PHONE 402-484-0326
Speech, Language, Myofunctional, and Feeding TherapyLincoln, NE and surrounding areas
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KELLY VILLAFANE
Speech-Language Pathologist
Certified Orofacial Myologist (COM®)
Owner of Link to Communication
Kelly is a certified member of the American Speech Hearing Association. She holds her Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) through the national American Speech Hearing Association, a nationally recognized professional credential that represents a level of excellence in the field of Speech-Language Pathology. Kelly is a certified member of the International Association of Orofacial Myology, COM®. She is certified to evaluate and treat Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders and is a TOTs (tethered oral tissue) trained professional. She loves taking a collaborative approach to treatment with other professionals in and around the Lincoln area. She enjoys educating other professionals and speech-language pathologists about myofunctional disorders through mentorship, trainings, and guidance, as well as providing continued education and support to speech-language pathologists in their Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY). Kelly has a passion for helping her clients and their families communicate better.
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EMILY EDIGER
Speech-Language Pathologist
Emily Ediger is a certified Speech Language Pathologist (Certificate of Clinical Competence) through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She provides therapy in the areas of articulation, language, social skills, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and speech fluency. She has experience with a variety of students, including children with autism, ADHD, and genetic disorders. Emily also has experience working in a rehabilitation setting with children and adults with a focus on swallowing, language, articulation, and cognitive communication therapy.
Emily has additional training in the area of orofacial myology. She chose to pursue this area of the field based on her interest in swallowing and articulation therapy and the need she saw in many populations to receive more specialized therapy in this area. Emily enjoys collaborating with families and other professionals to provide the best possible care to her clients.
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KORI HIXSON
Speech-Language Pathologist
Kori is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist in the state of Nebraska and a certified member (Certificate of Clinical Competence) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She has experience working in school-based settings, supporting students ages birth-21 with communication needs in the areas of articulation, receptive/expressive language, social skills, fluency, and voice. She has additional experience providing services to individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder. During her graduate program at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Kori assisted in the development and implementation of speech and language services for individuals in an acute care setting with swallowing, cognitive-communication, and voice disorders.
Kori has additional training in orofacial myology and is excited to apply these strategies and techniques with clients at Link to Communication. She believes in the importance of staying current with evidence-based interventions, through continuing education courses, to provide effective and individualized services for each client. Kori appreciates the collaborative approach at Link to Communication and is looking forward to networking with professionals in the community to develop comprehensive plans for clients. She enjoys getting to know each client and family to incorporate their unique interests for engaging and interactive therapy sessions.
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KATE WESSELS
Speech-Language Pathologist
Kate is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist in the state of Nebraska and a certified member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her graduate degree at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Kate has experience working in school-based settings with preschool and elementary students. She provides therapy in the areas of articulation, language, fluency, social skills, augmentative and alternative communication, and voice. Kate has experience working with a variety of children, including those with autism, hearing loss, behavioral disorders, apraxia, and genetic disorders. During her graduate program, she also gained experience working in outpatient and acute medical settings in the areas of swallowing, language, and cognition. Kate has additional training in orofacial myology and continues to research best practices in order to provide evidenced based therapy. She enjoys collaborating with families and other professionals to provide individualized plans that address each client’s unique needs.
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KIRSTEN MAHRT
Speech-Language Pathologist
Kirsten is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and certified member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She has experience working in early intervention and with preschool through secondary students in a school-based setting with a focus on language, social, and speech sound disorders.
In addition, Kirsten has specialized training in orofacial myology. She enjoys the collaboration with caregivers and healthcare professionals to provide the best outcome for the clients and address the underlying issues of orofacial myofunctional disorders. She values being a life-long learner and staying current on her evidence-based practices.
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BREANNA ASHTON
Patient Care Coordinator
Breanna Ashton graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education and Human Sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is currently attending the University of Nebraska-Omaha to get her Master's Degree in Social Work. When she is not at work, she is spending time with the people closest to her as well as her cat, Rocky, and her dog, Winny.
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LISA ZIMMERMAN
Certified Billing and Coding Specialist
Lisa is a Certified Billing and Coding Specialist through NHA. She has 25 years of experience. Lisa lives in Crown Point, Indiana. A little about Lisa is that both of her parents were born in Italy and she is a first generation Italian born in the United States. Lisa spent many summers in Italy growing up. She has been with her husband for over 23 years and married for 19. They have 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls in that order. They are 18,16,13,11 and 9. Some of Lisa's interests are spending time with her family, cooking, and pretty much anything outdoors. Lisa's favorite quote is something her father would always say, “If you really want to do something, you will always find a way.”
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AMBERLY PARKER
Graduate Student Clinician
Amberly is from Columbus, NE, and is currently a Speech Language Pathology graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Around the office, you can find her at the front office and occasionally working with the therapists during treatment sessions. Some of her hobbies include going on walks, shopping, and golfing. She LOVES coffee, Italian food, and cheering on the Huskers in all sports! She comes from a family of 7 (4 sisters) and enjoys traveling to the east coast with them visiting new places and exploring. She values the experience and learning opportunities she is receiving with our clinic and looks forward to developing her career in the field of Speech Language Pathology after graduation next August.