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Melissa is a General Member of the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario.

 

 

 

Melissa James

Melissa James, B.A., (Hons.), M.H.Sc. (Reg. CASLPO)

Melissa James, M.H.Sc. (Reg. CASLPO) is the founder and clinical director of Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy Clinic, a consultant for CAASPR (Canadian Alliance of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Regulators), a University of Toronto clinical educator, and a Toronto-based speech-language pathologist who provides: (1) speech, social and communication services to adults; and, (2) consultant services to organizations and corporate clients.

Melissa trained at the University of Guelph and the University of Toronto obtaining a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology and a Master of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology. 

After providing clinical service in the community and educational settings, she founded one of the first niche “adult” speech therapy clinics in 2012.

Stemming from a different vision for her field, Melissa developed a safe, age-appropriate environment where mature speech-language pathologists can serve the needs of adults using both art and science: innovation and research, respectively.

Since then Melissa has led, mentored, and supervised many other Toronto-based speech-language pathologists, some of who have gone on to open practices of their own, and developed the clinic into one of the top speech therapy clinics in Toronto.

Melissa has contributed expertise to:

  • The ASHA Leader, Contributor

  • CBC News, Expert

  • Global News, Expert

  • RadioOne Canada, Expert

  • University of Toronto, Panelist

  • York University, Presenter

  • Geneva Centre for Autism Symposium, Conference Presentation

  • SpeechPathology.com, Course Instructor

  • CareerBuzz Radio, Expert

  • Second City, Course Instructor

  • Schwartz/Riesman Centre, Course Instructor

  • Canadian Alliance of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Regulators (CAASPR), Consultant

Melissa’s clinical practice focuses on integrating evidence-based (research) practices from the fields of adult learning, psychology, and speech-language pathology which allows for deep learning and permanent improvements.  

Get in touch with Melissa

Her Latest:
Lisps: Speech Therapy For Adults
Lisps: Speech Therapy For Adults

Have you noticed that many of the resources, blogs, and articles on the internet are for lisps and speech therapy with children, not adults? Not anymore.

Why is working on an adult lisp different than a child’s lisp? How is working on an adult lisp and a child’s lisp the same? What is a lisp?  What causes a lisp? We're answering these questions in a unique post on treating frontal and lateral lisps in adulthood.

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Communicating your Canadian Citizenship
Communicating your Canadian Citizenship

On this Canadian Long Weekend, I can’t help but think about what makes us Canadian when we communicate. Over 150 years, Canadians have been developing our own manner of collectively communicating which has contributed to our peaceful international reputation.  What about how we communicate as Canadian’s makes us seem… nice? And how do we define Communicating as a Canadian? It might be a question on your mind, whether you're new to Canada or whether you are a native Canadian prone to reflecting on what makes a Canadian communicator (like me). 

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Using Emojis: A Modern Social Communication Skill
Using Emojis: A Modern Social Communication Skill

In today's digital world, so many of our daily interactions happen online and via text. From acronyms and abbreviations to emojis, it can be difficult to understand social communicaition skills when it comes to navigating these relatively new methods of communication. These skills are particularily difficult for adults who have ADHD, ASD or another executive function difficulty. 

Reading this post will provide you with simple tips and training about how to refine your social skills in the online realm. 🔜

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Research Round-Up: Accent Modification FAQ
Research Round-Up: Accent Modification FAQ

Accent Modification is a mystery to many - the public, ESL Educational Community, and speech-language pathologists. Likewise, I frequently find myself explaining what accent modification is, and answering what I call 'accent modification frequently asked questions'. Whether you are a person who is interested in accent modification for yourself, an employer who is interested in accent “softening” for an employee, or a native English speaker curious about this speech-language pathology specialty service, then please keep reading for research-based answers on accent modification…

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4 Things People Call Speech-Language Pathologists
4 Things People Call Speech-Language Pathologists

"Speech-Language Pathologist" - It is a respected and regulated title, and also a mouthful. It is intended to communicate that we have a registration with an established professional body, which is a great thing. It showcases the words: speech and language, yet fails to mention social skills, communication skills, attention, memory, stuttering, accent cognitive skills, reading and writing.

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15 of the Most Difficult Words to Pronounce in Toronto - Update 2021
15 of the Most Difficult Words to Pronounce in Toronto - Update 2021

Toronto - Is it actually pronounced T'ron-ah? Here is the truth: we don't pronounce Toronto as T-ron-ah. As a native Torontonian (or Mississaugian - I can't find any reference to what you call a person from Mississauga), I can assure you that most people from the GTA pronounce Toronto, "Tron-TOE" or "Tron-OH" because we are collectively to rushed to pronounce the first "oh." 

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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Adults Who Stutter

Why We Use Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Adults Who Stutter: We embrace counseling strategies in most of our treatment programs here at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy. Accordingly, the recent research on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy feels like a huge win for us, psychology+speech-language pathology advocates. Here is the scoop on this new therapy for adults who stutter within an infographic.

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Accent Modification and Accent Reduction

People often ask me, what the difference is between accent modification and accent reduction? My answer is there is no difference. Why do both these terms exist since accent reduction and accent modification both describe the process of learning the standard American accent? One is an old term, and one is a new term. 

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How to Find The Right Speech-Language Pathologist

Is this person talking more than they are listening? None of us adults like to be lectured and generally, your speech therapy experience shouldn't feel this way. If your speech-language pathologist is doing most of the talking, then it might be a red-flag. 

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Top Ten Ways to Improve Your Communication

Clients often ask us for tips and tricks to improve communication and so without further adieu: 

A Speech-Language Pathologist's Top Ten Ways to Improve Communication At Home

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