Grow Speech and Language Therapy in Vancouver, BC specializes in child and family-centered therapy for children up to 18 years of age. Grow is part of the multi-disciplinary clinic Steps BC, which allows clinicians to coordinate and provide your child with comprehensive services. At Grow we strive to provide meaningful and evidence-based interventions to help your child meet their goals and reach their potential.
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Meet the team
CArla monteleone m.SLP., rslp
Carla Monteleone is one of the co-owners of Grow Speech & Language Therapy. Carla received her Masters of Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Alberta. She has worked in a variety of settings with a variety of populations including preschool aged children in public health, school aged children in the North Vancouver School District, and all ages in her private practice. Carla is a member of the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC. and is certified by Speech and Audiology Canada. Carla is on the Registry of Autism Service Providers (RASP).
An adjunct professor at the School of Speech Sciences and Audiology at UBC, she teaches the Fluency Disorders class. She is also a clinical instructor at UBC and enjoys providing mentorship to future SLPs.
Carla has worked with children facing a range of speech and language disorders including developmental language disorders and social language delays. In addition, she has experience working with children with learning disabilities, executive functioning disorders and selective mutism. Carla has special interests in motor speech disorders including Childhood Apraxia of Speech and fluency disorders. She is Recognized by Apraxia Kids for Advanced Training and Expertise in Childhood Apraxia of Speech. She has a European Clinical Specialization in Fluency Disorders.
Carla has attended multiple workshops in Social Thinking by Michelle Garcia Winner and Executive Functioning Skills by Sarah Ward. She is also trained in the following: PROMPT, the Hanen program, the Lidcombe program, Palin Parent Child Interaction approach, Meaningful Speech and RESTART Demands and Capacities. Carla is also trained in LSVT LOUD for kids, an intensive, neuroplasticity-based treatment addressing vocal loudness, articulation, and intelligibility, and intonation . Carla is continuing to expand her knowledge in the area of oromyfunctional disorders.
Carla is excited to be partnering with her long time friend, Deborah Carter, and to continue working with the Steps BC multidisciplinary team. She takes a family centered approach to providing therapy that is individualized, fun, and relaxed. She is looking forward to meeting all the current Grow families and welcoming new ones.
An adjunct professor at the School of Speech Sciences and Audiology at UBC, she teaches the Fluency Disorders class. She is also a clinical instructor at UBC and enjoys providing mentorship to future SLPs.
Carla has worked with children facing a range of speech and language disorders including developmental language disorders and social language delays. In addition, she has experience working with children with learning disabilities, executive functioning disorders and selective mutism. Carla has special interests in motor speech disorders including Childhood Apraxia of Speech and fluency disorders. She is Recognized by Apraxia Kids for Advanced Training and Expertise in Childhood Apraxia of Speech. She has a European Clinical Specialization in Fluency Disorders.
Carla has attended multiple workshops in Social Thinking by Michelle Garcia Winner and Executive Functioning Skills by Sarah Ward. She is also trained in the following: PROMPT, the Hanen program, the Lidcombe program, Palin Parent Child Interaction approach, Meaningful Speech and RESTART Demands and Capacities. Carla is also trained in LSVT LOUD for kids, an intensive, neuroplasticity-based treatment addressing vocal loudness, articulation, and intelligibility, and intonation . Carla is continuing to expand her knowledge in the area of oromyfunctional disorders.
Carla is excited to be partnering with her long time friend, Deborah Carter, and to continue working with the Steps BC multidisciplinary team. She takes a family centered approach to providing therapy that is individualized, fun, and relaxed. She is looking forward to meeting all the current Grow families and welcoming new ones.
DEborah Carter, m.sc., rslp
Deborah is one of the co-owners of Grow Speech & Language Therapy. Deborah received her Masters of Speech and Language Pathology from the University of British Columbia. During the last 18 years, Deborah has worked in community health with preschool-age children in the Fraser Region, with school-age children in the Delta and Burnaby School Districts, and children and youth in her private practice. Deborah is a member of the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC and is certified by Speech & Audiology Canada. Deborah is on the Registry of Autism Service Providers (RASP).
Deborah regularly presents professional development workshops to school district staff and has guest lectured on the topic of Fluency Disorders at UBC. She frequently consults with school-based teams and provides mentorship to teachers, educational assistants, and has been a clinical instructor to UBC SLP students.
