Meet Our Team

Acorn Children’s Therapy was started in 2021 when Jill and Aley acted on a long-term dream to open their own clinic. They wanted to build a community to offer multidisciplinary care to families, while educating and nurturing a team of therapists.

Jill Solomon

MS, CCC-SLP | NLA-Trained

Jill received her undergraduate degree in speech and language sciences from Indiana University in Bloomington. She received a master’s in communication disorders from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and is certified in Natural Language Acquisition (gestalt and analytical). Jill has worked in the Saint Louis area since 2000. She has had the opportunity to work with children from birth through high school and also into adulthood. Jill has had over 20 years of experience with autism spectrum disorders and pragmatic language. Other areas of expertise include:

  • Sound system disorders

  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

  • Expressive and receptive language

  • Apraxia

  • Dysfluency

  • Voice disorders

  • Helping toddlers reach verbal milestones

Her favorite part of therapy is watching the growth of the client and experiencing this joy with the family.

Aley Babb-Keeble

MS, OTR/L

Aley received her undergraduate degree in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology at Drake University in Des Moines. She received her Master of Science degree in occupational therapy from Washington University in St Louis. Aley has experience working in public schools, private practice, home health, and early intervention (First Steps). She has had the opportunity to work with children from birth to early adulthood and loves helping families transition to new phases of life. Aley’s areas of expertise include:

  • Sensory integration

  • Handwriting

  • Feeding

  • Pediatric pelvic health/toilet training

  • Emotional regulation and interoception

She is SOS and Beckman Oral Motor certified and is a provider of Integrated Listening Systems, The Listening Program, and Handwriting Without Tears.

Marisa Julius

MA, CCC-SLP | NLA-Trained

Marisa Julius is a speech-language pathologist that has worked in the St. Louis area since 2019. She is a Missouri native and earned two bachelor’s degrees from Truman State University in communication disorders and German studies. She received her master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from Saint Louis University. Marisa has experience working in school and clinical settings with children with complex communication needs. Her favorite part of the job is experiencing the joy of children connecting with their loved ones through language. In her free time, you can find her cooking, reading, hiking, or showing everyone unsolicited pictures of her dog. Areas of expertise include:

  • Augmentative and alternative communication

  • Expressive and receptive language

  • Speech sound system disorders

  • Apraxia

  • Dysfluency

Andrea Schnelker

DPT, PT

Andrea received her undergraduate degree in health sciences from University of Missouri-Columbia in 2014. She received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Rockhurst University in 2018. Andrea has experience treating pediatric patients from birth to 21 and has spent her entire career working in various pediatric settings. She is certified to treat clients with various levels of gross motor delay using Dynamic Movement Intervention (DMI) Level A. Her areas of expertise include:

  • Infant and toddler development

  • Neurological and genetic disorders

  • Toe-walking

  • Torticollis

  • Many other diagnoses indicating the need for physical therapy

Paige Francis

OTD, OTR/L

Paige earned her Bachelor of Science in exercise science, with minors in child advocacy studies and medical humanities, from the University of Arkansas in 2021. She received her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis in 2024. Paige has experience both internationally and locally collaborating with pediatric clients and their caregivers to promote barrier-free participation in meaningful activities. She values the holistic approach of occupational therapy for its effectiveness in addressing each child’s unique needs while leveraging their strengths. Her areas of expertise include:

  • Feeding

  • Sensory processing

  • Emotional regulation

  • Fine motor development

  • Visual motor development

Gabbie Eyler

OTD OTR/L

Gabbie is a St. Louis native. She received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis in 2019. She completed her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy in 2023 also at Washington University in St. Louis. She completed 26 weeks of clinical rotations at Acorn Children’s Therapy prior to joining the team. Gabbie discovered her passion for helping children engage in meaningful occupations while volunteering at Equine Assisted Therapy. She loves how occupational therapy is disguised as play! Her areas of expertise include:

  • Developmental delay

  • Emotional regulation

  • Fine motor development

  • Sensory Processing

Meigan Winfield

COTA/L

Meigan received her undergraduate degree from St. Charles Community College. She has experience working with kids of all ages as well as adults in educational, medical, and outpatient settings. She has over 8 years of experience working with kids in a variety of community settings. Meigan is excited and very happy to have joined a practice where she can develop one-on-one collaborations with children and their families. Her areas of expertise include:

  • Emotional regulation and interoception

  • Fine motor development

  • Sensory processing

  • Handwriting

  • Executive function

Mary Larkin Rumbarger

MS, CCC-SLP

Mary received her undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders and her master’s degree in speech-language pathology (SLP) from the University of Mississippi. She has worked for private practices and children’s hospitals with populations from newborn to adults. Mary has extensive training in swallowing diagnostics and school implementations of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). She loves working with children and supporting their families through therapy and beyond. Mary’s areas of expertise include:

