Making Connections LLC

04/23/2026

Summer doesn’t have to mean lost progress ☀️

Did you know your child can continue working on their speech, language, and reading goals over the summer—without needing a new evaluation?

If your child already has an active IEP, services can often continue based on their current goals. This helps:
✔️ Prevent regression
✔️ Maintain momentum
✔️ Build confidence heading into the new school year

Long breaks can lead to skill loss, especially in areas like articulation, language development, and literacy. Consistent support—even just a few sessions a month—can make a big difference.

Summer is also a great time for:
🌿 More individualized attention
📚 Functional, play-based learning
🧠 Strengthening foundational skills without school-day fatigue

If you’re interested in summer support, reach out to us at 573-206-9050 to learn how to continue services using your child’s current IEP.

Let’s keep the progress going 💬

04/16/2026

What is phonological awareness… and why does it matter so much for learning to read? 📚🧠

Phonological awareness is a child’s ability to hear, recognize, and play with sounds in words—like rhyming, identifying beginning sounds, and breaking words into parts.

👉 It’s one of the strongest predictors of future reading success.

Before children can read or spell, they need to understand that:
🔤 Words are made up of sounds
🔍 Sounds can be broken apart and blended together
✏️ Letters represent those sounds

When these skills are weak, reading can feel frustrating and confusing. But when they’re strong, reading becomes easier, faster, and more enjoyable.

That’s why we created our Early Literacy & Phonological Awareness Mini Bootcamp 💡

Led by Lauren Burkhardt, SLP, this program gives children the structured, repeated practice they need to build these critical pre-reading skills in a fun, supportive way.

🗓️ 60-minute sessions, twice weekly
📍 Mondays & Thursdays starting in June
👥 Individual or small group options available

Early support can make a lasting difference in your child’s confidence and success with reading 💛

📩 Message us to learn more or reserve your spot!

04/11/2026

🌬️ World Breathing Day 🌬️

Breathing is something we do automatically—but how we breathe matters more than most people realize.

On this World Breathing Day, I’m raising awareness about the impact of proper breathing on sleep, focus, oral development, and overall health—for both children and adults.

I’m trained in the Buteyko Breathing Method, an evidence-based approach that helps retrain dysfunctional breathing patterns such as:
✨ Mouth breathing
✨ Overbreathing
✨ Poor breath control
✨ Sleep-disordered breathing patterns

Through individualized therapy, I support both children and adults in developing healthier, more efficient breathing patterns that can positively impact:
✔️ Sleep quality
✔️ Attention and regulation
✔️ Orofacial development
✔️ Feeding and swallowing
✔️ Overall wellness

If you or your child struggle with mouth breathing, snoring, restless sleep, or related concerns, breathing retraining may be an important missing piece.

📩 Reach out to learn more about how breathing therapy can help!

SpeechTherapy PediatricSLP AdultTherapy Holistic

04/09/2026

✨ A Lingual Frenectomy is NOT the Whole Journey ✨

If your baby has a tongue tie, you may have heard that a lingual frenectomy can help with feeding—and it can! But what many families don’t realize is that the procedure is just one step in the process, not the complete solution.

🍼 Before the procedure:
Therapy helps prepare your baby’s oral muscles and improves coordination for feeding.

🍼 After the procedure:
Your baby’s tongue has a new range of motion—but they still need to learn how to use it for effective latching, sucking, and swallowing.

Without this support, babies may continue to struggle with feeding even after release.

💛 That’s where we come in.
We provide a whole-body, functional approach by combining:
✔️ Feeding Therapy
✔️ Craniosacral Therapy (CST)

This integrated support helps your baby:
✨ Improve latch
✨ Develop stronger, more coordinated sucking patterns
✨ Feed more comfortably and efficiently

Because true success isn’t just the release—it’s helping your baby learn to use their tongue effectively.

📩 Reach out if you’re considering a frenectomy or need support before or after the procedure—we’re here to help every step of the way. 573-206-9050.

04/02/2026

📚✨Early Literacy & Phonological Awareness Mini Bootcamp✨

We’re excited to introduce our Early Literacy & Phonological Awareness Mini Bootcamp, led by Lauren, a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in early reading development for preschool and early elementary children.

This bootcamp is designed to strengthen the foundational skills needed for reading success—helping children learn to hear, identify, and work with sounds in words while building language and pre-reading skills that make reading and spelling easier.

💡 What to expect:
• Engaging, play-based, and developmentally appropriate sessions
• Personalized support tailored to your child’s needs
• Collaboration with families and educators to support strong outcomes

🗓️ Session Details:
• 30-minute sessions
• Held twice weekly (Mondays & Thursdays)
• Starting in June
• Additional July session may open based on interest

Give your child the tools they need to become a confident, successful reader! 📖💬

📩 Message us to learn more or reserve your spot!

