About Us

Dyslexia Auditory Processing Autism/PDD/Asperger's Reading Verbal Apraxia Speech and Language Social Butterflies (Social Skills) Stuttering ACT® Prep Educational Advocacy

Our Mission Owner/Director Our Staff Our Consultants Our Affiliations

LIPS® Lindamood-Bell® Fast ForWord® Handwriting Without Tears® Talk Tools® Orton-Gillingham Kaufman Praxis Treatment Method Visualizing and Verbalizing for Language Comprehension and Thinking®

OUR MISSION

Speech & Learning Connections is dedicated to providing the most current, research-based programs and services for children and adolescents who struggle with a variety of developmental, communication and learning difficulties. We are dedicated to providing solutions that allow children to reach their full potential in all areas of life.

Our intensive programs address the underlying issues which can make communication and learning difficult. Our professional staff is certified and maintain extensive continuing education to insure the highest quality services available in the area. Most importantly, our programs get results. Read our testimonials.

OWNER/DIRECTOR
Basha Ontiveros, M.S., CCC-SLP received her Masters of Science in Speech Pathology at Illinois State University. Her areas of specialty are auditory/language processing disorders and reading instruction. Basha is trained in several programs, including the Barton Reading and Spelling System, Orton-Gillingham reading method. Basha also completed post-graduate coursework in diagnosing dyslexia and regularly tests children for this disorder. Basha is the parent of a child diagnosed with Auditory Processing Disorder and works as an advocate for parents of children with learning and communication disabilities.

OUR STAFF
Megan Lapping is our office manager and also acts as a coach for our Fast ForWord program. She attended Eastern Illinois University for undergraduate studies in accounting and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College Chicago. She also has a post-graduate certificate in graphic design.
Wendy Iverson received her Bachelors of Science in Education at the University of South Dakota in 1992. She taught as an early childhood special education teacher at Chester East Lincoln Elementary School in Lincoln, Illinois. Wendy is trained in an Orton-Gillingham reading method (Barton Reading and Spelling System) and in Handwriting without Tears. She holds a type 04 teaching certificate from the Illinois State Board of Education. Wendy is an active member and leader of a support group for parents of children with dyslexia and reading disabilities in the Bloomington-Normal area. Wendy is the parent of a child with severe dyslexia and has extensive knowledge on parent advocacy and special education law.
Devon Lovell, B.S. from Northwestern University. She has training in multisensory approach to reading and math, with concentration on Orton-Gillingham reading instruction. She is the Director of Community Tutoring in Chicago. She has taught K-8 students facing reading and math challenges employing multisensory approach. Currently a member of Learning Disabilities Association of America and International Dyslexia Association.
Sara Holderby, M.S., CCC-SLP received her Bachelors of Science degree in Special Education-Deaf and Hard of Hearing from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. She taught children who are deaf and hard of hearing before returning to school to get her Masters degree. She received her Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sara works with children aged pre-K through high school. She has provided speech and language therapy to children at Speech and Learning Connections since October 2008.
Mallory Boehm graduated Cum Laude from ISU with a Bachelor of Science degree is Special Education, endorsed in Reading. She teaches the Strategies for Achieving Independent Lives for Students (S.A.I.L.S.) program for Livingston County Special Services. Mallory has recently passed the State of Illinois “Highly Qualified Educators Exam”. She is trained in an Orton-Gillingham reading method and is currently working on becoming certified in the Susan Barton Reading and Spelling program as well as the “Writing with Structure and Style” program. She has tutored at Speech & Learning Connections for over 4 years.
Kimberlyn Cross received an Associate of Arts degree in professional education in 2008 from Highland College. She is currently a senior at Illinois State University pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education. Kimberlyn is the sister of a child with a learning disability and she tutored at-risk children in reading and math as a member of AmeriCorps for two years. She is trained in Susan Barton’s Orton-Gillingham based reading and Spelling Program and is currently tutoring students at Speech and Learning Connections.
Nannette Tanaka, M.S., received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Special Education from Illinois State University. She has taught pre-K through high school students with all types of special needs. She is the parent of a son with Attention Deficit Disorder.
Christine Rodeghero, M.S., CCC-SLP received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Bradley University in 2000. She received her Master of Science degree in Speech Pathology from Illinois State University in 2005. Christine worked with students in kindergarten through fourth grade in Plainfield, Illinois as well as with adult rehabilitation patients for two years. She currently works primarily with grade school students.

OUR CONSULTANTS
	Kim Williamson, MAED/SPE, and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) provides Applied Behavior Analysis services for children with behavioral, developmental, and learning disorders. She is the owner of Circles Behavior Consultation Services.

AFFILIATIONS

Our affiliations include: