About The Chatter Box

The Chatter Box provides speech, occupational and physical therapy, as well as developmental intervention, preschool, and tutoring services to children in Oldham County and the surrounding areas.

We provide educational services to young children, beginning at age 2. Groups will be small and led by a certified teacher specializing in early intervention. We also have preschool for 3 to 5 year olds that need a smaller group setting to meet their identified needs. Children without disabilities are also a vital part of our programs as they provide peer models for children in need of developing social and communication skills.

The Chatter Box will support the needs of children and families in Oldham and surrounding counties by providing resources across all areas of development, as well as family outreach activities, support groups and training opportunities for parents and other professionals. We love serving our children, our families, and our community.

It is also our goal to provide educational services to young children, beginning at the age of two. Groups will be small and led by a certified teacher specializing in early intervention and/or a speech language pathologist. As the demand and our resources grow we hope to add programs for three and four year olds that need smaller group settings to meet their identified needs. Children without disabilities will also be a vital part of this program as they provide peer models for children in need of developing social and communication skills.

The Chatter Box will support the needs of children and families in Oldham and surrounding counties by providing resources across all areas of development, as well as family outreach activities, support groups and training opportunities for parents and other professionals. We look forward to be becoming a fixture in the community.

Mission Statement:

To provide quality diagnostic, therapeutic and early education services to children with and without disabilities and their families within a natural learning environment.

MEET OUR STAFF

Administrative Team

Julie Murray

M.S., CCC-SLP, Executive Director

Julie Murray

M.S., CCC-SLP, Executive Director

Julie W. Murray is a Speech Language Pathologist and Executive Director of The Chatter Box. The Chatter Box was created due to her experiences with her special needs son Jacob. Julie has experienced therapy services as a professional and a parent. She is passionate about having therapists that can teach families and encourage them in the therapeutic process. Julie began her career in the Jefferson County Public Schools in 1998. She made the transition to First Steps in 2004 as a Speech Pathologist and a Primary Level Evaluator. In 2007, The Chatter Box opened its doors to provide First Steps services, playgroup and private based therapy. Julie continues to do primary level evaluations with the First Steps program. She specializes in feeding disorders and Dyslexia. Julie has experience with tongue and lip ties, food chaining, mealtime management, feeding groups and behavioral approaches to feeding. She is passionate about Dyslexia and helping students learn to read and write. She uses an Orton-Gillingham approach in treatment and has been trained as a dyslexia specialist. Julie has four children and loves to play golf with her family.

Mallory Filer

DI, M.A. of Ed - Preschool Teacher

Mallory Filer

DI, M.A. of Ed - Preschool Teacher

Mallory has been working with the Chatter Box and First Steps since 2008. She loves working with children with many types of delays/diagnosis's, and her specialty runs with play, behavior, and social concerns. She also teaches playgroup and preschool at The Chatter Box and tutors children with dyslexia.  

Kristie Lindemier

M.S., CCC-SLP, Director of Therapeutic Services

Kristie Lindemier

M.S., CCC-SLP, Director of Therapeutic Services

Kristie has been in the field of speech pathology for nearly twenty years, all in the pediatric arena.  She has been with the Chatter Box since its opening in 2007.  Kristie has experience working with children with a wide variety of communication needs, including developmental delay, motor planning concerns, hearing loss, speech intelligibility, and higher level language/executive function concerns.  She uses strategies such as sign language, the Kaufman Praxis series, oral motor techniques, visual cues and prompts, and speech sound production cues to increase children’s communication skills.  Kristie enjoys working with families and educational teams to develop appropriate programming in all of the child’s natural environments.  She is also a Primary Level Evaluator for the First Steps program, helping to determine when and if children needs services in the early years of birth to three.

Sandra Emberton

Office Manager

Sandra Emberton

Office Manager

Speech Therapy Team

Katie West

M.S. CCC-SLP

Katie West

M.S. CCC-SLP

Katie is a speech language pathologist with 17 years of experience in Kentucky public schools.She received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Kentucky, in2003 and 2005. Areas of expertise include: articulation disorders, general receptive/expressivelanguage disorders, pragmatic language disorders, Autism, Down Syndrome, functional mentaldisability, and developmental delay. She has worked with both low and high tech augmentativecommunication systems.Katie lives in Crestwood with her husband and two children. She spends most of her free timewatching her kids play baseball, football, and softball.

