a spring transition

Spring is a time of change and growth for many things. And this year, GrowSLP is no exception. I am very sad to say that I will be giving up ownership of Grow as of April 1. This is an amicable departure, as I am planning to move with my family out of Canada, too far away to be able to continue running things here.

The exciting news is that I have found two wonderful Speech Pathologists to be the new co-owners of Grow Speech and Language Therapy, and I am beyond happy to introduce them to you all! I am so confident that they will be a wonderful fit for the company and our philosophy, and they are bringing with them a collective 35 years experience in the field. This will really be a wonderful and positive change for Grow and all of the fantastic clients we serve.

​Please read on to hear more about each of the new owners!

Carla Monteleone M.Sc., 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 in 2005. Since then, 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 and RESTART Demands and Capacities. Carla is continuing to expand her knowledge in the area of oromyfunctional disorders. 
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Carla is excited to be partnering with her long time friend, Deborah Carter, and to continue working with the STEPS 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 in 2004. 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, 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, 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-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!

I look forward to continuing to work with you all until April, and to continuing to support everyone during this time of transition. I wish you all a happy spring!

​Amanda