Play and Say Therapy.

Kathleen Durkin – Speech Language Pathologist.

Education.

Marquette University BS in Speech and Language Pathology and MS in Speech and Language Pathology.

Advanced Trainings and Areas of Interest.

Autism Spectrum Disorders, Speech and Language Specialist in Down Syndrome, PECS, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Social/Pragmatic language, Apraxia, Dyspraxia, DIR/Floortime.

Prior Experience.

I completed my fellowship year at North Elementary School in Crystal Lake, IL operating in 2 special education classrooms working with children with mild to moderate cognitive disorders.

I then spent 3 years at Proviso Area for Exceptional Children (PAEC) working with young children and adolescents with mild, moderate and severe cognitive disorders. It was here that I developed Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices and programs for nonverbal children as well as children with minimal expressive language skills.

During my time at PAEC I worked in the Early Intervention Program in Illinois doing home visits working with families to develop speech and language skills in the natural environment. I next practiced in Ireland where I worked in a school dedicated to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It was here that I developed a life skills group to teach the students how to participate in everyday life activities.

I then developed a Speech and Language Department at an established Occupational Therapy clinic in Ireland. I worked alongside Occupational Therapists and learned the importance of movement and play-based activities in the development of a child’s speech and language skills.

About Me.

I was born and raised in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and moved to the city of Chicago in 2007. My husband and I moved to Ireland in 2008 and spent two and a half years living in Dublin and Dundalk. We returned to Chicago in early 2011 and founded Play and Say Therapy.