LLA Spotlight: Alison Kolonick

April 13, 2021
Our Team

We have amazing therapists at LLA and want to showcase them to you! This week, meet Alison Kolonick!

Alison is a Speech Language Pathologist who has been with LLA since August 2020! She serves students at Independence High School and the Fairlawn clinic. When deciding to become a therapist, she first went through five or six majors, from political science to history to education. After going to her first day of a “intro to communication disorders” class at Cleveland State, she decided immediately after that this was the right fit for her! She also grew up going to OT and speech with her brother so she already had some exposure. Her favorite part about being a therapist is building relationships with her kiddos AND their families. She loves to be a part of not only how the kids grow but also how the parents and siblings learn and grow alongside them. Her therapy is never only for the child receiving services!

Let’s get to know Alison better!

Share a success story!

There are too many to choose from! I like to celebrate the small successes that happen every day. If a client makes an intentional sound our gesture for the first time, produces a sound correctly, or even just tries their best when things are hard I become so proud of them!

Would you rather have pizza or tacos?

Tacos definitely

Describe your role at LLA:

I primarily see children with Autism, AAC devices, and Apraxia. I love working together with my colleagues to build strong teams for our clients and solve problems. If I’m not in therapy or busy documenting, you can find me in another therapist’s office collaborating and talking through cases together!

What is your therapy passion?

AAC, assistive technology, and Apraxia therapy!! The picture I chose is of me when my brother received his very first AAC device back in 2001/2002-ish :) I think assistive technology has been an interest of mine for as long as I can remember – I just didn’t realize it at the time! Apraxia is a newer area for me and I have enjoyed learning about it so much.

What is your favorite movie?

Big Fish by Tim Burton – I have a daffodil tattoo on my arm in honor of that movie!

What do you do in your free time?

Spend time with friends and family, exercise, and travel! I have friends all over the world who I love to visit whenever I can!

What is your best advice for parents who are embarking on a journey with therapy with their kiddo?

I tell parents to keep reaching out for help. I direct them to online support groups and resources following a diagnosis. It is so important for parents to feel supported by others who can relate to their experiences. I also tell them not to try to learn everything about a disorder at once! Grow as you go :)

What is the funniest thing a kid has ever said to you in therapy?

There are some words that kids say that are just so cute that I find it hard to correct them! One kiddo pronounced “octopus” like “applesauce” or “no number” for “November” and that was just too cute so I let them slide!

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I’m hoping to go to Germany next year for a friend’s wedding and then do a tour of Eastern Europe. I’ve never been that far East before!

What is your best advice for kids?

The world needs a voice like yours – whether you sign it, say it, press a button to tell it, high five it or simply look. The world is better because you and your voice are in it!

What is your favorite inspirational quote?

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.” – Eckhart Tolle

Tune in to our next Spotlight to meet another one of our wonderful therapists!

Crystal Scheibe

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Great place, glad we found them. Been going to Medina over 2 months now and he loves Lauryn and Kyler. Wish they had more ABA therapy places available... live in Wooster and long drive everyday.

Karrie Swan LaRock

My 11 year old son has dyslexia and has made noticeable gains in working At LLA THERAPY. Katie is strong in her approach toward him and also keeps him comfortable enough to perform well. We will continue visiting both the Fairlawn and Hudson offices and recommend them highly.

Ron Monroe

My 9 year old just completed about 9 months of weekly speech sessions (due to his stuttering) with Matt Hagge at LLA and we are thrilled with the experience and results. What I thought might be a negative (what kid really wants to go to speech class?) was made very positive by Matt, and my son never hesitated or complained when we talked about class. He really enjoyed it and really took what Matt taught him to heart. His speech has been greatly improved and we definitely recommend LLA. Thank you so much!

Heather Dougherty-Pantoja

My son’s Occupational Therapist, Jess, is an amazing OT! She gives practical tips on working with my son at home and school!

Terri Apgar

I cannot say enough good things about LLA Therapy. My daughter was a client of Teal Simmons’ for approximately 2 years and was just released from speech therapy! She was diagnosed with Apraxia in 2015 and worked with Teal twice a week. Through Teal’s application of PROMPT therapy, my daughter had age-appropriate speech after one year. All of the staff we interacted with at LLA were absolutely wonderful. They really care about what they do and making sure your child achieves their goals.

Kelli Geisler Davisson

LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for my son as well as my family! My son always asks, "When can I go see Ms. Jeannine again, is it Monday??" He has also made huge gains in only 5 months! I would highly recommend LLA and have already shared my experience with friends looking for services!

Victoria Hansford-Price

We are so grateful for our Speech Therapist Ms.Teal. We have seen a great improvement with our sons confidence and communication abilities since we have started "Prompt" therapy. What we love the most about LLA and Ms. Teal is that Kohl feels comfortable and relaxed which has played a critical role in his progress. Thank you Ms. Teal for all you have done.

Laura Lee Hogsett

They have helped in numerous ways. Speech, OT and behavioral. I've had numerous compliments on my son's progress thanks in very large part to LLA. I would recommend LLA before I recommend our local children's hospitals, though they are good, they don't have the staff that LLA does.

Amy Furukawa

We had a great experience with Matt Hagge at LLA! Our Middle School age son was becoming very conscious of his voice, which is nasal due to a cleft palate. Matt helped him to better form his sounds and project his voice in a way that makes the unavoidable nasality less noticeable.Our son is more confident and outgoing & even took on a speaking role in the church play. Matt has the perfect personality to relate with our son, and we would recommend him to anyone needing speech therapy services!

Jessica Havalotti

LLA Therapy has been an excellent experience for our daughter. I would highly recommend LLA. Miss Grace was so amazing and I can't believe how quickly our daughter showed improvement. Thank you!