Shairene Alo, M.A., CCC-SLP, is an Ohio native. She earned her Bachelor's degree from the University of Toledo in education in 1999 and worked as an elementary and middle school teacher. In 2010, she left teaching to pursue a master’s degree in speech language pathology.

Shairene graduated in August of 2015 from the University of Toledo with a Master of Arts degree in Speech Language Pathology and a Certificate in Advanced Intervention for Listening and Spoken Language Development of Children who use Advanced Hearing Technologies. Shairene has experience designing and implementing diagnostic and treatment plans for children with autism, hearing loss, articulation disorders, phonological disorders, and expressive/receptive language delays. Shairene has enjoyed working with patients as young as 18 months of age with early intervention as a key priority.

Certificates

• Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Ohio Speech-Language Pathology License - Ohio Speech and Hearing Professionals Board
• Certificate in Advanced Intervention for Listening and Spoken Language Development of Children who use Advanced Hearing Technologies

Emily Warnecke, M.A., CCC-SLP earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Bowling Green State University in May 2020. She then received her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Toledo in May 2022. Outside of being a Speech Therapist, Emily loves to go on walks, spend time with family and friends, and explore local coffee shops!

Emily is passionate about helping children find their voices and build the confidence they need to communicate with those who matter most to them. She loves creating fun and engaging therapy experiences that encourage children to grow their skills and celebrate their progress along the way. Her clinical experience includes diagnosing and treating articulation, language, and pragmatic delays and disorders.

Emily also has experience supporting children who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and enjoys guiding families through the process of learning and implementing these tools in everyday life. Emily particularly loves working with early intervention patients, as it is rewarding for her to watch kids say their first words and develop skills necessary to have meaningful conversations in day to day activities.

Emily believes therapy works best when families feel supported and empowered. She strives to create a warm, welcoming environment where children feel comfortable learning and parents gain practical strategies to support communication at home. Her goal is to help every child build the skills and confidence they need to reach their fullest potential. Emily looks forward to working with all families, helping kids meet various speech and language milestones, and supporting parents throughout the process!

Certificates

• Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Ohio Speech-Language Pathology License - Ohio Speech and Hearing Professionals Board

Kelsey McHale, M.A., CCC-SLP graduated in August of 2021 from Cleveland State University with a Master of Arts degree in Speech Language Pathology. Kelsey has experience working with pediatric through geriatric populations. She worked in a skilled nursing facility in Cleveland, Ohio before moving to Toledo, Ohio in 2022 to work at a pediatric autism center. Due to the 2020 COVID pandemic, Kelsey has delivered speech therapy through teletherapy services. She has worked with a wide range of communication disorders, motor speech disorders, expressive/receptive language disorders, geriatric swallowing disorders, dementia, and social/pragmatic disorders.

Although Kelsey has worked with the geriatric population, her passion lies with the pediatric population. She continues to expand her knowledge in early intervention and Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) and she hopes to one day receive extensive learning in pediatric feeding/swallowing disorders. Kelsey has received extensive training with assessing, recommending, and creating treatment plans for AAC devices. Kelsey enjoys teaching parents and fellow therapists on how to use AAC devices in order to improve functional communication. Her favorite part of being an SLP is seeing the progress her children make and helping them find their voice.

Certificates

• Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Ohio Speech-Language Pathology License - Ohio Speech and Hearing Professionals Board
• Natural Language Acquisition and Gestalt Language Processing Trained Clinician Certification
• Apraxia of Speech Certificate of Competence: Kaufman Speech to Language Practitioner
• Feed The Peds ® Certificate

Kaitlyn Whittaker, M.A., CCC-SLP earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Bowling Green State University in May of 2020. Following her time in Bowling Green, she traveled up I-75 to earn her Master of Art degree in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Toledo in May of 2022.

Kaitlyn has much experience working in the pediatric population, with the last few years being spent with children on the Autism Spectrum. Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) has become a forefront in her time at an Autism center in the area. Teaching families and children how to incorporate AAC into their daily lives gives children the opportunity to have their own voice, which is one of her favorite aspects of her career. Hearing a child’s voice for the first time in any form is the most special feeling and as a SLP, Kaitlyn gets to help provide those moments for families. She has a strong passion for the pediatric population and hopes to continue her education in the areas of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), feeding and swallowing, and related areas like speech therapy for children with hearing loss.

Certificates

• Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Ohio Speech-Language Pathology License - Ohio Speech and Hearing Professionals Board
• Certificate of Early Childhood Teaming and Collaboration

Allison Merritt, M.A., CF-SLP, earned her Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Toledo in May 2024. After completing her undergraduate degree, she earned her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Toledo in May 2026. She is currently a Clinical Fellow where she will apply the knowledge gained from her education and clinical experience to become a fully licensed speech therapist.

Allison gained experience working at Carpe Diem Therapy during her spring internship in her second year of graduate school. She has experience working with children aged 1-18 during her time in graduate school. She has experience evaluating and treating pediatric communication disorders, including articulation and phonological process disorders, Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC), fluency, and expressive, receptive, and pragmatic language disorders. Her favorite part of being an SLP is seeing the children progress and use their voice to advocate for themselves.

Certificates

• Ohio Speech-Language Pathology Conditional License - Ohio Speech and Hearing Professionals Board

Susan Luce, OTR/L, is originally from Columbus, Ohio. Susan left Ohio to attend Brigham Young University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science in 1996. Following graduation Susan returned to her Ohio roots to attend University of Toledo to study occupational therapy. She graduated in 2000 with a Masters of Occupational Therapy.

Susan has experience in geriatrics, outpatient rehabilitation, and pediatrics. Before joining Carpe Diem, Susan worked in the virtual school setting helping children in grades Pre-K through 12 with executive functioning, fine motor skills, handwriting, and sensory processing. Susan loves helping children reach their fullest potential in all aspects of daily life through age appropriate instruction and play.

Certificates

• Ohio Occupational Therapy License - Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Athletic Trainers Board
• National Occupational Therapy Certification - National Board Certification in Occupational Therapy

Tatum Peery, COTA/L, earned her Associate’s degree at Owens Community college in May of 2022. Following her degree, Tatum has been working in the pediatric field of OT and has always enjoyed getting to work with this population. Tatum has been able to learn and grow with her patients while working at an Autism therapy center, focusing on building functional play, ADL’s, sensory integration, fine motor skills, visual motor skills, gross motor skills, etc. Her goal is to provide knowledgeable, therapeutic services that support and build overall functional performance in all aspects of daily life.

Tatum is currently working along side Susan OTR/L at Carpe Diem Therapy, providing a creative and structured environment for her patients to grow and learn through personalized therapeutic activities.