Therapeutic Speech Solutions is owned and operated by Melissa Burnham, MA, CCC-SLP, CBIS. Melissa graduated with honors from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ before earning her Masters of the Arts (MA) degree in Speech Language Pathology from Montclair State University. She maintains her Certification of Clinical Competency (CCC) through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), as well as her professional license to practice Speech Language Pathology in the State of New Jersey. Melissa also earned her Certification as a Brain Injury Specialist in 2018, and shortly thereafter, specialized as a Cancer Rehabilitation provider through vigorous coursework and experience in treating those with head and neck cancers.

Throughout her career, Melissa has practiced in all areas of adult evaluation and rehabilitation, including acute care hospitals, acute rehabilitation hospitals, sub-acute rehabilitation facilities, outpatient rehabilitation centers, and home health care. She has vast experience working with physical and occupational therapists, and is therefore well-suited for providing carry-over of safety instructions, as well as making appropriate referrals as necessary. She has garnered significant experience in evaluating and treating adults with a variety of diagnoses, including but not limited to:

• Stroke

• Head and Neck Cancers

• Traumatic Brain Injury

• Parkinson’s Disease

• ALS

• Dementia

In addition to her extensive experience in the adult neurological and onocological populations, Melissa approaches her practice with great compassion and empathy, often treating the “whole person" rather than just the disorder. With this holistic, person-centered approach, Melissa is able to address the often-overlooked psycho-social struggles that come with difficult medical issues and diagnoses that may impact:

• Language (expressive/receptive)

• Voice

• Cognition

• Swallowing

• Pragmatics

• Speech

In her free time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her family, especially her 6 year old son, and being outdoors as much as possible. She loves doing hot yoga, biking, hiking and trying new restaurants/foods.

CERTIFICATIONS/TRAINING:

• Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS)

• Myofascial Release

• Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES)

• Certification of Clinical Competency (CCC’s)

• Spinal Cord Injury

• Respiratory/ventilator training

• Disorders of Consciousness

• Laryngectomy training

• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) training