Deborah has experience working with a diverse population of children with communication needs and disorders to support their communication, inclusion, independence and social-emotional development. Her areas of clinical interest and training include Autism Spectrum Disorder, Social Communication, Executive Functioning, Language-Based Learning Disabilities, Fluency Disorders, Speech Sound Disorders, Phonological Development and Developmental Language Delay. Deborah has attended numerous workshops in Social Thinking by Michelle Garcia Winner and Executive Functioning Skills by Sarah Ward. She is trained in the Hanen Program, The Lidcombe Program, Meaningful Speech, PROMPT and the assessment and intervention of school-age Fluency Disorders through the Stuttering Foundation of America. Deborah continues to grow her knowledge in the areas of Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC), motor-speech disorders and voice. Deborah has performed as a vocalist in local professional bands for over 20 years. She is fluent in French and Hungarian. Her love of languages, voice, and teaching drew her to the field of Speech and Language Pathology.
Deborah is thrilled to be partnering with her long-time friend and colleague Carla Monteleone in joining Grow & the Steps BC multidisciplinary team. Deborah strongly values collaboration and building positive relationships with families and teams. She brings this approach to her therapy and motivates children through engagement and playfulness. She strives to empower parents and caregivers to learn tools and gain resources to support their child’s communication and well-being. She is looking forward to meeting and bringing her energy to the current and future Grow families!
Deborah regularly presents professional development workshops to school district staff and has guest lectured on the topic of Fluency Disorders at UBC. She frequently consults with school-based teams and provides mentorship to teachers, educational assistants, and has been a clinical instructor to UBC SLP students.
Deborah has experience working with a diverse population of children with communication needs and disorders to support their communication, inclusion, independence and social-emotional development. Her areas of clinical interest and training include Autism Spectrum Disorder, Social Communication, Executive Functioning, Language-Based Learning Disabilities, Fluency Disorders, Speech Sound Disorders, Phonological Development and Developmental Language Delay. Deborah has attended numerous workshops in Social Thinking by Michelle Garcia Winner and Executive Functioning Skills by Sarah Ward. She is trained in the Hanen Program, The Lidcombe Program, Meaningful Speech, PROMPT and the assessment and intervention of school-age Fluency Disorders through the Stuttering Foundation of America. Deborah continues to grow her knowledge in the areas of Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC), motor-speech disorders and voice. Deborah has performed as a vocalist in local professional bands for over 20 years. She is fluent in French and Hungarian. Her love of languages, voice, and teaching drew her to the field of Speech and Language Pathology.
Deborah is thrilled to be partnering with her long-time friend and colleague Carla Monteleone in joining Grow & the Steps BC multidisciplinary team. Deborah strongly values collaboration and building positive relationships with families and teams. She brings this approach to her therapy and motivates children through engagement and playfulness. She strives to empower parents and caregivers to learn tools and gain resources to support their child’s communication and well-being. She is looking forward to meeting and bringing her energy to the current and future Grow families!
Catherine Peciuch, B.Sc., RSLP
Catherine has been working in schools for children with autism and learning disabilities for over 6 years. She graduated from Leeds Beckett University school of Social Sciences with a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Language Therapy. She has experience both in providing speech therapy intervention and teaching literacy to students with learning disabilities. Catherine's areas of interest are autism spectrum disorder, social communication and pragmatic language, emotional regulation, phonological awareness and literacy skills. Catherine is registered with Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Canada (SAC). She is now recertified as a speech language pathologist in Canada and is a member of the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC. Catherine is trained in Social Thinking methodologies and is certified with PEERS for adolescents and Telehealth, as well as Hanen It Takes Two to Talk.
Kaitlyn Martinson, M.Sc., RSLP
Kaitlyn has graduated with her Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and is a member of the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC and Speech and Audiology Canada. She has gained experience practicing in a variety of settings including schools, hospitals and a private practice in the Yukon! Since then, Kaitlyn has been dedicated to working with children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other speech, language and communication challenges. Other areas of interest include Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), fluency, phonological awareness, narrative language, literacy, social communication and motor speech disorders. Kaitlyn is building her hours with supervision to become a Registered Autism Service Provider in BC and plans to complete PROMPT training as well as Hanen - More than Words within the year. Person-centered care is a fundamental part of Kaitlyn’s work. Every client is different and requires personalized, and individualized care to ensure that their needs and concerns are met. Kaitlyn enjoys working as part of a team of professionals at Grow and Steps BC to be able to provide holistic and comprehensive care for children and their families.
