Ashleigh Connell, MA, SLP

Sarah Dunaway, MS, CCC-SLP, is a certified speech language pathologist at Providence Children’s Development Institute - Providence Child Center. “Providing children with a way to say their first words is magical,” she says. “As a specialist in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), my goal is to find a method of communication that is effective and successful for each child.” Sarah has extensive experience working with children with complex behavioral needs, and aims to be “as neuro-affirming as possible” in her work. She holds a master’s degree from Portland State University and completed her internship at Providence Children’s Development Institute.

Gayatri Ram, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a board-certified speech language pathologist at the Children’s Development Institute at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. She specializes in working with children with language and literacy needs. “I strongly believe that all children have the right to communicate in ways that feel comfortable for them, about things that are meaningful to them,” she says. “My job is to help them find their best ways to do that, through play-based learning and family-centered practices.” Dr. Ram attended the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences in India before earning her medical degree at Ohio University. She has extensive experience both in working with children and in training the next generation of clinicians.

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Wes completed his undergraduate studies in linguistics and anthropology at Emory University. After a year spent teaching English in South Korea, he decided to pursue a career in Speech-Language Pathology and earned his graduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He has experience serving both adult and pediatric clients in the private practice, home health, and telehealth settings, and has enjoyed his role in outpatient rehabilitation at Providence St. Vincent Rehab since 2019. Wes treats a variety of conditions including stroke, concussion and TBI, progressive neurological diseases, cognitive deficits including those related to long COVID, stuttering, and voice and swallowing disorders.