about
Hi, I’m emily merritt,
M.Sc., S-LP(C), Reg. CASLPO
I am a Registered Speech Language Pathologist in Ontario working with the pediatric population.
Born and raised in Wellington County, I graduated from McMaster University in 2012 and Dalhousie University in 2015 before working in Northern Alberta and the United Kingdom. I started my practice in Fergus, Ontario in 2017, working within Optimum Integrative Health Centre. I grew my team to include two fabulous Communication Disorder Assistants, Jenn and Taryn, before expanding to work out of The WOMB Guelph in 2023. In 2024 we welcomed our Speech Language Pathology Assistant, Marta.
I have a passion for working with families who are looking for a more personalized approach to their child’s therapy. I aim to have each session be a positive interaction from start to finish.
My experience has lead me to work with both Neuro-typical and Neuro-divergent populations, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, pediatric feeding challenges, motor speech disorders including Childhood Apraxia of Speech, cleft lip/palate, stuttering and literacy delays/disorders such as dyslexia.
Additional Training
Pediatric Feeding Mentorship Group - Pediatric Feeding SLP - November 2024
Infant Eating, Feeding and Swallowing: Theory & Clinical Application - University of Alberta 2024
Assessment/Treatment of TOTS – Talk Tools 2023
Focusing on Academic Language in Preparing Preschoolers with Foundations for Later Reading Development - 2023
Improving Pediatric Feeding Assessment Skills - 2023
Assessing Skill Based Feeding and Swallowing Disorders - 2023
Feeding Development: What is Typical - 2023
Picky Eating in the Preschool Classroom - 2023
FASD New Diagnostic Standards | 2015/2021
Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment for Childhood Apraxia of Speech - 2019
Social Thinking - 2019
Understanding and Supporting FASD - 2019
Level 1 Fundamentals of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - 2019
Introduction to PROMT training | 2018
What’s Food Got to Do With It: Practical activities to expand the picky eaters food choices led by Carrie Owen and Chantal Lessard - 2017
Independent Authorizer for Augmentative and Alternative Communication | 2016
Reference and Regulation Training | 2015
Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale Training Level 1| 2015
Communicative Disorder Assistants (CDA) and Speech Language Pathology Assistants (SLP-A) work together with Speech-Language Pathologists to implement therapy goals utilizing specialized training, tools and techniques. They help to transform the lives of individuals and families through effective communication and strong relationships.
THE team
jennifer kentner
B.A., CDA, Reg. CDAAC Member
Jenn Kentner is a Communicative Disorders Assistant (CDA) who is a member with the Communicative Disorders Assistant Association of Canada and Speech-Language & Audiology Canada. She works primarily with the preschool and school-aged population. She graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Arts and Georgian College with her post-graduate diploma as a CDA.
Jenn uses a family-centred approach and has worked for over 17 years in the Fergus and Elora regions in clinic, home, and daycare/school settings.
Through her experience, she has worked with a variety of developmental and acquired speech, language and communication difficulties, including preschool speech and language development, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, stuttering, cleft lip and palate, motor speech disorders, and complex communication needs. Jennifer prides herself on a family centered and developmental treatment approach to meet the needs of the client, with specific training in DIR/Floortime™ & Shanker Self-Reg® (Level 2). Jennifer has also had ongoing training and education from The Hanen Centre® (It Takes Two to Talk™, More Than Words™, SPARK Communication™, Teaching Tuning-In™), and The Speech & Stuttering Institute.st.
taryn thomson
b.a., cda, Reg. cdaac member
Taryn Thomson is a formally trained member of the Communicative Disorders Assistant Association of Canada (CDAAC) and Speech-Language & Audiology Canada. She graduated from Western University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology prior to obtaining a Communicative Disorders Assistant post-graduate diploma from St. Lawrence College, graduating with distinction. Originally from Fergus, Taryn spent years working and living abroad before returning to her roots and joining the team at Optimum Health Centre. She is bringing with her experience and understanding for cultural diversity and its customs. She uses this to offer her clients a compassionate and welcoming environment. Taryn enjoys working with a variety of developmental and acquired speech and language difficulties and has gained experience with Autism Spectrum Disorders, preschool and school age speech/language/literacy development, Aphasia, motor speech disorders and more.
marta wilkinson
M.A., SLP-A
Marta received her Master of Communications from the University of Waterloo in 2018. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, where she majored in communications and minored in English. Marta is currently working towards her Speech-Language Pathology Assistant diploma at MacEwan University.
Marta’s interests include fluency (e.g. stuttering) and speech disorders in children, teens, and adults.
Marta has over 10 years of experience teaching pronunciation and literacy skills to international students in a wide variety of contexts, including one-on-one speaking consultations, small group language workshops, and large lectures on professional communication skills. She has worked with a large cross-section of the population, offering occupation-specific language training to foreign professionals, English for academic purposes to pre-undergraduate students, as well as private tutoring services to children of all ages, both in Canada and abroad.
Marta is fluent in English and Polish, with intermediate proficiency in French and a working knowledge of Spanish.