About

Hello! I'm Michelle Schaefer. Welcome to Speechie Mama!

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I'm a Speech-Language Pathologist, nature-lover, sourdough baker, mama to four girls, and wife to my hubby. I had a two year stint with chickens and my girls still ask about them often!

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I started Speechie Mama after working actively with babies thru teenagers in schools and private practice settings for over a decade.

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While I loved my time with my students, I repeatedly found myself dwelling on conversations with parents who were hopeful and motivated and yet unsure of how they could best support their children's communication needs. Fast forward a few years and a few kids later and I have become passionate about supporting neurodivergent adults with self advocating and living a life they love. Diagnosed with ADHD well into adulthood, I have experienced first-hand when systems are not designed with different brains in mind. 

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I believe in empowering parents with tools to grow their child's speech, language and literacy skills. I believe in empowering adults by helping them recognize what unique skills they have that can support their hopes and dreams.

 

Whether you're a neurogdivergent adult looking for support or a parent of a child with speech and language needs thank you for being here. 

 

My family and I are currently in Chicagoland!

 

I'm hoping this blog can showcase real-life adventures with kids, while sharing practical ways to build speech and language skills along the way.