Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Culmer.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The journey began during my childhood years. My youngest brother, Austin was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. He lost his ability to verbally communicate. During this time, autism spectrum disorder was not as common as it is today. I witnessed my parents navigate through his diagnosis which required speech and occupational therapy. I was given the opportunity to complete community service hours towards high school graduation at a pediatric clinic. It was during this time, I learned about speech-language pathology and decided that would be my course of study in college. I received my bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida and completed my graduate studies at Florida State University. At the start of my career, I provided speech therapy services in the school system. Although I enjoyed the students, I always knew that I wanted to make a bigger impact with children and families. I eventually branched off into private practice and fell in love with the idea of working individually with patients and having full autonomy of my career. I also realized that my passion was in early intervention.
At the beginning of 2020, my mind was made up that I was starting my own practice. I wasn’t sure how this was going to happen, but God placed the desire in my spirit, and I had to go for it. Little did I know, the world would enter a global pandemic which provided the perfect set up to get started. Having more time at home, I began to make my dream a reality. I reached out to daycares, private schools, pediatricians, and state agencies. Since I could not meet in person, I made phone calls, sent emails, and mailed letters. In making those connections, I solidified contracts, and the referrals began coming in. Welcome Well Spoken Speech Therapy!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I can honestly say there hasn’t been any major hiccups along the way. One thing I’ve learned during this process is to trust God’s timing. This has become true in all areas of my life. Overall, it’s made life much easier to navigate. I can recall wanting to establish my practice back in 2018 after departing from a private practice clinic. During this time, I became frustrated because I knew what I wanted, but it wasn’t coming to me the way I wanted it to. I decided to pull back and continue to grow and establish connections with other therapists and individuals in similar fields. It all paid off! God had the perfect set up and it’s all coming together. I’m ready to take this to the next level.
So yeah, it’s been a pretty cool journey so far.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Well Spoken Speech Therapy is located in Sandy Springs, Ga. This practice provides one on one skilled speech therapy services to pediatric and school age populations. Services are conducted in the clinic setting, daycares and teletherapy. My experience includes treating children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Social-Pragmatic Disorders, Expressive and Receptive Language Disorders, Stuttering, Apraxia, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Articulation Disorders.
My area of expertise is early intervention. Within this area, not only do I work with children to increase their communication skills, but I also provide families with the confidence to encourage and incorporate communication skills in their child’s natural environment. It warms my heart when a family tells me how they were able to utilize techniques learned in therapy to help their child in various settings. I do my best to make parents feel at ease as they help their child….and it’s fun! Like the saying goes, “It takes a village”. I’m also a big advocate for mentorship. This is what I know sets me apart. As a professional, I believe it’s my duty to mentor other young adults entering the field. I do this by supervising undergraduate and graduate student clinicians, clinical fellows (CFs) and speech-language pathologist assistants (SLPAs).
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I think the biggest surprise when working with families is them not knowing how reserved I am. When engaging with children and parents, my interactions are completely different from those who know me outside of my professional setting. My sessions are very animated, and my level of engagement is high. In my personal life, I’m pretty quiet, and I often just sit back and observe. Those close to me know I love to joke and laugh (really loud).
Contact Info:
- Website: www.well-spokenspeech.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WellSpokenSpeechGA/
Image Credits
Photography by Chrissandra Jallah
