Communication begins with an interaction. Let us help you build your interaction and communication through evidenced-based and play-based speech therapy.

Stephanie Kelley,
MS, CCC-SLP, ADHD-RSP

Owner of
Simply Speech and
Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist

Meet the Team

Stephanie grew up on Aquidneck Island, with deep family roots here. Great grandfathers on both sides built family homes in Newport and Portsmouth. She is proud to be the first on-island private practice to accept insurance - a long standing need on this island. She is proud to offer a variety of services to the Middletown and surrounding communities. In her minimal free time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family, her two dogs Kali (14) and Donut (1), learning, and reading a good book. She is thrilled to be the recipient of both Newport and Middletown’s Best Speech Language Pathologist based on Google Reviews from Clients. Stephanie is humbled by the feedback given by parents, and can’t think of a greater metric by which to measure success.

Meet Donut

Meet Donut! Our Mini Therapy Dog-in-Training. Donut is one year old and knows basic commands, but will be put through therapy dog training in the near future so she may be on site with clinicians at times. She is excellent with children and loves everyone she meets. At 10 pounds full grown, she is a tiny force of joy and constant source of sass. Welcome to the team, Donut!

Simply Speech is a teaching clinic, frequently hosting students from
Emerson College out of Boston, Baylor University out of Texas, Northeastern University out of Boston, New York University, and Faulkner University out of Montgomery, Alabama. Most have been online programs with students relatively local to our clinic. We love the opportunity to help shape the speech language pathologists of the future. Please reach out to us if you’d like us to host an undergraduate or graduate student at our clinic!

Support Staff

Kyla and Jess help answer the phones, make phone calls, and schedule and reschedule sessions, as Stephanie is usually with a student or away from her phone. Please be patient and kind, as they are part time remote workers.

Credentials

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Education & Honors

Stephanie completed her undergraduate studies in 2007 at Rhode Island College, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and received two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and Communications: Speech and Hearing Sciences. During her time at RIC, she belonged to Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communications Honor Society.

Stephanie went on to earn her Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Rhode Island in 2010. She completed her fellowship year (CF) in early intervention.

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Certifications &

Specializations

Stephanie is licensed to practice as a Speech-Language Pathologist in Rhode Island through the Department of Health and certified nationally through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Stephanie has been working with clients with varied needs for many years, including working with autistic students for 20 years, and has a passion for pediatrics.

She is trained in and uses strategies from:

  • Social Thinking®, which includes unique treatment frameworks and strategies to help individuals across the lifespan develop their social thinking and social skills to meet theirpersonal social goals,

  • The SCERTS® Model, which is a research based educational approach and multidisciplinary framework that directly addresses the core challenges faced by children and persons with ASD and related disabilities and their families by building skills in Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional Support

  • Hanen's Parent Education Program: It Takes Two To Talk, which helps parents building interactions with their child to facilitate language learning.

  • Lee Silverman Voice Program (LSVT LOUD), a treatment designed to increase voice function for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. She has experience evaluating and treating dysphagia, including Modified Barium Swallow Studies, voice, fluency,cognition, aphasia, and dysarthria within the pediatric and adult population.

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Experience

Stephanie has experience working with children with sound system disorders (articulation and phonological disorders), childhood apraxia of speech, language delay, alternative and augmentative communication systems, fluency (stuttering), voice, and cognitive disorders. She has experience with various rare genetic disorders as well.

Stephanie has experience working in inpatient and outpatient hospital and in home-health settings, giving her in-depth medical knowledge. She is trained in first aid and CPR.

What to expect when working with Simply Speech:

  • A positive, nurturing environment

  • Personalized sessions based on child’s needs and goals

  • Regular updates to caregiver(s), skills to work on at home

  • A focus on building rapport and trust for maximum growth

  • Support for neurodivergence; no ABA practices on site.

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