ABOUT
WHO WE ARE
The Interaction Coach is a self-help resource for parents who don’t have access to SLP services for their child. Parents learn about communication development and strategies to support their child’s skills in daily activities. As you and I well know, and our IC parents learn, there comes a point when self-help is not enough.
The Interaction Coach offers parents several options to meet their cost and level-of-service needs. Free resources educate parents, then the Strategies course gives them an opportunity to interact with an SLP and have their questions answered. Parents’ relationship with members of Team IC make this the natural place for them to find their child’s direct service provider.
We have several resources to help parents get connected to the help you need TODAY!
PARENT OPTIONS
✔️ FREE podcasts, blog posts, newsletters.
✔️ Online Strategies Course
✔️ Find Service Providers
OUR MISSION
The Interaction Coach helps families quickly find help for their child with speech-language-communication needs. We help families learn evidence-based methods that treat their child as a thinking, feeling person. Our online courses help families connect with certified speech-language pathologists no matter where they live. Our goal is to be the most trusted source for comprehensive information and intervention services that develop skills in social interaction, speech, language and communication.
OUR INSPIRATION
The Interaction Coach was inspired when Joyce was asked to help untangle some challenges a family member had with special services for her 3-year-old daughter with autism. The parents faced many obstacles including waiting lists, living too far away from private services, and a communication breakdown between service providers. Joyce was the former regional director of special education for school districts in that part of the state. She was dismayed to see that, even when good services exist, parents still experience many problems getting speech-language services when and where they are needed. The family's frustrations inspired Joyce to explore ways to break down the barriers parents face when trying to find information and services.
Another inspiration for Joyce was her training and experience in using a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI) for children with speech-language delay. NDBI programs coach parents in how to use methods during their regular, daily interactions with their child. While these programs are most effective when guided and individualized by a trained professional, Joyce wanted to help parents learn and get started with the methods while they wait for testing or therapy.
The Interaction Coach was created to help speech-language pathologists support families with information, coaching and therapy services. Forget waiting lists—you can start today. Forget traveling to services—you can find an SLP who provides online service. Forget the isolation—you can connect and learn together with parents having similar experiences. Welcome to The Interaction Coach community!
Meet our team
Joyce A. Olson
Ed.S., CCC-SLP
Joyce Olson, founder of The Interaction Coach, has over 40 years’ experience as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She also served in public school administration as an elementary principal and a director of special education for a regional group of school districts. Joyce took a break from schools for several years to work at a speech-language publishing company called Thinking Publications, where she was senior editor and wrote federal grants.
Joyce has taught courses, authored books and given presentations to state and national organizations on topics including early childhood special education, language and literacy development, social skills instruction, and improving special education programs for students and their parents. To stay current in the field, and because she loves the job, Joyce continues to work part time as an SLP providing home-based services to toddlers and school-based services to children from preschool through age 21.
Joyce built the Interaction Coach as a resource for parents, based on her beliefs that:
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Children build speech-language skills through social interaction
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Treatment approaches must be evidence-based
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Families everywhere should have access to certified speech-language pathologists
Adrienne Wallace
MBA, MS, CCC-SLP
Adrienne has been a nationally and state certified speech-language pathologist (SLP) for almost 15 years. She obtained a Master’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders from The Pennsylvania State University and started her career as an SLP in public, private and charter schools. She has spent most of her professional career working with children of all ages, including early intervention, preschool and school-aged. After working as a manager of a speech therapy department for several years and going back to school to obtain an MBA, Adrienne started Online Speech Services LLC.
Online Speech Services LLC provides live online speech therapy and communication coaching for children and adults through an online service delivery method. We specialize in articulation, language, social skills, accent modification training, public speaking and presentation coaching. We work with children and adults of all ages to help them achieve better communication skills. Adrienne has been providing speech and language therapy online for over 10 years and has trained hundreds of SLPs in effective online assessment and treatment approaches. In her business, Adrienne works directly with clients, creates intervention materials, presents live and recorded webinars and maintains a telepractice blog. She truly believes that communication is the key to unlocking your full potential.
Adrienne is committed to Joyce's vision for the Interaction Coach and will continue its mission through:
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Expanding the library of resources for parents to continue to develop speech and language skills at home
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Grow the database of professionals in the directory
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Partnering with other professionals to grow Team IC
