Meet Our Staff
Jessica Larson
Office Manager
Jessica was born in Falls Church VA and moved to Ft. Myers, FL in 1991. After taking time to travel she returned to Fort Myers and graduated from Edison State College. She spent a year in Savannah, GA as the office manager of the Holistic Health Center but when an opportunity arose for her and her boyfriend to relocate to Denver, CO they quickly accepted.
Jessica enjoys traveling, sports, reading, spending time with family and friends, and exploring the many wonderful things living out west has to offer. She is very excited to be a part of the Lowry Speech Therapy family.
Debra Fenton
, M.S., CCC-SLP
Deb is a certified member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), the Colorado State Speech and Hearing Association (CSHA) and the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). Her pediatric experience includes working in a variety of settings including pediatric outpatient clinics, brain injury rehabilitation hospitals, public school settings and private practice. She has attended numerous workshops relating to early literacy, learning disabilities and motor speech disorders (apraxia). She has a genuine interest in working with school aged-children with language based learning disabilities, including dyslexia. She is trained in the Orton Gillingham approach to reading instruction. She is a recipient of the ASHA “ACE” Award for her commitment to Continuing Education.
Debra Received her B.A. in Psychology and Linguistics from the University of Manitoba, Canada in 1991. She completed her Master’s of Science Degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Minot State University, North Dakota in 1993.
During her her spare time she enjoys spending time with her husband, two children and labrador retrievers, Buster and Selma. Her interests include hiking, skiing, running, reading, gardening and cooking.
Adriane Koch, M.S., CCC-SLP
Adriane is a member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Colorado Speech and Hearing Association (CSHA). She graduated with her Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Wyoming in 2009.
As part of her Graduate training, Adriane completed an internship at an elementary school in North Carolina where she worked with children between the ages of Kindergarten through 5th grade with a variety of communication disorders ranging from mild articulation disorders to severe autism disorders and cognitive delays. Adriane completed a second internship at a junior high school in Wyoming where she worked with children in 7th through 9th grades with a variety of needs ranging from mild language based learning disabilities to severe cognitive and language disorders. During her graduate program, Adriane also aided in a research study on children with severe phonological disorders under the guidance of Dr. Melissa Allen, PhD., CCC-SLP.
Adriane completed her Clinical Fellowship Year at the STRIDE Learning Center in Cheyenne Wyoming where she worked at a developmental preschool for children ages 3-5 years. She treated children with a variety of communication impairments resulting from congenital disorders, developmental delays, apraxia of speech, stuttering, and phonological/articulation disorders. Adriane is Hanen certified and has completed training in the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).
Adriane’s passion and commitment for working with children is recognized in her past experiences including coaching youth soccer, fundraising for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and volunteering for the Special Olympics.
Laura Soukup, M.S., CFY-SLP
Laura received a Bachelor of Liberal Arts dual degree with distinction in Psychology and Spanish from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2008. As an undergraduate student, Laura was trained in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) at the Center for Advanced Learning, Inc. (CAL) and the UNR Early Childhood Autism Program, where she tutored children with autism, neurological impairment, and various learning difficulties. In 2006, she studied abroad in San Sebastian, Spain and was an ESL (English second language) tutor at an elementary school.
Laura received a Master of Science degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from University of Nevada, Reno in May 2011. During her graduate training, Laura participated in a Hanen Parent Training Program and collaborated with the Northern Nevada Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Team and the UNR Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Assessment Team (UCAN).
Laura relocated to Colorado and completed an internship at Developmental Pathways, Inc. where she provided home-based services for children under the age of three prior to joining the Lowry Speech Therapy team in August 2011. She has experience working with children with a range of difficulties, including articulation/phonological disorders, expressive and receptive language impairments, apraxia of speech, cerebral palsy, sensory and cognitive deficits. Laura strives to enhance the unique and individual communicative needs of each child and strongly supports family involvement.
Megan Riesgaard, M.S., CCC-SLP
Megan is a certified member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). She graduated with her Bachelor’s in Communication Disorders from Minnesota State University – Mankato in 2007 and received her Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Northwestern University in 2009. During her graduate training, Megan worked with children in several preschools in the area with language and articulation disorders. Her school internship was at an Early Childhood Center working with students with Autism and other speech and language disorders.
Megan completed her Clinical Fellowship Year at a Special Education Co-op in the Chicago area. During that time she worked with children from Early Childhood through 21 years of age with a range of disabilities that impacted their communication. In 2009 she completed training in the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).
Megan recently moved to Colorado and works full time at a public elementary school during the day. She sees children in our clinic on Wednesday evenings. She has experience working with school age children with mild to severe articulation and phonological disorders, receptive and expressive language disorders, fluency, and motor speech disorders. Megan is constantly researching evidence based practice methods and enjoys finding continuing education conferences to expand her professional knowledge.
Lauren Hoffmann M.S., OTR/L
Lauren moved to the Denver area last year from Seattle and is originally from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). She graduated with her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Spring Hill College in Mobile, AL in 2004 and received her Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2006. Lauren has spent her career working with children from birth through adolescence in a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, home health, and outpatient clinics. She has experience with treating a variety of childhood diagnoses including physical and developmental disabilities, genetic disorders, behavioral and learning disabilities, autism, and effects of major injury, illness, or surgery (such as cancer, heart transplant, etc.) She served as the lead occupational therapist with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA ) at the Seattle Children’s Hospital as well as with the child psychiatric unit at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Lauren also has a variety of experience with interdisciplinary and alternative therapies including horticulture, aquatic, music, and art therapies and includes a holistic, creative, and evidence based approach with treatment.
She hopes to begin a doctoral study program in occupational therapy this summer to further her practice and knowledge of therapy. Lauren and her husband, George, enjoy traveling, hiking, and running. She speaks intermediate Spanish and hopes to advance her language skills in the future. Lauren is excited to be a part of the practice and is looking forward to working with many new families.
Sonya Davis Whitaker, M.A., CCC-SLP
Sonya is a certified member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). She received her B.S. in Communication Disorders from Auburn University in 1997 and her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Louisiana State University in 1999. She worked at the Children’s Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham for 5 years and then owned a private practice in Birmingham for 7 years prior to relocating to Denver in the Spring of 2012.
Cassandra Marie Schneider, M.A., CCC-SLP
Cassandra, known by her clients as “Miss Marie,” is a certified member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). With a background in linguistics and foreign language study, she worked in writing, translating, and language instruction prior to pursuing her master’s degree in speech-language pathology. Her passion is pediatrics, especially language, speech, and reading development. She is a Hanen Certified speech-language pathologist, having completed specialized training for helping parents foster early language and speech development.
Cassandra’s pediatric experience ranges from work with children in hospitals, at their homes for early intervention, at outpatient clinics, to work in the schools. These settings provided Cassandra with a broad range of extensive experience with children with developmental speech and language delays, motor speech disorders, phonological disorders, autism spectrum disorders, auditory processing disorders, voice disorders, and sensory processing disorders. She is passionate about her work with children and strives to provide the best possible services to her clients as evidenced by the numerous conferences and workshops she attends each year.
Dr. Gail Kirschbaum
Educator
Dr. Gail Kirschbaum holds a Doctorate in Education. She is a member of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and The Colorado Council of the International Reading Association (CCIRA). Dr. Kirschbaum’s training in multi-sensory education includes: Orton-Gillingham, Fundations, Wilson, Language!, and Touch Math. Gail specializes in assessing students academically and implementing strategies based on the child’s individual needs. As a reading specialist, Dr. Kirschbaum works with students who have Language-Based Disorders including dyslexia.
