St Albert Based Speech, Language & Literacy Services
Programs and services for schools & organizations and remote availability for families.
My name is Lisa Kohel and I am the woman behind Totally Talking-Speech, Language, Literacy Services.
I specialize in:
the treatment of pediatric Motor Disorders, including Childhood Apraxia of Speech/Dysarthria,
providing literacy and language intervention to families,
supporting schools in their implementation of research-informed reading intervention practices, and
designing school support and intervention plans for students at-risk or diagnosed with language, learning, and reading difficulties/disorders.
My School-based expertise includes collaborating with teachers and administrators for the purpose of introducing evidence-based and research-informed reading intervention practices, including providing professional development to school staff, implementing screening measures, evaluating student progress using data informed practice, and designing/evaluating school-support and intervention plans for children at-risk or diagnosed with language, learning, and reading difficulties/disorders.
Lisa Kohel
B.Ed., MSLP, R.SLP (C)
Speech Language Pathologist
School Divisions & Organizations
Consultation and direct services to provide speech-language therapy and literacy intervention.
Collaboration with school staff to plan for and implement evidence-based and research-informed reading intervention practices. Professional development opportunities available for teachers and school staff in the areas of speech-language acquisition and literacy skill development
Language and Reading Specialization
The focus of my intervention includes improving spoken language (talking and listening) skills as well as written language (reading, spelling, writing) skills in students from all around Alberta.
Typically parents or schools contact me to design or help implement a support plan for a student with language and reading difficulties.
I have completed Foundations in MSL/Orton-Gillingham training (2020) and continue to complete numerous professional development sessions each month. I most recently completed formal training from the Writing Revolution: Advancing Thinking Through Writing (2021).
To find out what I am learning about, head to my instagram where I often share info about research, courses I am taking, or professional development that might be of interest, on my stories.
Apraxia Kids
Expertise in the Treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech
I completed extensive training as it relates to the treatment and assessment of children with motor speech disorders (suspected or confirmed).
In 2020, A number of Canadian SLPs were strategically selected to complete advanced practice training with leading researchers and instructors in the field. I graduated from the Apraxia Kids Bootcamp Training in 2021 and as a result, I am now recognized by Apraxia Kids for Advanced Training and Expertise in Childhood Apraxia of Speech. It is an honor to be a part of this elite group of SLPs throughout North America.
Learn more about Apraxia Kids here
Prior to training with Apraxia Kids, I was mentored and trained by Dr. Megan Hodge from the University of Alberta. I am trained in: Let’s Start Talking (2015), Let’s Talk More (2020), and Let’s Talk Clearly (2016). These programs are designed for children with severe and persisting speech disorders, including Childhood Apraxia of Speech and Dysarthria.
Involvement in the Local, National, and International Apraxia Community
I currently sit as a board member for Apraxia Kids Canada and volunteer within the community to raise awareness of Childhood Apraxia of Speech.
I am a past presenter at Apraxia Kids National conference (2019, 2020).
You can find my 2020 presentation “Thinking About Literacy: Vocabulary and Spoken Word Knowledge” (in collaboration with Lyndsay Bourdeau, R. SLP) hosted on the Apraxia Kids website.
Language & Reading Study Group
I co-created and co-host The Language and Reading Study Group, which is a group of teachers and SLPs from around Alberta (and beyond) who come together each month (since fall 2020) to discuss pressing literacy-related topics in our province (Alberta, Canada). This group is run in collaboration with my colleague Lyndsay Bourdeay from the Speech Language Literacy Centre
Each month we provide a topic and an assignment and our group comes together to discuss ideas and findings from the research presented. We have hosted a number of influential researchers in the field and continue to feel so grateful to be supported by local reading researchers at the University of Alberta.
If you are an Alberta educator or SLP, the Study group join our private Facebook Group here.
University of Alberta
EDPY 472: Introduction to Language Development (Fall 2022)
This class is designed for pre-service teachers interested in learning about the progression of language development. An introduction to educational considerations in teaching students with communication, speech and language disorders will be provided.
This semester, my hope is for the students enrolled to gain an introductory understanding of oral language development and connections to reading skill development. The terms Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and Dyslexia will be discussed with the overarching question: "could this be language?" when thinking about students across the grade levels.