media. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and a member of the Speech-Language and Hearing Association of Virginia.

Cari Vest, M.S. CCC-SLP is the Speech Therapy Department Manager at our Blacksburg clinic. She a licensed Speech Language Pathologist and Certified Oral-Motor Therapist specializing in assessment and treatment of children and adults with oral-motor dysfunction, verbal dyspraxia, and feeding or swallowing disorders. Cari has specialized training in PROMPT, oral-motor, feeding/dysphagia, and speech therapy receiving an ACE award in special recognition of her pursuit of continuing education. She has experience treating patients with many different diagnoses including Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, and brain injury. Cari enjoys community education and has been a featured speaker for local groups including: the Medical Society of Southwest Virginia, the Down Syndrome Association of the New River Valley, and the Brain Injury Association of the New River Valley. She authored and presented a professional education course titled Childhood Apraxia of Speech : Maximizing Functional Speech Production. Cari has professional affiliations with the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), and the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV). She has been serving patients with communication and swallowing disorders at CRD for over 5 years.

Vicki Brackett, CCC-SLP has over 22 years of experiences as a pediatric speech-language pathologist. She completed her schooling in California and then spent 10 years as an SLP in Anchorage, AK. When she was tired of the dark and cold, she moved to Blacksburg with her husband and two cats. She has been employed by CRD in Blacksburg ever since. Her interest at the present time is in the area of reading instruction, however, she has an extensive background in augmentative communication and various other speech-language disorders. She enjoys “figuring out the puzzle” that many of our children here at CRD present.

Ellie Smith, M.A. CCC-SLP is a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist who received her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Ellie is a certified Aural Habilitation Specialist and conducted her Master’s Thesis on the effects of Narrative Based Language Intervention with children who have Cochlear Implants. During her clinical training, she worked at Patricia Neil Rehabilitation Hospital serving adult victims of stroke and traumatic brain injury. She also worked at the University of Tennessee Medical Center with pediatrics and infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Her other interests include working with children with Autism and serving the birth to three population in Early Intervention.

Emily Whitlow, M.S., CCC/SLP is our newest pediatric Speech Therapist in our Blacksburg office. She received her Masters in Communication Disorders from Marshall University in 2007...and she encourages everyone to see the "We Are Marshall" movie if you haven't already! She relocated to the New River Valley from West Virginia in order to work at CRD. Even though she is new to the area, she has strong roots here. Her mom grew up in Floyd, her dad went
to Tech, and she still has family here. As a result, she now bleeds a nice green and maroon combination. In her spare time, she is enjoying being a first-time homeowner, shopping, baking, reading, and taking her dog Zoey for walks in the neighborhood.