Laura Dand, M.Sc., RSLP
Laura graduated from the UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences with a Masters Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and is a member of the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC and Speech and Audiology Canada. She has worked with students, school teams, and families in the public school system and joined the Grow team in 2022. Laura has experience supporting students with complex communication needs including Autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and students who use AAC (Augmentative Alternative Communication). Some of Laura’s areas of interests include speech sound and phonological disorders, motor speech disorders, language development, social communication, fluency, and voice. Laura has attended training in the Social Thinking Methodology by Michelle Garcia Winner, Executive Functioning Practice by Sara Ward, and PROMPT Therapy for children with motor speech disorders. Laura believes in providing a safe, caring, and empowering environment where children feel motivated to develop new skills. Laura has worked as a musical theatre performer and director for youth and brings her love and experience with drama and voice to her speech therapy practice. Laura feels honoured to work alongside families and her colleagues at Grow, and help facilitate meaningful change for the children she works with.
Ashtyn DeBoice, M.Sc., RSLP
Ashtyn graduated from the UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences with a Masters Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and is a member of the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC and Speech and Audiology Canada. Ashtyn has 6 years of experience supporting children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and other speech, language and communication challenges. Her areas of interests also include speech sound and articulation disorders, motor speech disorders, fluency, and social communication and pragmatic language. She has completed her Hanen - More Than Words certification and is working on building her hours with supervision to become a Registered Autism Service Provider in BC. She also intends on completing her PROMPT training within the year. Ashtyn’s philosophy is the 3 P’s: Play, Patience, and Persistence. Learning is best done when the environment feels safe, the activities are engaging, and of course, when the sessions are fun! Ashtyn is immensely grateful for the opportunity to learn from the wonderful team at Grow, and provide meaningful care for our Grow children and families.
Alison Quiring, M.Sc., RSLP
Alison graduated from the UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences with a Masters Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and is a member of the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC and Speech and Audiology Canada. She is passionate about helping individuals connect with their family, friends, and communities while advocating for accessibility in all areas of life. Alison values evidence-based approaches, cultural safety, and neurodiversity affirming practices. She has experience working with children and teens with autism and believes strongly in a family-centered, play-based, and strengths-based approach. She She also has experience working with children who have phonology, motor speech, language, and articulation disorders. Alison was a leader with UBC’s Camp Connect, where she learned about and communicated with children through Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC). This has become an area of interest for her, as she has seen how impactful having access to a robust communication system can be for children with a wide variety of diagnoses, delays, and disorders. Alison has experience working with children and families from a wide variety of cultural and language backgrounds. Prior to beginning her master’s degree, she spent a year working in a children’s home in Zimbabwe, Africa and had the opportunity to complete her final clinical placement in the Aboriginal Headstart Preschool Programs in East Vancouver. In her free time, Alison enjoys reading, riding her bike, visiting the beach, trying new restaurants, and learning guitar!
Olivia Ellard, MSC., RSLP
Olivia completed her Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences and is a member of the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC and Speech and Audiology Canada. Olivia has experience working with children and adolescents with a range of communication needs, including in the areas of fluency, motor speech, articulation, language, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), executive functioning, and social-pragmatic skills. Olivia is certified in the Hanen Centre’s Program: It Takes Two To Talk®. Olivia is motivated by her client’s earnest desire to communicate. She is passionate about helping her clients reach their potential and achieve their communication goals though therapy that is individualized, fun, and functional. Previously, Olivia was a Research Assistant at the UBC Language Development Centre, and with the Children’s Speech Development Project, examining infant language acquisition and child language development. In her free time, Olivia enjoys staying active, and can often be found swimming or playing tennis. She is also an avid foodie and loves trying new restaurants. Olivia enjoys being part of the Grow Team and providing a family-centered model of care to the clients and families she supports.