Ann Wilson Phalen

M.S. CCC-SLP

Ann Wilson Phalen

M.S. CCC-SLP

Ann Wilson has a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Kentucky. She attended Marshall University where she completed her Masters of Arts in Speech Language Pathology.  She holds her national certification from American Speech Language Hearing Association as well as a license to practice Speech Language Pathology in the state of Kentucky
During her professional career She has had the opportunity to work with children (infancy through five years of age) with a variety of disorders including but not limited to: developmental delays, down syndrome, hearing impairments, cochlear implants, autism, apraxia, articulation and phonological disorders.  She has worked in schools, daycares and children's homes.
Ann Wilson has a special interest in early intervention where she learned the importance of teaching in the child's natural environment and building relationships with parents, siblings and caregivers. She believes in a family
centered approach to therapy where  therapy can fun and embedded into every day routines.
She has intermediate signing skills ( SEE) and has completed training in evaluation and treatment for children with dyslexia. She lives in her hometown of Shelbyville, Kentucky with her husband and three children. She enjoys working in her community where she grew up.

Beth Schickel

M.A., CCC-SLP

Beth Schickel

M.A., CCC-SLP

Beth has over 25 years of experience as a Speech-Language Pathologist in a variety of settings, including inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient clinics, long-term care, home health, early intervention and private practice.  During this time she has enjoyed serving both adults and children with a range of diagnoses.

Beth currently works full-time for The Chatter Box primarily with preschool and school-aged children.  In addition to articulation and language, she has received additional training to become a Dyslexia Specialist.

Beth graduated from St. Louis University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders and a Master of Arts in Speech Pathology. She lives in the Louisville area and is the mother of two daughters.

Mary Love Peters

M.S., CCC-SLP

Mary Love Peters

M.S., CCC-SLP

Mary has over 15 years of experience as a pediatric speech-language pathologist in a variety of settings, including early intervention, private practice, outpatient clinics, and pediatric long-term care. During this time she has enjoyed serving children with a range of diagnoses, such as speech/language delay, hearing loss, cerebral palsy traumatic brain injury, feeding difficulty, multiple disabilities, and medically fragile. Mary especially enjoys partnering with families to improve their children’s communication skills; she has concentrated her continuing education efforts in the areas of feeding, auditory training, tracheostomy speaking valves, augmentative & alternative communication, and advocacy in the IEP process.

Mary graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Science in Child Development/Linguistics and Master of Science in Hearing and Speech Sciences. She lives in the Louisville area with her husband and three daughters.

Danielle Krinsky

M.S., CCC-SLP

Danielle Krinsky

M.S., CCC-SLP

Danielle Krinsky is a Speech-Language Pathologist who graduated from the University of South Florida in 2011. She recently moved to Louisville, KY from Ft. Lauderdale with her family. She has experience working in a public school, private practice and outpatient clinics. Danielle specializes in working with children with developmental delays, apraxia of speech and learning disabilities.

Uno Fineman

Therapy Dog

Uno Fineman

Therapy Dog

Uno Fineman is a dalmatian owned by Lauren Fineman, Speech-Language Pathologist. Uno is a therapy dog at The Chatter Box who loves to spend time with children and adults. He enjoys being petted, doing tricks and sleeping. Uro loves going to work with his mom and spending time with the children.

Macreena Groody

MS, CF-SLP

Macreena Groody

MS, CF-SLP

Macreena graduated from the University of Louisville in 2022 with her Masters of Science in Communicative Disorders-Speech Language Pathology. She completed her first clinical rotation at the Chatterbox in 2021 and is excited to be back! Macreena has had the opportunity to work with children and their families in a variety of settings including the public school system, pediatric outpatient, and pediatric private practice. She has clinical experience treating children with fluency disorders, articulation disorders, developmental delays and receptive/expressive language disorders. Macreena is passionate about working with children and their families to provide tools and strategies to foster the most functional forms of communication. In her spare time Macreena enjoys church events, hiking, movies and spending time with friends, family and her dog and cat.

Ashley Hasemann

M.S., CF-SLP

Ashley Hasemann

M.S., CF-SLP

Ashley graduated from the University of Louisville in 2022 with her Master of Science in Communicative Disorders-Speech Language Pathology. She has had the opportunity to work with the pediatric population through an outpatient clinic that specializes in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and with school aged children at private school that specializes in learning differences. Ashley is passionate about working with the pediatric population and their families to help foster growth in their child's communicative abilities. In her spare time, Ashley enjoys going for walks, baking, and spending time with her husband and dog.

