Bethany first came to AASL not as a speech therapist, but as a parent whose son needed OT. She was so impressed with her son’s treatment and their overall experience, she knew she would love to be a part of the AASL team, and here she is! Bethany received her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and her Master of Arts (M.A.) in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Northwestern University.

She is originally from Chicago and previously worked in Early Intervention, in the Chicago suburbs. Her husband is in the Air Force, so they and their two children have moved all over the Midwest, but her dream has always been to live here in Florida!

Bethany’s approach to therapy is fun, functional and family-centered. She strives to find what motivates each individual child while working on practical goals that are important to the child and the family. She is passionate about working with the 0-3 year old population, but enjoys all ages! She has experience evaluating and treating language disorders, articulation and phonology, reading and writing, and social skills, just to name a few. When she’s not providing therapy, Bethany loves to play board games with her kids, go on walks with her dog Oreo, and find new restaurants to try.

More About Bethany…

What is your favorite food?
It’s a tie between Chicago deep dish pizza and a Portillo’s Italian beef sandwich, and for dessert, anything cookies & cream!

What is your favorite holiday and why?
Fourth of July. I love barbecues and fireworks!

What is a cool hobby of yours?
My husband and I have been renovating our house over the last couple of years, so I’ve gotten good at DIY projects and interior design. I like to come up with unique projects so that our house reflects our family’s personality.

Favorite Halloween costume you wore as a child?
I was the Pink Power Ranger, my brothers were the Red and Blue Rangers, and my sister was the Yellow Ranger. Fifteen years later I introduced my kids to the Power Rangers, and they dressed up as the Pink and Red Rangers for Halloween too!

What did you want to be “when you grow up”?
I always wanted to be a dolphin trainer or a teacher.

Why did you become a therapist?
Originally I was a business major in college, and through a crazy set of circumstances I became aware of the field of speech therapy (which I really had never heard of before) and the more I heard and learned about it, the more I wanted to explore it. I took an Intro to Speech Science class and was hooked. I switched my major and haven’t regretted it for a minute! I love helping kids and their families reach their goals.

Give me one surprising/cool fact about you?
I have a street named after me. My dad used to build houses before retiring, and he named a street Bethany Lane. When I was a kid, my dream was to live in a house on that street, but I’ll take Florida’s winters over Chicago’s any day!

What pets do you have and what are their names?
I have a 2 year old black and white poodle named Oreo!

What is your favorite movie and why?
I love The Lego Movie! We have thousands and thousands of Legos at my house.

Favorite song?
Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel

Favorite book?
I don’t really have a favorite, just anything with a mystery I can try to solve! When I was younger, I loved The Babysitters Club books.