WHO WE ARE?
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Meet Morgan Ponder
Owner, Founder, Director of Operations
Born and raised in Jefferson County, Morgan is owner, founder and Director of Operations. A hometown girl born and raised in Jefferson County, Morgan deeply understands the needs of her community and neighboring towns. She prepared the Freedom of Speech Therapy clinic to bring care, professionalism, and help to the community. Morgan will be your expert guide in navigating insurance, therapy services, and more. Ask for her by name!
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A word from Morgan:
Hello, everyone! My name is Morgan Ponder. I am the Co-Owner and Co-Founder of Freedom of Speech Therapy. I was born and raised in DeSoto, and now living in Festus. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to create a one of a kind therapy clinic with my talented friend, Anna.
Anna and I created Freedom of Speech Therapy to be a home away from home for adults, children, parents, and therapist. We decided that if we worked hard enough and dreamed really big we could make this place an exceptionally unique and remarkable place for families and therapists alike. Opening this clinic with Anna has been the best decision I have ever made. We are all about empowerment and Expert Patient Care bundled into one. Our office is full of laughter and growth in every aspect. I take pride in watching our patients and staff members grow. I love that I get to be a small piece of the puzzle in our wonderful patients lives setting them on their journey to independence and happiness.
Meet Anna Frank
Founder, Owner, Speech Language Pathologist
Two words describe Anna as a therapist: “passionate and compassionate.” Her treatment approach is patient centered and individualized to the families needs and the clients abilities. She involves parents and caregivers in the therapy process. Her job is not only to provide direct therapy but also to train those closest to the client for optimal progress.
Anna is a native of Brooklyn, NY and has been practicing for over a decade. She graduated from The City University of New York, Brooklyn College in 2010. Since then, Anna has evaluated and treated a diverse population including adults and children in a variety of settings including early intervention, home health, public school, outpatient clinics, Telehealth, and skilled nursing facility. Working with such a diverse population has taught her to be culturally sensitive and carefully consider cultural variations as part of the therapy process. These are important considerations when planning treatment for the client and family.
Anna offers families the unique perspective of seeing children with speech and language impairments across all ages and a good understanding of how these challenges impact the children socially, emotionally, and academically.
Being in so many homes over the years, Anna has been privy to seeing some heart wrenching and difficult moments and she offers a good understanding of how challenging dealing with an impairment can be on the client and family. Anna makes counseling part of her treatment and she never forgets the emotional effort it takes being on this journey.
This practice was started with a genuine desire to give help and hope for all families seeking information, understanding, and intervention.
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Kelsey
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Kelsey has recently joined our team as a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant (SLPA). She has her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Maryville University and is currently working to obtain her Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology from Fontbonne University. Kelsey has a passion for the pediatric population. She has experience in early speech/language development and speech sound disorders. Kelsey aspires to learn new things everyday and is so excited to continue both her personal and professional growth here at Freedom of Speech. She can’t wait to meet her new clients and looks forward to getting to know everyone!
Haley, M.S. CCC-SLP
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Haley grew up in Fenton and attended rural Jefferson County school district. After graduating in 2018 from Truman State University with her master’s in communication disorders, Haley returned to her high school and began providing services for young adults.
Haley is very excited to be a part of the Freedom of Speech team and practicing with their mutual service ideals. She has experience working with clients of all ages and from all walks of life. In her practice, she is dedicated to individualized instruction and focuses on functional communication to support her client’s life goals.
Haley is currently working at a local school district that our clinic has contracted with for the 2022-2023 school year. Haley was our first clinical employee and will forever hold a special place in our heart.
Alexandria M.S. CCC-SLP
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​Alexandria "Alex" joined our team as a Speech Language Pathologist in August of 2022. She has her bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and her Masters of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Missouri State University.
During her career as an SLP she has had the opportunity to work with children pre-school age through young adult in a variety of settings including Special School District, Action for Autism Academy, and Missouri School for the Blind. Alex has a passion for the pediatric population. She has experience in a variety of disorders and diagnoses, including Autism, Speech and Language Delay, Down Syndrome, and more.
When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son as well as being involved with her church. Alex aspires to learn new things every day and is grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow at Freedom of Speech Therapy.
Allison
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Allison recently joined our team as a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant (SLPA). She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Fontbonne University in 2021, and she is expected to earn her Master’s of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Fontbonne University in the spring of 2023. Allison’s passions include both the pediatric and adult populations.
She has experience in early childhood speech and language intervention, speech sound disorders, and aphasia intervention. Allison is dedicated to providing the best possible care for her clients and their families at Freedom of Speech Therapy. She is eager to begin working with her new clients!