Bri Tingle

M.S., CCC-SLP

Bri Tingle

M.S., CCC-SLP

Bri graduated from Samford University in April, 2021 with her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. Bri has had the opportunity to work with children and their families in a variety of settings, including the public school system, a pediatric outpatient clinic and pediatric private practice. Bri has clinical experience evaluating and treating children with developmental delays,articulation disorders, receptive/expressive language disorders, fluency disorders and social communication disorders. Bri is passionate about working with children and their families to help aid them in their communication goals and abilities. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, and attending sporting events.

Rachel Wilson

M.S., CCC-SLP

Rachel Wilson

M.S., CCC-SLP

Rachel is a Speech-Language Pathologist who graduated from Murray State University. She has experience with preschool and elementary school aged children. Rachel lives in Oldham County with her husband and two daughters. She is excited to be part of The Chatter Box team!

Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy Team

Lori Gentner

P.T.

Lori Gentner

P.T.

Lori is a 1993 graduate of Western Kentucky University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Psychology. She graduated from the University of Louisville Physical Therapy program in 1995 with a Bachelor of Health Science degree. Lori believes physical activity and movement are profoundly connected to our emotional and mental well being. She has experience working with a variety of clients and diagnosis spanning from the pediatric to the geriatric populations. She has spent the last 15 years working with children in the school system helping students, teachers and families maximize student performance and functional mobility. Lori lives in Louisville with her husband and two children.

Melanie McAlister

M.S. OTR/L

Melanie McAlister

M.S. OTR/L

Melanie is a 1999 graduate from Medical College of Georgia with a bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy and a 2006 graduate from Auburn University with a master's degree in Vocational Rehabilitation. She is a certified life coach and adjunct instructor at Spalding University OT program. Melanie is the proud mom to a 17 year old girl and a 9 year old boy. Melanie has extensive experience with pediatrics and developmental disabilities. She is passionate about how movement affects learning. Topics such as sensory processing, auditory processing, balance, reading comprehension, and bilateral integration are a research focus of Melanie's and she has run a camp for children honing these skills. In her spare time, Melanie enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, and spending time with her friends, family, and church family. She has a very spoiled cat named Winston. Melanie is excited to continue partnering with families and children to reach their goals and maximize their talents.

Bridget Carrithers Copy

M.S. OTR/L

Bridget Carrithers Copy

M.S. OTR/L

Bridget is a passionate practitioner who graduated with her Master’s of Occupational Therapy from Spalding University in 2020 and has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Northern Kentucky University. She had the opportunity to complete her fieldwork in the pediatric sector, working alongside knowledgeable First Steps and Outpatient therapists from multiple disciplines. Her past experiences have cultivated her skill set for pediatrics and as a Louisville local, she is thrilled to be serving her community as part of The Chatter Box team.

Sara DeVore

M.S. OTR/L

Sara DeVore

M.S. OTR/L

Sara graduated from Spalding University with her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy in 2016 after having completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Sara has a passion for client-based care and has experience working with pediatric to geriatric populations in a variety of settings. Sara has completed continuing education in multiple areas of discipline including: acquired and traumatic brain injury, autism, ADHD, PTSD, cognition/executive functioning, and visual perceptual skills.

Sara enjoys utilizing occupation to maximize function/independence in areas meaningful and impactful to clients, their families, and caregivers. Sara is excited to begin working with the entire Chatter Box family. Sara is creative and in her spare time, she enjoys crafting, hanging out with family and close friends. Sara loves all things purple!

Bridget Carrithers

M.S. OTR/L

Bridget Carrithers

M.S. OTR/L

Bridget is a passionate practitioner who graduated with her Master’s of Occupational Therapy from Spalding University in 2020 and has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Northern Kentucky University. She had the opportunity to complete her fieldwork in the pediatric sector, working alongside knowledgeable First Steps and Outpatient therapists from multiple disciplines. Her past experiences have cultivated her skill set for pediatrics and as a Louisville local, she is thrilled to be serving her community as part of The Chatter Box team.

