Let Me Introduce Myself

Hi! My name is Samantha Taylor and I am the owner of Olive Speech Therapy, PLLC. I, along with my husband, have two incredible, creative, and fun-loving boys. Back in 2009, I received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with the dream of becoming a journalist. I credit my love of “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” for that. During that time, I welcomed my first son and his bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss, years earlier than when I would have thought I would be ready. Needless to say, I was terrified and realized I had to somewhat quickly re-evaluate what I actually wanted to do with my life as both a mother of a Deaf child and as a professional.

It was through him and his early journey that I learned about the amazing world of speech pathology and how remarkable it could be not only for the child but the family, as well. I instantly fell in love with the profession and decided that I wanted to do the same thing for other children and families.

I wanted to offer that knowledge and guidance, as well as be a shoulder to cry on and a person to celebrate the milestones and progress with. When my son was a year and a half old, I took what felt like a leap of faith (though looking back, it feels crazy that this wasn’t my original plan), and applied for Ithaca College’s Speech Language Pathology Master’s Program. I was accepted and completed the three years necessary for the program (since my Bachelor’s was in Communications, I needed a year of undergraduate course work to fill in any gaps).

Though a Speech Language Pathologist can work with any age from infancy to geriatrics, I knew going in that I wanted to work with children. While completing the Master’s program, I was fortunate enough to have field experiences with:

general education students at a local elementary school
children ages 3 and 4 in a HeadStart classroom
developing and implementing a language enrichment program
students in grades kindergarten to 2nd in a 12:1:3 ASD classroom
children ages birth to 3 at an Early Intervention clinic

Upon graduating, I serendipitously accepted a position with my son’s first Speech Language Pathologist. While pursuing my Master’s, she was starting her own journey beginning her own agency. I worked with her from the time I graduated in 2013 until I moved up to the Rochester, NY area in August 2016. At that time, my husband and I made the decision that our then 6-year-old needed to be in an area with more access to Deaf culture and a more appropriate education to meet his personal needs as a Deaf child. In March 2015, we welcomed our second son so the four of us made the move two hours north of where we had called home for most of our lives. It was a little scary but also so exciting to know what opportunities lied ahead not just for my older son but for all of us.

Shortly after moving, I accepted a position as a Speech Language Pathologist in a local urban school district and had worked there up until recently when I finally took that (second) leap of faith and stepped into what was once just a far off dream by opening up my own private practice. In the back of my mind, I always had the urging and knowing that I wanted to run my own business and have a positive impact on my community.

Through my experiences as not only a mother of a child who receives related services but also as a related service provider, I have learned so much about what it means to advocate for my own child and the children of others. I have learned the value of providing a safe space for people to express their fears, hopes, and dreams for their children without judgment. I have learned the importance of connecting with people not only as a professional but as a human being. It is through these lessons and so many more, that I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with and help so many children over the course of my career.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to follow my dreams. I hope that I can have the chance to work with your child to help them work towards their dreams, as well.

Samantha