I’m Nikki Wensel Rustad, M.A., CCC-SLP, I joined Monkey Mouths in 2006 and have been sharing the power of communication with children and their parents for more than 28 years. In addition to my SLP duties, I am the Assistant Director of Monkey Mouths as well as Co-Creator and facilitator of the Fort Worth Monkey U Preschool Prep Program, along with Kim Dillon, M.A., CCC-SLP.

I graduated from the University of North Texas…Go Mean Green!  Prior to joining Monkey Mouths, I worked for Children's Medical Center of Dallas and in management at Cook Children's Medical Center as the graduate student liaison. I have a passion for educating families on the power of play (90% of what preschoolers learn at school is through play).  I believe that therapy should be fun and functional, and that parent education is crucial for each child's success.

In my free time I enjoy spending time with my husband Eric (who is also a speech pathologist) and my son.  I also love baking, gardening, volunteering, and decorating for the holidays.

As an SLP since 1994, I have training and specialization in the following:

• Social Thinking with Michelle Garcia Winner M.S., CCC-SLP
• Applied Behavior Analysis with Vincent Carbone PhD ABA
• Mark Sundburg PhD, BCBA
• Tamara Kasper, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCBA
• Crafting Connections program
• Love and Logic
• PROMPT Therapy
• Sound Card System
• Kaufman Apraxia System 
• Deborah Beckman M.S., CCC-SLP Oral-Motor Therapy
• Sensory-Motor Feeding by Lori Overland, M.S., CCC-SLP
• Sara R. Johnson M.S., CCC-SLP
• Catherine Shaker, M.S., CCC-SLP
• Jeri Logemann PhD, CCC-SLP
• Literacy Speaks