Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Gilligan.
Hi Alyssa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am a big sister to my autistic brother and we are 8 years apart. I took a strong interest in his therapies when we were growing up! I would attend the team meetings, join his therapy sessions, and even got some training from his therapists.
I would then use those strategies to play with him and subsequently teach him language! During college, I worked as a one-to-one therapist to autistic children in a variety of settings including school, camp, and in-home. I was fortunate enough to have been mentored by another SLP who specialized in autism and built her own private practice from her home, which quickly became my dream!
These experiences inspired me to pursue a career in speech-language pathology. I went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in psychology from Virginia Tech and later earned my master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Towson University.
Following my master’s program, I completed my clinical fellowship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and then worked at a prominent applied behavior analysis (ABA) center in Baltimore County for nearly 6 years. I decided to pursue my dream and start my own private speech-pathology practice, Crescendo Speech Therapy, following the birth of my son in an effort to create more work/life balance and a flexible schedule!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been fairly smooth! However, no great dream comes without its challenges. For me, the biggest challenge has been finding the balance between being a mom and a business owner. Additionally, I find myself needing to find time to learn the business and marketing side of things! From taxes to budgeting, to marketing with social media, to making sure I am following legal guidelines, I am learning something new every day.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Crescendo Speech Therapy?
Crescendo speech therapy aims to provide high-quality intervention to children of all abilities. Using play-based strategies with a focus on parent and family training, I strive to make therapy fun and engaging while also implementing current evidence-based strategies.
I have specialized training in the fields of early intervention, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and childhood apraxia of speech. I combine my personal experiences with my extensive training to provide families with high-quality training and intervention that is personalized to them.
Crescendo speech therapy offers comprehensive evaluations, individual speech-language therapy, and parent training in Catonsville, Maryland to families in the Baltimore area!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Private practice speech-language pathology groups on Facebook have been a great resource as well as The Independent Clinician by Jena Castro-Casbon.
Pricing:
- Comprehensive Evaluation $300
- Individual speech therapy $60/30 minutes
- Parent Training Program $275 for 6 30-minute training sessions
Contact Info:
- Email: alyssa.gilligan@crescendospeechtherapy.com
- Website: https://crescendospeechtherapy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crescendoslptherapy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Crescendospeechtherapy
