Ellen Spear, MA, CCC-SLP, is the co-founder and Vice President of Resources at Lakeshore Speech, LLC, and a nationally certified speech-language pathologist with over 30 years of experience helping children find their voices. She has dedicated her career to evaluating and treating children with speech, language, and social communication disorders across private practice, hospital, and school settings.
Ellen earned her undergraduate degree in Communications from Marquette University and her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from Cleveland State University. She holds her Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and is licensed by the State of Ohio in Speech-Language Pathology.
Ellen brings advanced training in evidence-based speech therapy approaches, including the PROMPT Method for Motor Speech Disorders and the Hanen “It Takes Two to Talk” program, which empowers parents to take an active role in their child’s communication development. She believes that parent involvement is the foundation of successful therapy and has built her private practice model around collaboration and family engagement.
Her areas of professional interest include Early Intervention, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Motor Speech Disorders, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Ellen’s commitment to supporting families and children with communication needs was recognized in 2017 when she was honored with the Connecting for Kids Professional of the Year Award.
As Vice President of Resources at Lakeshore Speech, LLC, Ellen helps lead the company’s mission to provide affordable, high-quality communication boards and AAC resources that promote inclusion and accessibility for all individuals. Resources at Lakeshore’s Playground Communication Boards are now used nationwide, supporting children, families, and communities in building stronger connections through communication.
Ellen resides in Lakewood, Ohio, with her husband and five children. She is passionate about empowering families to use AAC and communication boards as tools for connection, confidence, and inclusion—both in therapy and in everyday life.