You’re not alone.
We know it can be scary to watch your child miss important milestones.
It’s hard to know what to do, and even harder to deal with a diagnosis you didn’t want to hear. You want so badly to help your child gain the skills they need to have happy, successful lives in the future.
But where do you start?
At Talk and Play Associates, we get it.
It’s okay to feel sad, discouraged, or even overwhelmed by your child’s needs. For more than 10 years we’ve helped hundreds of children and families just like yours chart a path forward.
Children are resilient, and so are you! We’re committed to helping you learn how to help your child communicate and interact in meaningful ways with you and their environment so you can replace worry with joy at their progress.
The Answers You’re Looking For
Let’s make a plan that addresses your child’s specific needs.
1. Talk to Us
A conversation with one of our team members will help us guide you to the next best steps for your child.
2. Get an Evaluation
3. Begin Therapy
You are your child’s first and most influential interaction partner. To help your child learn new and important skills, our knowledgeable, compassionate therapists provide you with fun, engaging, and easy-to-implement tasks for supporting your child at home.
It may feel dark now, but your child’s future is bright. We’ll help you get there, one small step at a time.
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Meet Our Team
Pam D. Mayer, MS, CCC-SLP – Speech Language Pathologist
Pam D. Mayer, MS, CCC-SLP earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Speech Language Pathology from Idaho State University and began her professional career as a private contractor providing services in rehabilitation, behavioral, and private pediatric settings. In addition, she was honored to be invited to return to Idaho State University as a Clinical Instructor where she taught and supervised graduate students in their clinical experience in the university’s communication preschool program. She discovered early on in her career that her passion is working with children and their families using research-based clinical approaches.
Pam is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and licensed by the State of Colorado. She has been the recipient of ASHA’s ACE award for her commitment to continued professional development.
Pam was privileged to be involved with the Idaho Speech-Language-Hearing Association and to serve two terms as President of the Board of Directors for the Colorado Speech-Language-Hearing Association and as the Colorado representative to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Council of State Association Presidents. In addition, she has consulted with state and national Medicaid committees on issues of policy and reimbursement.
Talk and Play Associates was opened in 2012 as a result of Pam’s desire to establish a private practice committed to providing excellent therapies but, most importantly, an environment where families and children can feel supported and valued.
Pam and her husband, John, moved to Colorado Springs in 2007 from southeast Idaho. They have two adult children, a granddaughter, and a grandson of whom they are very proud.
Jennifer Cupples, MS, CCC-SLP – Clinical Director
Jennifer enjoys assisting parents in learning strategies to support their young child’s communication development at home. She earned degrees from the University of Utah and California State University, Sacramento. Jennifer has worked with children from birth to high school in inpatient and outpatient settings, working with issues such as feeding and swallowing, language disorders, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, voice and resonance disorders, articulation and phonological disorders, and cleft palate.
Jennifer is a member of the American and Colorado Speech-Language-Hearing Associations and is certified in the Hanen It Takes Two to Talk® program. She and her husband, Ken, have two children, Luke and Hope, volunteer with preschool-aged children at her local church, and enjoy bowling in the local and state community.
Annette Schaefer, BS, MOTR/L – Occupational Therapist
Annette particularly loves working with children to enable them to become more independent and confident in their everyday activities. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Eastern New Mexico University, and a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from University of New Mexico. Annette has experience working in home health, mental health, veteran’s health, acute and long-term care, as well as school-based therapy and pediatric outpatient therapy. Prior to joining Talk and Play, Annette worked as a school-based OT.
A wife, mother, and grandmother of three, Annette is originally from Maryland. She and her husband, Fred, spent 30 years traveling the world raising their three wonderful children while he served in the U.S. Air Force. Annette enjoys hiking the Colorado hills, reading and playing with her grandchildren, and especially quilting when she has the time.
Janise Harmon, MA, CCC-SLP – Speech Language Pathologist
Janise loves working with families and sharing in their joy when their children begin to communicate effectively. She is committed to developing treatment plans that will help each child develop to his or her full potential. Janise earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Northern Colorado. She has a wide range of experience in her field, including children with behavior difficulties, articulation and phonological disorders, language disorders, and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Janise is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the Colorado Speech-Language-Hearing Association. A Colorado native, she and her husband, Brad, have two boys–Jack and Cole. They love this area and venture out to hike with their two dogs, snowshoe, ski, and bike on their days off together.
Jessica Mullins – Front Office Manager
Jessica has a passion for serving children of all backgrounds and excellent Customer Service is one of her core values. Providing a welcoming, smooth, and positive experience for the families and patients at Talk and Play Associates is her number one goal as the Front Office Manager. Jessica attended Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, TX before transitioning into the Social Work Field. She then worked as a Paraprofessional in Exceptional Education. After getting married, she was the Office Manager for a private Physical Therapy clinic in Texas. The combination of customer service and building relationships with patients has been the perfect employment fit for her.
Jessica is a native of Texas and moved to Colorado in early 2021 with her husband, daughter, and son. She spends her free time hiking and enjoying all her new home state has to offer.
Brook Robinson, MA, CCC-SLP – Speech Language Pathologist
Brook has a passion for working with children and their families in reaching their communication goals. She is committed to tailoring therapy to meet the unique needs and interests of each child in a warm and encouraging environment. Brook earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences at University of Colorado-Boulder, and her Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology at Mississippi University for Women. She is certified by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and licensed in Colorado. Brook has had the opportunity to work with a wide range of pediatric populations with a variety of needs including early language delays, speech sound disorders, receptive and expressive language disorders, fluency (stuttering) and pragmatic deficits.
Brook has traveled the world being raised in an Air Force family and married to an Air Force Pilot. They have recently relocated to Colorado with their 3 children, Eli, Luke and Evie, and their beloved golden retriever, Hank.
She stays busy with her kids’ activities and enjoys being outdoors, reading, traveling, watercolor painting, and cheering for her favorite sports teams (Go Broncos!).
Morgan Cooper, MA, CCC-SLP – Speech Language Pathologist
Morgan loves working with families to help children reach their maximum potential through achieving their communicative goals. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Oklahoma. Prior to working with children, Morgan worked in adult settings with a focus on dysphagia and cognitive therapy. Morgan has experience working with children from ages birth to 18 years of age and has a passion for feeding/swallowing and early language treatment.
Morgan is a member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and is certified in the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol and the SOS Approach to Feeding. Morgan and her husband, Zach, moved to Colorado from Texas in 2017 and have a son named Tatum. Morgan and her family enjoy spending time outside and traveling.
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