Karen has been a dedicated Speech-Language Pathologist for 31 years and is currently a special-education administrator for one of the largest urban school districts in the Midwest.  As the founder of Kids Love to Learn, a 501(c)(3), and the creator of Chatter Buddies, Karen testified before Ohio’s House Education Committee for the inclusion of SLPs as literacy intervention specialists under the state’s 3GRG.  As a result, SLPs were written into the legislation. Additionally, Karen has influenced hundreds of licensed SLPs across Ohio and the country as a clinical supervisor at The Ohio State University. She is also the recipient of the Patricia C. Lindamood Clinical Leadership Excellence Award, the OSPPEAC Clinical Leadership Award, and numerous media recognitions for the Chatter Buddies Ready for Speech ‘S’ episode.

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Joann's career instructing and influencing future SLPs within the Department of Speech and Hearing Science at The Ohio State University has included various positions as course instructor, clinical supervisor, and assistant clinical director. In fact, JoAnn supervised our creator within OSU’s clinic. Her impact has spread over four decades of students and has been punctuated with the Nancy McKinley leadership award, OSU’s outstanding staff award, and the SHS Make a Difference award - along with being named a fellow of OSLHA.  JoAnn co-authored the Clinical Assessment of Articulation and Phonology (CAAP-2) and Eliciting Sounds: Techniques and Strategies for Clinicians, and she has been a long-time supporter and volunteer for Kids Love to Learn.

Linda has a particular interest in the early identification of children who are at risk for reading disabilities, as well as the differential diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia. As a professor of Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Florida, Linda has published numerous papers on the topic of dyslexia.  She is the author of Assessing and Differentiating Reading and Writing Disorders  and the co-author of the Assessment of Literacy and Language (ALL) - a test designed to identify children who are more likely to have difficulty learning to read. Just like so many other educational professionals and experts, Linda has seen the inherent educational efficacy built into Chatter Buddies and has dedicated her free time to Kids Love to Learn for many years.

Torri brings enthusiasm and energy to the team as a veteran Speech-Language Pathologist, and for 30 years she has been serving children with communication disorders in the public schools. For over a decade, Torri has served in various leadership roles,  including MTSS Specialist and Behavior Support Specialist, where she is responsible for creating, shaping, and streamlining processes in collaboration with building-based teams. Torri also directs, casts, produces, and choreographs school musicals in which students with disabilities can participate in the stage crew and acting. She is serving as our vibrant and virtual Chatter Chums “Coach,” and Torri is the newest member of the  Kids Love to Learn volunteer corps.