03/19/2026

Spring Break looks a little different over here this year 💼💕

I’ve got a very special “assistant” joining me at the office today — my daughter Ella! She’s trading in her school desk for mine and getting a behind-the-scenes look at what mom does all day 🗂️✨

From helping me stay organized to meeting some of the amazing families I get to work with, she’s already making herself pretty useful (and way more fun to have around 😄).

There’s something extra special about sharing this part of my world with her ❤️

03/17/2026

Feeling extra lucky this St. Patrick’s Day 🍀

Not because of four-leaf clovers or pots of gold—but because of the incredible families and clients we get to serve every single day.

Watching your children grow, communicate, sleep better, eat with confidence, and thrive is the real treasure. 💚

Thank you for trusting us to be part of your journey. We truly hit the jackpot with you all.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🌈✨

03/13/2026

Hypermobility isn’t just about flexible joints — it can also impact the airway, breathing, and oral function.

Conditions associated with joint hypermobility such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Marfan syndrome affect the body’s connective tissue — including the structures that support the jaw, palate, tongue, and airway.

When connective tissue is more lax, we may see:
• High or narrow palates
• Mouth breathing
• Tongue instability at rest
• Forward head posture
• Increased airway collapsibility during sleep
• Higher risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

These patterns can influence:
🗣 Speech sound development
🥣 Feeding and chewing efficiency
😮‍💨 Breathing patterns
👄 Oral rest posture
😴 Sleep quality

This is why a whole-body perspective matters. Posture, airway, breathing, and oral function are deeply connected.

For many individuals with hypermobility, addressing breathing patterns, oral rest posture, and functional stability of the orofacial muscles can make a meaningful difference.

Speech-language pathologists trained in orofacial myofunctional therapy often collaborate with orthodontists, ENTs, and other providers to support airway health and function.

Because sometimes what looks like “just speech” is actually an airway story. ✨

03/11/2026

So excited for Dr. Lacey Mays and her new practice. She offers chiropractic care, functional nutrition support, and primitive reflex integration in mid-Mo!

03/08/2026

Here’s to strong women, empowered voices, and helping the next generation speak up with confidence.

Happy International Women’s Day! 🌸

03/05/2026

📚 Now Hiring: School-Based SLP Contractor

📍 Jefferson City, Missouri & Surrounding Areas

I am seeking a passionate Speech-Language Pathologist (CCC-SLP or CF) to join my private practice as an independent contractor providing school-based services in and around Jefferson City, MO.

This position is ideal for an SLP who:

✔️ Values flexibility and autonomy
✔️ Wants clinical respect and collaborative leadership
✔️ Is confident with IEPs & school documentation (or eager to grow in this area)
✔️ Enjoys working with pediatric populations
✔️ Is looking for a supportive, clinician-led environment

✨ CF Supervision Available
I am able to provide ASHA-approved supervision for Clinical Fellows who are looking for strong mentorship within a flexible contracting model.

What I Offer:
• Flexible scheduling
• Competitive contract rate
• Support from an experienced pediatric SLP & private practice owner
• Professional collaboration when you want it — independence when you don’t
• Opportunity to expand into specialty areas (feeding, orofacial myofunctional therapy, airway-focused care) if desired

Whether you're an experienced school SLP ready for more autonomy or a CF seeking quality supervision, I’d love to connect.

📩 Message me directly or email info@makingconnectionsjcmo.com to learn more.

Please share with an SLP friend who may be interested!

02/27/2026

I’m so excited to collaborate with Busy Bins Co. to bring simple, parent-friendly communication guides right into your home through their Subscription Club boxes!

As a Speech-Language Pathologist, one of my biggest goals is helping families feel confident supporting their child’s communication during everyday routines — especially through play.

Together, we created guides that show you how to:
✨ build language during sensory play
✨ support communication naturally at home
✨ turn playtime into meaningful connection moments

Because communication doesn’t just happen in the therapy room — it happens on the living room floor, at the kitchen table and during play.

This is play with purpose 💜

This collaboration is so close to my heart! 💜

I’m beyond excited to partner with Heather from Making Connections LLC, a licensed Speech Language Pathologist, to bring communication guides to every Busy Bins Co. Subscription Club box.

As an autism mama, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful communication support and speech therapy can be — not just for language growth, but for connection, confidence and play. That’s why this project feels extra meaningful.

Together, we created simple, parent-friendly guides that help you:
✨ build language through sensory play
✨ feel confident supporting communication at home
✨ turn everyday play into intentional connection moments

I truly cannot wait for families to experience these. This is play with purpose — and a collaboration rooted in passion, expertise and heart. 💜