Andrew Martin, MSC., rslp
Andrew completed his Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences. He is a member of the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC and Speech and Audiology Canada. Andrew has supported individuals with a range of communication needs in the areas of language, articulation and phonology, stuttering, users of Alternative and Augmentative Communication, voice and social-cognitive disorders. He has extensive experience working with Autistic and neurodivergent children and youth. His experience in the daycare and school systems has made him a passionate advocate for ensuring every student feels like they belong. Prior to becoming an SLP, Andrew has been bringing his patience and enthusiasm to a variety of fun, high-energy settings: from kayak tours, to piano lessons, to summer camps. His love of books, stories, and art is always evident in his sessions. He values an approach that is family-centered, neurodiversity-affirming; welcoming of all diversity, and rooted in evidence-based practice. Andrew is honoured to be a part of the Grow team, and to help foster meaningful, long-lasting change for the families he works with.
Roos Schut, M.sc., CCC-SLP
Roos received her undergraduate degree from Queen's University in Linguistics and Psychology and her Communicative Disorders Assistant (CDA) Graduate Certificate from Georgian College in Ontario. She went on to pursue her Master’s of Science in Speech Language Pathology (SLP) from Minot State University in North Dakota. Roos has worked and lived in Ontario, Alberta, North Dakota, and now back home in Vancouver. She has experience working in preschool, elementary school, and private clinic settings. Her work has included assessment, intervention, teacher/parent coaching, and consultation. Her interests are always growing because she loves to learn! Some include speech sound disorders, motor speech disorders, AAC, and language development. Roos has experience working in a variety of areas including articulation and phonology, apraxia of speech, receptive and expressive language, AAC, and social-pragmatic language skills. She has worked with different populations including ADHD, autism, Down Syndrome, and learning disabilities. She is passionate about providing individuals with support to help develop their communication and self-advocacy skills. Roos grew up on Bowen Island and enjoys spending time outdoors at the beach, traveling, hiking the mountains, singing, and biking through the city!
Fiona Humbert-Droz, M.SC., RSLP
Fiona graduated with a Masters in Science of Speech-Language Pathology from University of British Columbia. She is a member of the College of Speech and Hearing Professions of BC and Speech and Audiology Canada. Fiona began developing her passions and skills in the field in 2012 when she started working with Autistic children, youth and their families. Prior to obtaining her degree in Speech-Language Pathology, Fiona spent 6 years working in Toronto as a child-youth worker and providing services as a communicative disorders assistant (CDA) at community programs, homes, clinics, and schools. Her areas of interest include evidence-based practices in supporting Gestalt Language Learners, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) users, and children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and motor speech disorders. Fiona is working towards building hours of supervision to become a registered Autism Service Provider in B.C. This year, she attended the Neurodiversity-Affirming practices workshop with Autistic SLP Rachel Dorsey and is currently completing the Meaningful Speech course for training in natural language acquisition.
Fiona is committed to ongoing learning about neurodiversity affirming practices, honouring all communication styles, and maintaining a strength interest-based approach. She is passionate about working with culturally and linguistically diverse families. As a child, she spent years living between various countries in Asian and Europe and recognizes how integrated cultural and communication values are. She prioritizes a family and client-centered approach and views relationships and trust as the foundation of treatment success. Fiona is thrilled to be a member of the Grow team and to provide care and support for our wonderful families! In her free time, she enjoys pitch and putt, trying new cafes to satisfy her love of coffee and going on walks with her dog, Goose.
Fiona is committed to ongoing learning about neurodiversity affirming practices, honouring all communication styles, and maintaining a strength interest-based approach. She is passionate about working with culturally and linguistically diverse families. As a child, she spent years living between various countries in Asian and Europe and recognizes how integrated cultural and communication values are. She prioritizes a family and client-centered approach and views relationships and trust as the foundation of treatment success. Fiona is thrilled to be a member of the Grow team and to provide care and support for our wonderful families! In her free time, she enjoys pitch and putt, trying new cafes to satisfy her love of coffee and going on walks with her dog, Goose.
Samantha Gryz, SLPA
Samantha is a Speech Language Pathology Assistant at Grow. Samantha received her Certificate in Linguistics of Speech Science from Simon Fraser University, and is working on a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma focused on learning disabilities and language acquisition. Samantha is hoping to continue along the path to becoming an SLP. Samantha has worked with children in many capacities for the past 10 years, supporting and learning alongside neurodiverse populations. Samantha has focused on inclusion, social-emotional learning, and communication. She has experience working with Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) and non-speaking learners, and has worked as an Education Assistant for the Vancouver School Board for the past 4 years. Samantha volunteers for a weekly conversation group for adults with aphasia, and is a Research Assistant in the Language and Brain Lab at Simon Fraser University. Samantha volunteered and helped to run Grow's Social and Music groups in the Summer of 2021 and impressed the Grow team and families with her professionalism and clinical skills. Samantha is excited to part of the team at Grow and to have the opportunity to get to know and support the Grow community of children and families!
