UMMC Speech-Language Pathology

11/09/2025

Congrats to our own Jenna McGee Nassar for sitting in as an invited guest on this well-known podcast and offer her expertise in the pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders space. We are so excited to tune in and learn from you!

10/22/2025

🌟 Meet Abby Ott, one of the new Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Fellows in the Child Health and Developmental Promotion Fellowship!

We are thrilled to welcome Abby Ott at the CAY center! Originally from Jackson and raised in Dallas, Texas, Abby brings a passion for helping children and their families through speech-language therapy. She graduated from Millsaps College with a BA in Psychology and minors in Communication Studies and Spanish. She recently earned her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from The University of Texas at Dallas.

Abby is excited to work with patients of all ages but holds a special place in her heart for the pediatric population. Beyond her clinical work, she loves discovering local coffee spots, enjoying live music, and catching the latest movies.

Join us in giving Abby a warm welcome! We can’t wait to see the impact she’ll make in our community. 💙

10/10/2025

Shout out to these amazing Audiologists that we have the privilege of working alongside! They take such great care of our patients, and we are so thankful for all that they do!

👂🌍 Happy World Audiologist Day! 🎉💙

Today we’re turning up the volume on gratitude for our amazing team of audiologists!

Thank you for your passion, expertise, and commitment to helping the world hear better. We’re so proud of everything you do! 👏🔊

10/07/2025

🗣️ October is AAC Awareness Month! 💬

Let’s shine a light on the power of communication for everyone.

What is AAC?

AAC stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. It refers to all the ways someone can communicate besides talking. This can include:

🧠 Picture boards
📱 Speech-generating devices (SGDs)
✋ Sign language
📝 Writing or typing
😊 Facial expressions and gestures

AAC supports individuals who have difficulty with verbal speech due to conditions like autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, ALS, stroke, and more.

If you believe your loved one could benefit from AAC, our dedicated SLPs are here to help. We work as a team—alongside families, physicians, therapists, and care providers—to find the right communication support for every individual.

10/03/2025

👏 We are so proud of our very own SLP, Amy Walker Dixon, who recently presented at Pediatric Grand Rounds!

Her presentation, “When Feeding Becomes a Struggle: Exploring ARFID and Pediatric Feeding Disorders Together,” shed light on the complexities of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) and feeding challenges in children. 💡🍽️

Thank you, Amy, for sharing your expertise and advocating for the importance of early recognition and intervention in pediatric feeding and swallowing! 💙

09/23/2025

💙🌍 It’s International Neonatal Therapy Week! We’re celebrating the vital role of neonatal therapists helping our tiniest patients thrive.

A special shoutout to our SLPs who just presented at the Mississippi Speech-Language Hearing Association conference—sharing their expertise and passion for this important work! 👶✨

09/20/2025

The past few days at our state conference (MSHA) have been exciting and rewarding! UMMC Division of Speech Pathology has been represented so well!
We are very proud of our own, Jenna Nassar, for receiving the Honors of the Association award. This award is given as recognition of distinguished contributions to speech-language pathology in Mississippi! Anyone who knows Jenna, knows how much she gives to the field of speech pathology!

Congratulations Jenna! Well deserved!

09/19/2025

Congratulations to Emma Grace Olsen on her award of Distinguished Early Career Professional from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association! This award is granted to professionals who have made an impact in the field and their community early in their career.
We are so proud of you, Emma! Well deserved!

09/15/2025

UMMC is proud to be our state’s only academic medical center, and we look forward to having speech pathology graduate students train with us each semester during their clinical practicum!

Speech therapy patient, Harper, is especially happy to have a new friend in grad student Ansley!

09/12/2025

Happy NICU Awareness Month! Our team of Speech-Language Pathologists are helping to enhance language and neurodevelopment by participating in our NICU’s Read-a-thon!

08/20/2025

We are so excited to welcome Alden to our team! She is a former student and is now completing her Clinical Fellowship at the CAY center! Join us in congratulating Alden and give her a warm welcome to the UMMC SLP team!

“Hi! My name is Alden Parsons and I am a CF-SLP, working at the CAY Center as part of the Child Health and Development Promotion Fellowship.
I earned my bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University before completing my master’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Mississippi.
I completed my spring practicuum in adult acute care at UMMC, and I am thrilled to continue serving patients and families at UMMC, focusing on supporting children’s communication development and overall well-being.”

08/14/2025

Happy birthday to Wyatt! 🥳 He is a rockstar in speech and feeding therapy. We love celebrating our patients! 🩵