FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
READING INTERVENTIONIST
I am a certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) with over fifteen years of clinical experience. I believe my responsibility as a therapist is to help empower every client to live their most confident, secure, and joyful life.
I have always specialized in dyslexia and enjoy training other professionals in best practices for speech, language, and literacy interventions. I created Launch to be a place where SLPs and literacy experts could work together to help individuals with communication, whether that be in oral or written form. I have always striven to be authentic, even with the youngest of clients, and believe that authenticity and personal connection are the keys to positive intervention. My staff reflect that core value and share a common mission of effective service.
It has been a joy to work with so many wonderful clients over the years and to celebrate their successes with them.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
READING INSTRUCTOR
CLINICAL LEAD
Audra is originally from Minnesota, but fell in love with Madison when she attended UW-Madison for her undergraduate. After, Audra attended graduate school at Minnesota State University Moorhead where she gained exposure to a variety of high tech AAC with both adults and children in their Regional Technology Center. Audra also has experience within public schools, skilled nursing facilities, private practice, and teletherapy.
Audra is trained in ABA and PROMPT. Her areas of interest include phonology, childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), and Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Audra loves putting the “fun” in functional when providing treatment and enjoys working with kids and adults of all ages.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
READING INSTRUCTOR
CLIENT CARE LEAD
Jessica has over 15 years of experience working with infants and toddlers through school-age children. She started her career by working in private speech-language clinics and gained valuable knowledge during her years working at a reading center that followed the Orton-Gillingham approach. After moving to Wisconsin, Jessica worked as a school-based speech therapist for Early Childhood and Elementary students and as an early interventionist with the Birth-to-Three program in Dane County. She has closely studied and practiced the Parent Coaching philosophy, helping caregivers practice communication, sensory, and feeding strategies with their children in daily routines.
Jessica was born and raised in MT and loves to take her husband and two children out west for family visits and adventures. In WI, she and her family like to discover beautiful, unique hiking and camping locations.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
READING INSTRUCTOR
SCHOOLS LEAD
Gabby is a certified speech-language pathologist with experience in outpatient clinical settings
as well as public, private, and Montessori school settings. Gabby is originally from the Duluth,
Minnesota area and obtained both her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the
University of Wisconsin – Madison in communication sciences and disorders.
In her free time,
she enjoys cooking, traveling, spending time outdoors, and exploring new restaurants.
Gabby values client-led services that incorporate a child’s strengths, interests, and unique
talents into each session. She strives to build positive relationships with all of her clients, as she
believes children thrive when they feel engaged, empowered, and respected.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
READING INSTRUCTOR
Laura is a certified speech-language pathologist with over 12 years of experience in a variety of pediatric settings including Birth-to-Three, clinical, public schools, and teletherapy. She started her career in Birth-to-Three which laid the foundation for her therapy approach: child-centered, play-based, fun, and functional.
Laura is from central Illinois and has a B.S. degree in Speech & Hearing Science from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, a B.A. degree in Spanish from Illinois State University, and an M.A. degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Northern Illinois University. Laura has lived in Madison for over 8 years and loves exploring the area’s beautiful parks with her dog. She enjoys playing soccer, playing piano, drawing, painting, sewing, photography, blogging, and traveling. Laura has studied abroad in Costa Rica, volunteered at an orphanage in Kathmandu, Nepal, and has seen the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
READING INSTRUCTOR
Annie holds a Master of Education degree, with teaching licenses in the areas of Reading Teacher, Reading Specialist, Special Education, and Psychology. She brings over 25 years of public school teaching experience to Launch. She believes learning to read proficiently allows people neurological, educational, psychological, social, and linguistic advantages and is the cornerstone of living a fulfilled life.
Annie believes using consistent and explicit strategies in literacy instruction, catered to the needs of each student, results in reading growth. She believes it is crucial to foster trust with her students by building positive connections with them and their families. Holding to the premise that learning is a collaborative effort, one in which each student’s voice is valued, she feels that when students feel supported, they are more likely to engage in learning.
In her free time, Annie spends time with family and friends, walking her dogs, making art, reading, traveling, and checking out local music events. She also is an avid photographer, with interest in the areas of portraiture and street photography.
READING INSTRUCTOR
Emily hails from Green Bay where she completed her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education. She is currently pursuing a master's degree at UW-Madison in Curriculum & Instruction, specializing as a literacy specialist.
Emily had the incredible opportunity to teach 4K, kindergarten, and first grade in both the Waunakee School District and MMSD. When she is not working, Emily enjoys hot yoga, whipping up delicious baked treats, and exploring new destinations. A good book on the patio is always a summer favorite, too.
Emily firmly believes that every student should have access to high-quality, challenging instruction. Recognizing that each student is a unique learner, she takes great pleasure in tailoring her instruction to meet the diverse needs of her students.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
READING INSTRUCTOR
Alyssa is originally from sunny Florida, where she earned her Bachelor's in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Central Florida. She continued her education in Chicago, receiving a Masters in Speech-Language Pathology from Rush University. Now graduated, Alyssa is happily settled in Madison, WI and eager to grow both professionally and clinically with Launch Speech and Reading.
Alyssa has a passion for fostering a supportive environment for both her clients and their families by being committed to a client and family centered approach. She takes pride in creating individualized therapy plans tailored to each client's unique needs.
Outside of work, Alyssa enjoys uncovering local coffee shop gems, nature walks during the warm months, and taking pictures of her adorable cat, Asami.
OFFICE MANAGER
Alison was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin but has lived as a proud Madison resident for over 9 years. Alison has a degree from UW Madison in Interior Design as well as a Minor in International Studies. She began her career in design. Her eye for detail and organizational skills are put to good use in the office management portion of Launch.
Alison has always had a passion for helping others. She loves making everyone feel welcomed and has experience working in the therapeutic setting with children and families with special needs. she looks forward to continuing to help make life a little brighter and a little easier for all Launch clients and staff.
When not in the office, Alison loves traveling, cooking, art, and being with family and friends. She is excited to be part of the Launch team and can’t wait to meet YOU!
BILLING SPECIALIST
Sharon has recently retired from a long and fulfilling career working as a multi-county director in the Illinois Head Start Program . She relocated to Madison to be closer to her family and is now embracing the Wisconsin lifestyle! She is excited to be a part of the Launch team and to continue serving families and children.
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