  • Early language articulation

  • Executive function

  • Expressive and receptive language

  • Autism spectrum disorder

Kerri McFarland

MS, CCC-SLP | NLA Certified

Kerri received her undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders from Southeast Missouri State and her master’s degree in speech-language pathology (SLP) from Fontbonne University. Kerri has experience in both school and private settings with children of all ages. She is passionate about working with kids using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and developing language, and she enjoys watching kids grow and use their language at home with their friends and family. Kerri’s areas of expertise include:

  • Speech sound disorders

  • Augmentative and alternative communication

Gen Streeter

MS, CCC-SLP | NLA-Certified

Gen received her undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and her master’s degree in speech-language pathology (SLP) from Fontbonne University. Gen’s favorite thing about working in private practice is the collaboration with families and other therapists to support each child individually. By meeting each child where they are, she gets to enjoy witnessing the growth of each child as they meet new milestones. Gen’s areas of expertise include:

  • Speech sound disorders

  • Expressive and receptive language

  • Social pragmatic disorders

  • Augmentative and alternative communication

Vita Fitzpatrick

OTA

Vita is a St. Louis native who received her occupational therapy assistant degree from St. Louis Community College. Inspired by her younger sister’s therapy journey, she changed paths from pursuing a degree in wildlife biology to enter the occupational therapy field instead. Vita has worked with kids for more than 5 years in daycare, home, and therapy settings, with her favorite being outpatient therapy. Her areas of expertise include:

  • Developmental delay

  • Emotional regulation

  • Fine motor development

  • Sensory processing

  • Handwriting

Caitlin Jelensky

MS, CF-SLP

Caitlin received her undergraduate degree in speech language and hearing sciences from Purdue University. She received her master’s in communicative sciences and disorders from New York University. She has experience working with children and adults with developmental disabilities in school and private settings. Caitlin is passionate about augmentative and alternative communication and enjoys finding creative and engaging ways to support children’s growth. Her areas of expertise include:

  • Augmentative and alternative communication

  • Speech sound disorders

  • Expressive and receptive language

  • Early language intervention

  • Autism spectrum disorder

Macy Hill

MS, CCC-SLP

Macy received both her Bachelor of Health Science and her Master of Health Science in speech, language, and hearing sciences from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has experience in early childhood special education, as well as in pediatric and adult acute care hospital, skilled nursing, and inpatient rehabilitation settings. Macy’s favorite part about being a speech-language pathologist is following the child’s lead during play and watching them excel in speech and language development skills while providing support to caregivers for the carryover of skills. Her areas of expertise include:

  • Speech sound disorders

  • Early language intervention

  • Expressive and receptive language

  • Executive function

Anita Lin

MS, CCC-SLP

Anita received her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Fontbonne University in St. Louis in 2017. Prior to becoming a speech-language pathologist, she was a freelance violinist and operated her own music studio. As a speech-language pathologist, Anita is passionate about working with children from birth through school age. She is dedicated to helping children express themselves and connect with the world. Anita enjoys the dynamic environment of the pediatric outpatient clinic, where she can combine fun activities with functional goals. Anita is fluent in both English and Mandarin Chinese. Areas of expertise include:

  • Early speech and language development

  • Speech sound system disorders

  • Expressive and receptive language disorders

  • Autism spectrum disorder

Lauren Poeppe

MS, OTD

Lauren received her masters in occupational therapy from the University of Missouri-Columbia, with additional training in advanced therapeutic techniques—including Astronaut Training, MNRI (Masgutova Neurosensory Reflex Integration), and Improving Parents as Communication Teachers (Project ImPACT). Lauren has completed the Level 1 Intensive Mentorship at the STAR Institute for sensory processing disorder and has extensive experience working with children who have sensory processing disorder or who are on the autism spectrum. Additionally, she has experience as a member of a multidisciplinary team diagnosing autism spectrum disorder. After 13 years of experience as an occupational therapist, Lauren particularly enjoys providing vision therapy, increasing fine motor skills for improved handwriting legibility, and helping children overcome sensory challenges. Areas of expertise include:

  • Autism spectrum disorder

  • Sensory processing disorder

  • Vision therapy

  • Fine motor skills

  • Masgutova Neurosensory Reflex Integration

Ashley Cheatham

Front Desk

When she isn’t out playing with her puppy or hiking, you will find Ashley behind the front desk making sure all of your needs are being met! She has worked in patient care for over 7 years and enjoys working with kids of all ages. Along with her positive attitude, Ashley strives to adapt and learn in any situation she is put in!

Sara Schlansker

Sarah is a medical billing and coding specialist. She graduated with a Bachelors of Science in healthcare informatics and has worked in the healthcare industry for 24 years doing quality control and coding. Sara is in the process of completing her neuromovement certification.

Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn has a birthday this week! She graduated from Ladue High School. Go Rams! Kaitlyn loves music, hip-hop dancing, gymnastics, and performing.

Above + Beyond

Aley and Jill went above and beyond helping us learn strategies to incorporate at home, helped us seek outside resources when needed, and at any time of day are always up for answering questions/concerns. We are forever grateful for the time they took with our son and our entire family.

They have truly made a difference!