I’m Vanessa Parkinson, BSc. Hons, CCC-SLP and I joined Monkey Mouths in 2019.  I am originally from England, UK, but have lived in the U.S. for the past 17 years. I began my career in England after graduating from the City University, London. While in England, I worked in acute and rehabilitation hospitals and in pediatric outpatient clinics, as well as in preschools and elementary schools for children with severe specific speech and language disorders and schools for children with various special needs, including autism.  Prior to working for Monkey Mouths, I worked for two years in the Texas school system, nine years in the Georgia school system, and three years for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

I believe in working closely with parents to explore different therapeutic approaches and use them eclectically to address their child’s communication needs.

I am married to Simon and have two college-age children, Alex and Imogen. My husband and I attend North Tarrant Church (a network church of Andy Stanley’s North Point Church, Atlanta) and host a community/Bible study couple’s group. When I am not at work and not reading something about speech and language therapy, I enjoy Pilates, walking my two dogs, wake surfing, Jeepin’, cooking, traveling, tennis, and dirt biking, if my family makes me!

As an SLP since 1991, I have training and specialization in the following:

Apraxia/Articulation:

• Cued Articulation
• PROMPT Therapy
• Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cuing (DTTC)
• Rapid Syllable Transition Training (ReST)

Language:

• Derbyshire Language Scheme
• The Hanen Program It Takes Two to Talk

Psychology:

• Developmental Cognitive Neuro-Psychology (in relation to speech and language skills)

Autism:

• SCERTSTM with Emily Rubin MS, CCC-SLP
• DIR Floortime

Feeding/Dysphagia:

• Deborah Beckman, M.S., CCC-SLP Oral-Motor Therapy

AAC:

• LAMP
• Core Vocabulary with Gail Van Tatenhove, MS, CCC-SLP

Pragmatic Language:

• Theory of Mind trainings as it relates to play, Autism and Social Cognitive development by Carol Westby PH.D., CCC-SLP

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT):

• Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) Specialty Training by Mary Brezik, M.S., CCC-SLP/OMT
• Simon Says: Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT)