Welcome to the Thames Valley Communication Access Program!

Well, hopefully the website so far has given you a good overview of who we are and what we are hoping to achieve. But if you’d like more details about our inspiration, please keep reading….. 

We found our calling as speech-language pathologists and have loved the work from the very second we started. We loved helping people, connecting with people and most importantly, supporting people to show who are they are; to shine their light! 

We have worked with adults with communication impairments for over 15 years. As much as we love the work, it can be heartbreaking. We’ve seen the devastating impact of acquired communication impairments. Whether the communication disability is due to a stroke, brain injury, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, anxiety or Alzheimer’s Disease, we’ve witnessed many of these individuals be alienated from their loved ones and peers, unable to participate fully in activities they love to do and ultimately not be able to fully engage in their lives and be who they want to be. 

Some have been blessed with compassionate, creative and skillful individuals in their worlds who help reduce communication barriers by using effective communication strategies and modifying the environment to make it accessible and inclusive. Reducing communication barriers maximizes life participation. 

Living and working in the beautiful Thames Valley region in Southwestern Ontario has been a blessing. We have met so many incredible people who are willing to go through speech therapy to try to recover and manage their communication impairments to the best of their abilities. The problem has been resources simply do not exist for the intensity and longevity of the services required to help people reach their full potential, to help loved ones feel capable and supported in their partnering roles, and to educate the community on how to modify the communication environment to make the world communicatively accessible. 

Communication groups exist in many parts of Ontario and have been able to prove their necessity. Having a supportive environment with trained professionals, volunteers, peers and loved ones experiencing a similar journey is paramount to helping to improve communication skills, feel connected to their community and improve quality of life. 

Such groups do not exist in Southwestern Ontario. Enter the Thames Valley Communication Access Program. We knew we had to create these opportunities here. We endeavor to emulate these establishments to provide our own community with the best opportunity to live fully with communication impairments. 

Our dream is to have all those with communication disabilities and differences be able to engage in their lives to their fullest potential. 

Tell us, what is your dream? Why do you do what you do? 

Thank you for doing what you do. And thank you for supporting the Thames Valley Communication Access Program! 

Stay tuned 🤍

Natalie & Crystal