_edited.png)
Speech & Language Therapy
Speech and Language development varies greatly according to age. If you have concerns, please call or email. The sooner treatment starts, the better the prognosis.
​
Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are Nationally Certified by the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), hold a certificate of clinical competence (CCC), and must have a State License. Speech-Language Pathologists must obtain a minimum of a Master's Degree in the areas of Communication Disorders and Speech-Language Pathology.
Some SLPs also specialize in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, which is an additional focus on the muscle strength and coordination of the face and tongue to ensure adequate breathing, chewing, swallowing, and speaking. There are several areas of specialty for SLPs including feeding, autism, pragmatics, AAC, tongue thrust, dysfluency, and written language to name a few.
SLPs provide services for the following:
-
Speech Production
-
Language
-
Cognition
-
Feeding/Swallowing
-
Fluency (aka "Stuttering")
-
Voice/Resonance
-
Auditory Habilitation/Rehabilitation
​
Star Speech & Occupational Therapy LLC
208-391-2773
Meet The Team
Meara Baker,
MA, CCC-SLP, ASDCS
Meara Baker has been in the field of Speech-Language Pathology since 2003 and is an Autism Spectrum Disorder Certified Specialist (ASDCS). She has worked in a variety of settings. As she navigated many settings and populations, she realized the importance of community, heart, and passion within a private clinic as well as the immense need for outpatient pediatric clinics within rural settings. While working a full-time job and raising a family of her own, Meara set out to begin bringing her vision for this clinic to life. Star Speech & Occupational Therapy has successfully provided whole-hearted services since 2015, and has welcomed some of the most amazing clinicians, clients, and families in the valley. It offers a warm and welcome spirit, shared knowledge and the invitation to grow together.
Meara has learned that the greatest thing about her practice is- when love, passion, grace and support is afforded in one direction, it is received and reciprocated in the other.
In her spare time, Meara enjoys spending time with her family, and participating in anything active and supporting anything wholesome. She has been known to play intermural softball and flag football. She has run one marathon...and that was enough. She may or may not have taken her Dad skydiving for his 69th birthday.
Grace Kalisky, MA, CCC-SLP
Grace has a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Hearing Sciences from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a Master of Arts in Communicative Disorders from San Diego State University.
She is a member of the American Speech and Hearing Association from which she has her Certificate of Clinical Competence.
She attends at least ten hours a year of continuing education in anything from Autism or Art Therapy to Child Language and Management of Emotional Regulation.
She has had a variety of experience over the last 30 years in hospitals and clinics working with in- and out- patients of all ages with neurological and communication disorders. She even took a travelling therapy job as an SLP and was able to visit and work in eight of our great states as an SLP.
Grace settled in Idaho 15 years ago and began working in the school system as an SLP and enjoys this clinical setting at Star Speech and Occupational Therapy as a great balance between the two. It offers her an opportunity to collaborate with her colleagues and the parents of the children she works with and gives everyone the agency they require to improve the communication of the children.
When not at work, Grace can be seen paddling in her kayak on a local lake or trying to complete a 5 or 10k . She loves travelling, reading and hanging out with her family and friends, too!
Deanna Seamans, MS, CCC-SLP
OMT
Deanna graduated from Idaho State University with her Master's degree in Speech Language Pathology in 2011. During the first five years of her career, Deanna spent her time in a pediatric clinic that also contracted with rural school districts. As a small town girl herself (she grew up in Star!), she felt a strong connection with the rural towns and it only strengthened the desire to be closer to her family and return "home." Thankfully, the opportunity to be closer to home came in October of 2017. At that time, Deanna joined Star Speech and Occupational Therapy and has enjoyed serving and helping those in the Star community and beyond.
Deanna's curious nature and love of learning has allowed her to learn and grow in the area of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT). This type of therapy focuses on the oral and supporting structures, and how they function during swallowing and speech. Looking at tongues, teeth, cheeks, and lips is the highlight of her day! She is incredibly passionate about this area of therapy and will gladly talk your ear off.
In her spare time, Deanna spends time with her two children and her two dogs. She also spends a great deal of time with her extended family and loves being an auntie. She enjoys camping, baking and cooking, gardening, and laughing.
Sarah Foster, MS, CCC-SLP
SOS Feeding Specialist
Sarah earned a bachelors degree in Communicative Disorders from Utah State University and a Masters Degree in Speech Pathology from University of Nevada, Reno. With 20 years of experience, Sarah is a specialist in early intervention and has a passion for treating children under the age of 5. She is a trained SOS feeding therapist and loves watching children and their families return to happier and less stressful mealtimes.
In her free time, Sarah enjoys camping and spending time outdoors with her husband, 3 daughters, and 3 dogs.
Lauren Allen, MA, CCC-SLP
Lauren graduated with her masters degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2019 from Cal State University of Los Angeles. She loves Idaho and she enjoys serving the people in her community. In her years of working as an SLP she has gained experience in early language development with preschool to elementary aged groups. She has recently found a passion for working with adolescents and teaching pragmatic social skills. When she is not busy being an SLP, she is enjoying time with her son or working on her flower farm with her husband and family. She enjoys family time, playing with her dog “Gemma” and being creative!
Andrea Snow, MS, CCC-SLP
PROMPT Trained
Andrea Snow began working as a Speech-language Pathologist Assistant in California, after completing her bachelor's in Communication Disorders at California State University, Los Angeles. She gained 4 years of experience in speech therapy in a variety of settings (schools, in-home, private clinic) by the time she earned her master's in Clinical Speech-Language Pathology from Northern Arizona University in 2018. She moved to Idaho to complete an externship with St. Luke's Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, where she was trained in treating adult patients with disorders including aphasia, dysphagia, and dementia. She served as the SLP at Meridian Elementary School for 3 years (2018-2021) before deciding a community clinic would be an inspiring change to foster growth as a clinician. She is now trained in PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets), an approach using physical-sensory support to facilitate motor movements needed for speech production.
Caitlin Hoel, MS, CCC-SLP
Caitlin graduated with her Master's degree in Speech Language Pathology in August of 2021 from Chapman University. She was introduced to the field through her younger sister, who has severe Autism and Apraxia, and volunteered with the head SLP at Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental disorders during her undergraduate experience in California. Prior to college, she spent her weekends volunteering at J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center where she worked with riders with varying disabilities. She worked as a caregiver to both children and adults with disabilities and was trained in seizure response for a client with epilepsy.
While in graduate school, Caitlin worked as a Behavioral Interventionist with children with ASD, where she was trained in CPI and gained experience in managing a variety of behaviors from self-injurious to eloping. Her practicums in the Master's program spanned schools and private clinics, with both children and adults in areas of speech and language including articulation, language, ASD, Down Syndrome, and AAC. Caitlin has had experience in both in-person and telehealth sessions.
Caitlin completed her Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) at Star Speech & Occupational Therapy and received her Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC). She specializes in language and communication for children with ASD and is learning more about AAC to help those who are nonverbal find their voice. Caitlin's goal upon entering the field of speech and language pathology was to help children like her sister and it is a goal that she continues to uphold to this day!
When she is not at Star Speech, Caitlin enjoys seeing friends and family, playing with her dogs, horseback riding, drawing, and playing video games on her Nintendo Switch!