Kara Vonderheide

B.S. OTR/L

Kara Vonderheide

B.S. OTR/L

Kara graduated from St. Louis University in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy. With 22 years experience in pediatrics, throughout her career she has worked with children with a wide range of diagnoses and abilities in inpatient rehabilitation, community re-entry, early intervention, school, and outpatient settings. She has certifications in Advanced Therapeutic Listening, Integrated Listening Systems (iLs), Interactive Metronome (IM), and IM Home with additional training in non-traditional practices of hippotherapy and aquatics. Kara has experience in the development, coordination, and execution of innovative multi-disciplinary programs that supplement core therapy services such as camps and intensives focusing on handwriting, social skills, motor coordination/ sensory processing, play skills, infant development, and fitness, among others. She enjoys mentoring student practitioners from accredited programs as well as pre-professional interns and volunteers. Kara is passionate about helping families be intentional about routines and habits that will help children and parents thrive, and has helped families achieve this through direct client service as well as parent/ school presentations, written articles, and co-hosting a podcast about therapy related topics. A Louisville native, Kara lives with her husband and three children and a series of beloved pets. In her spare time she can be found either coaching or cheering on the sidelines of a school sporting event.

Developmental Intervention Team

Mallory Filer

DI, M.A. of Ed - Preschool Teacher

Mallory Filer

DI, M.A. of Ed - Preschool Teacher

Mallory has been working with the Chatter Box and First Steps since 2008. She loves working with children with many types of delays/diagnosis's, and her specialty runs with play, behavior, and social concerns. She also teaches playgroup and preschool at The Chatter Box and tutors children with dyslexia.  

Patsy Woods

M.Ed. DI Developmental Interventionist

Patsy Woods

M.Ed. DI Developmental Interventionist

Patsy Woods, a Louisville native, has been working with children of all ages and abilities for many years. She has a dual certificate in Elementary and Special Education from Eastern KY University as well as a Master’s in Education in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education from the University of Louisville. She worked with the Early Childhood Special Education program in JCPS as a Teacher and Meeting Chairperson for many years before joining the Chatter Box team.

Angela Smith

M.Ed. DI Developmental Interventionist

Angela Smith

M.Ed. DI Developmental Interventionist

Angela Smith, Developmental Interventionist. She is from Murray KY, Angela went to Murray State University and University of Louisville.  She has been with the Chatter Box since 2009, and works with children in-home and in our playgroup.

Preschool Team

Krysten Gregg

Preschool Assistant

Krysten Gregg

Preschool Assistant

My name is Krysten Gregg. My family has lived in Oldham County for 20 years. My husband and I have 4 grown children. The oldest is married and the other 3 still live at home. We also have 2 dogs.

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. I have been involved with children for 29 years as a teacher, assistant director of a preschool, mom and an aide in special needs classrooms. I have also worked in our church nursery for the past 15 years. I am honored to have the opportunity to work with your children.

Mallory Filer

DI, M.A. of Ed - Preschool Teacher

Mallory Filer

DI, M.A. of Ed - Preschool Teacher

Mallory has been working with the Chatter Box and First Steps since 2008. She loves working with children with many types of delays/diagnosis's, and her specialty runs with play, behavior, and social concerns. She also teaches playgroup and preschool at The Chatter Box and tutors children with dyslexia.  

Trish Smith

Preschool Assistant

Trish Smith

Preschool Assistant

Trish has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Kentucky. She is currently attending Spalding University to get a Master’s Degree in School Counseling. She has experience working with children of all ages and loves working with them to help them develop new behavior and social skills. Trish is excited to work at The Chatter Box and help with Playgroup and Preschool.

Kristie Lindemier

M.S., CCC-SLP, Director of Therapeutic Services

Kristie Lindemier

M.S., CCC-SLP, Director of Therapeutic Services

Kristie has been in the field of speech pathology for nearly twenty years, all in the pediatric arena.  She has been with the Chatter Box since its opening in 2007.  Kristie has experience working with children with a wide variety of communication needs, including developmental delay, motor planning concerns, hearing loss, speech intelligibility, and higher level language/executive function concerns.  She uses strategies such as sign language, the Kaufman Praxis series, oral motor techniques, visual cues and prompts, and speech sound production cues to increase children’s communication skills.  Kristie enjoys working with families and educational teams to develop appropriate programming in all of the child’s natural environments.  She is also a Primary Level Evaluator for the First Steps program, helping to determine when and if children needs services in the early years of birth to three.

Interested in joining our team? We're always looking to add to our family of teachers & therapists!