Wisconsin Speech Therapist Blends Alternative Communication Technology with Community

MILWAUKEE - July 16, 2015 - PRLog -- Kristin J. Whitfield, a certified speech-language pathologist with 20 years of experience, has opened a Milwaukee-area practice serving those diagnosed with autism, cerebral palsy, aphasia, and ALS. Additionally, the Communication Unlimited, LLC owner offers alternative communication options rarely available to those diagnosed with dementia.

Whitfield – known for her use of powerful technology and creative community-based strategies – has recently launched two initiatives: a new practice opened in February and an eBook now available online.

She opened a new practice in Brookfield to serve people in the Milwaukee area and throughout southeast Wisconsin in their homes, in the community, and via electronic conferencing. This practice offers an array of creative communication solutions for individuals diagnosed with autism, stroke, ALS, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, and other conditions. The practice also provides relatively new services for those diagnosed with dementia.

She specializes in the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) (http://www.engagecu.com/) devices, including communication boards, specialized devices, and iPads loaded with various applications. Only 9 percent of speech-language pathologists specialize in AAC nationally, according to Whitfield. Her practice offers speech-language pathology services in-person and via telepractice (online therapy).

“My passion is working with people with little or no speech. I like to say AAC is for anyone who is not able to communicate their wants, needs and ideas using speech alone. Alternative communication strategies provide support they need to engage and connect,” Whitfield said recently.

Her new eBook, AAC and Visual Supports for People with Dementia, explains how communication strategies long used to help people diagnosed with autism, Down Syndrome and a variety of conditions can now be offered to those adapting to a similar loss of speech due to dementia, a condition which traditionally has not been addressed with assisted and augmentative communication (AAC) devices.

“We can change that. Speech-language pathologists can start working with AAC and visual supports to help people with dementia feel better about their abilities and themselves, making a huge impact in their quality of life,” Whitfield explains in the eBook. “While it’s not likely that a person with dementia will improve their speech and regain their language skills, it is possible for them to maintain some communication and ability to participate in everyday life, albeit in different ways than before.”

Whitfield also offers a unique combination of training and public outreach services that include in-service training, workshops, and other public speaking. To extend her national reach, she now provides informational videos, blog posts, and her eBook.

Reviews

One parent whose daughter received speech therapy services from Whitfield offered this testimonial: “Kristin is a very knowledgeable speech therapist who always seems to think out of the box. There were times when … their session was spent shopping … which made it very relevant for my daughter. Kristin also invited some of my daughter’s friends to come to other sessions so my daughter can apply what she learns with Kristin to communicating with her peers.”

Additional Information

For more information about speech-language pathology services and the role of telepractice in speech-language therapy, learn more at http://www.engagecu.com/

To find out more about certified speech-language pathologists, visit the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) website athttp://asha.org/

The eBook, AAC and Visual Supports for People with Dementia, is available for free at: http://www.engagecu.com/ebook/

About Communication Unlimited: Owner Kristin J. Whitfield, MA, CCC-SLP, has worked in the speech-language pathology field for 20 years. She offers a variety of services, specializing in serving people with little or no speech. She and her husband live in the Milwaukee area with their three children, where they enjoy reading, spending time together, travel, and cheering on the National Football League’s Green Bay Packers. She received her certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in 1996, has maintained this certification, and is licensed as a speech-language pathologist in Wisconsin and Texas. In May 2015, she was certified by the National Center for Speech Telehealth to provide services via telepractice (online therapy).

Contact: Kristin J. Whitfield via Communication Unlimited, LLC at: kristin@engageCU.com or by calling (262) 385-8516.