Today we’d like to introduce you to Michele Davis.
Michele, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Early in the spring of 2013, my husband, a section hiker, was backpacking part of the Appalachian Trail. The kids and I stayed in a cabin and did the touristy thing while he hiked. One day I took them to Dollywood Theme Park for the day. As I waited for them to ride a water ride, I observed a group of special needs adults dressed in matching pink t-shirts. Later I realized they must be with a day program on a fun field trip. I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. I started listening to them and devising long and short term speech goals for some of them. I was so drawn to them and wanted so badly to work with them – yet we lived in Texas and here they were in Tennessee! It wasn’t a WEEK after we got back that an agency called me asking if I could do an evaluation on a special needs adult. I view this as divine intervention from God and no coincidence! I signed the contract with the agency and thus Soundly Speaking was born!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nothing worthwhile travels along a smooth road! When I first started it was just me – treating, documenting, billing, marketing, and learning everything about business I’d never known before! Many, many nights I worked until 11 pm or midnight as I had so much to do. Once I started hiring team members, things got even MORE complicated as I’d never hired anyone before in my life! Questions about employment law, taxes, and other intricacies had to be researched and decided upon. The whole experience has really stretched me out of my comfort zone though and for that I’m grateful.
Soundly Speaking Therapy Services – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Soundly Speaking specializes in the adult special needs client. We are unique in that regard and as far as I know, we are the largest provider of adult IDD therapy services in the state of Texas. We have clients in many major cities in Texas – DFW metroplex, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Brownsville, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, and more coming soon! We are best known for caring for the clients and treating them with the respect that they so rarely receive. We see them both as they are and as they can be. I always say that we are tasked with treating God’s most special creations. So many great successes have been achieved with the speech, occupational, and physical therapies that we provide. Clients who previously wouldn’t interact with others are now boldly proclaiming their needs and wants to others. Everyone deserves a voice and I’m most proud of being able to empower them to use that voice!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
That’s easy. Success to me is helping others achieve success! That is both with our clients and with our team members. We’ve had several therapy assistants recently become accepted into graduate school. They are following their dreams and that thrills me to no end! When our team members grow in their professional knowledge and challenge previously held beliefs about the population we serve, that is success! When we educate family members, day program workers, and the general public on how best to communicate with our clients, that is success! And of course, when our clients are able to do things they previously weren’t prior to working with a Soundly Speaking therapist, that is the best. I love hearing all of the success stories, of which there are so many!
Contact Info:
- Address: 305 North Fannin Street, Rockwall, TX 75087
- Website: soundlyspeakingspeechtherapy.com
- Phone: (469) 251-2267
- Email: soundlyspeakingspeechtherapy@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soundlyspeakingspeechtherapyservices/
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