LAUREN CIRKO, slpa
Lauren is a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant at Grow. Lauren received her undergraduate degree in Behavioural Neuroscience from the University of British Columbia. Currently, Lauren is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Speech-language-Pathology at the UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences. Lauren has experience working with children and adolescents with a variety of communication needs in the areas of language, phonology, literacy, social-communication, and Alternative and Augmentative Communication. Lauren is passionate about providing family centred care and optimizing her clients communication. In her free time, Lauren enjoys baking, reading and listening to live music.
LARA KILBERTUS, M.SC., RSLP
Lara completed her Master's Degree in Speech-Language Pathology at UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, she also holds a Master's in Linguistics from the University of Ottawa. She is a member of the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC and Speech and Audiology Canada.
Lara has experience working in private and public schools, working to support students of all abilities from K-12. She enjoys working with children and their families and has experience in a number of areas including speech sound disorders, AAC, developmental language disorder, social communication, and literacy. Lara is passionate about supporting all her clients in a way that fosters self-determination and meaningful connection to those around them.
Lara has experience working in private and public schools, working to support students of all abilities from K-12. She enjoys working with children and their families and has experience in a number of areas including speech sound disorders, AAC, developmental language disorder, social communication, and literacy. Lara is passionate about supporting all her clients in a way that fosters self-determination and meaningful connection to those around them.
Krista Salanki, M.SC., RSLP
Krista holds a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from UBC and Undergraduate Degrees in Cognitive Science of Language and Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour from McMaster University. She is a member of the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC and Speech and Audiology Canada.
In her sessions, Krista combines a neurodiversity-affirming approach with evidence-based practice. Her focus is to tailor services to meet the unique needs of clients and their families, while fostering a fun and creative learning environment. She has worked with clients of all ages in diverse settings, including private clinics, daycares, schools, rehabilitation centres, and hospitals.
Krista's clinical interests include gestalt language processing, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), developmental language disorders (DLD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and communication challenges associated with acquired brain injuries. She also has a keen interest in articulation, motor speech, phonological disorders, executive functioning, and social communication. Krista’s past research has focused on studying the interaction between traumatic brain injury and social communication within the Centre for Advanced Research in Experimental and Applied Linguistics (ARiEAL) at McMaster University.
Committed to ongoing learning and development, Krista continuously enhances her skills through continuing education, active engagement with clients and their families, and gaining clinical mentorship. In her free time, Krista enjoys creating music, caring for her houseplants, and exploring the great outdoors through activities like hiking and skiing.
In her sessions, Krista combines a neurodiversity-affirming approach with evidence-based practice. Her focus is to tailor services to meet the unique needs of clients and their families, while fostering a fun and creative learning environment. She has worked with clients of all ages in diverse settings, including private clinics, daycares, schools, rehabilitation centres, and hospitals.
Krista's clinical interests include gestalt language processing, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), developmental language disorders (DLD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and communication challenges associated with acquired brain injuries. She also has a keen interest in articulation, motor speech, phonological disorders, executive functioning, and social communication. Krista’s past research has focused on studying the interaction between traumatic brain injury and social communication within the Centre for Advanced Research in Experimental and Applied Linguistics (ARiEAL) at McMaster University.
Committed to ongoing learning and development, Krista continuously enhances her skills through continuing education, active engagement with clients and their families, and gaining clinical mentorship. In her free time, Krista enjoys creating music, caring for her houseplants, and exploring the great outdoors through activities like hiking and skiing.
Maelle Le Rudulier, slpa
Maelle holds a linguistics degree and TESL certificate from SFU. Prior to starting her SLP masters at UBC, she worked as a tutor, education remediation clinician, camp manager, and theatre teacher (not all at the same time though!). Maelle has worked extensively with kids with autism and is interested in childhood apraxia of speech, stuttering, and developmental language disorder. On her days off, she loves to read, go on long walks, and listen to podcasts.
JESSICA MCCLUNG, OFFICE MANAGER