meet the team
Emily merritt,
speech language pathologist
Certified Lactation Counsellor
owner
m.sc., slp (c), reg. caslpo, CLC
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Emily is a Registered Speech Language Pathologist, a Certified Lactation Counsellor, and a co-owner of Wellington County Speech Therapy.
Emily was born and raised in Mount Forest. She graduated from McMaster University in 2012 and Dalhousie University in 2015 before working in Northern Alberta and the United Kingdom. Emily started her practice in Fergus, Ontario in 2017, working within Optimum Health Centre before expanding to run classes of The WOMB Guelph in 2023 and open Wellington County Speech Therapy Erin in 2025.
Emily has a passion for working with families who are looking for a more personalized approach to their child’s therapy. The goals is to have each session be a positive interaction from start to finish.
Emily’s experience includes extended training within the areas of infant feeding and breast feeding support as well as work with both Neuro-typical and Neuro-divergent populations, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, pediatric feeding challenges, motor speech disorders including Childhood Apraxia of Speech, cleft lip/palate, stuttering and literacy delays/disorders such as dyslexia.
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Guest Lecturer Paediatric Dysphagia McMaster University 2026
Certified Lactation Counsellor 2025
SOFFI training for medically fragile infants 2025
AEIOU approach to feeding 2025
CPR-C Certified (May 2025)
Pediatric Feeding Mentorship Group - Pediatric Feeding SLP - November 2024
Infant Eating, Feeding and Swallowing: Theory & Clinical Application - University of Alberta 2024
Assessment/Treatment of TOTS – Talk Tools 2023
Focusing on Academic Language in Preparing Preschoolers with Foundations for Later Reading Development - 2023
Improving Pediatric Feeding Assessment Skills - 2023
Assessing Skill Based Feeding and Swallowing Disorders - 2023
Feeding Development: What is Typical - 2023
Picky Eating in the Preschool Classroom - 2023
FASD New Diagnostic Standards | 2015/2021
Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment for Childhood Apraxia of Speech - 2019
Social Thinking - 2019
Understanding andSupporting FASD - 2019
Level 1 Fundamentals of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - 2019
Introduction to PROMPT training | 2018
What’s Food Got to Do With It: Practical activities to expand the picky eaters food choices led by Carrie Owen and Chantal Lessard - 2017
Independent Authorizer for Augmentative and Alternative Communication | 2016
Reference and Regulation Training | 2015
Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale Training Level 1| 2015
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Emily provides assessment and lactation support at our Erin location and assessment and full therapy services at our Fergus location. Emily runs the music and language classes in Guelph.
jennifer bond (jennifer wilson),
speech language pathologist
owner
m.sc., M.Cl.sc., slp (c), reg. caslpo
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Jennifer Bond is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with the College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO). She has her national certification with Speech - Language and Audiology Canada (SAC) and a co-owner of Wellington County Speech Therapy Erin.
Jennifer received her Master of Clinical Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Western Ontario in 2003. Jennifer has over 22 years of clinical experience providing services to children and adults with communication needs. She is a clinical supervisor for Speech-Language Pathology Masters’ students from the University of Toronto, the University of Western Ontario and McMaster University as well as a supervisor for Communicative Disorders Assistant Students from Georgian College.
Jennifer has extensive experience working with children with complex needs including Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Global Developmental Delay and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Jennifer embraces a neurodiversity-affirming approach. Jennifer has a special interest in motor speech disorders, social communication, and augmentative and alternative communication. Other areas of practice include pre-school and school-age language and literacy, articulation, as well as feeding and swallowing disorders.
Jennifer enjoys providing assessment and therapy services to families, as well as collaborating with teachers, rehabilitation professionals, and other community care providers.
Jennifer has extensive experience in early language facilitation techniques, and holds certification with Hanen in “It Takes Two to Talk”, “Target Word”, Learning Language and Loving It”, and “ABC and Beyond”.
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Hanen:
- It Takes Two to Talk
- Target Word
- Learning Language and Loving It
- ABC and Beyond
- More Than Words (Communication and Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder)
DIR®/Floortime
The Kaufman Approach
PROMPT
iPad Apps for Communication
Professional development courses include:- Helping Young Children Learn Language and Literacy Skills
- Techniques for Sensory Processing Integration
- Childhood Apraxia of Speech: Considerations for Assessment, Goal Setting and Therapeutic Intervention.
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Jennifer provides assessment and therapy for adults and children at our Erin Location.
jocelyn louis, speech language pathologist - on leave
M.H.Sc., M.sc., SLP, reg. Caslpo
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Jocelyn is a Registered Speech-Language Pathologist with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO), proudly a part of the team at Wellington County Speech Therapy. She holds a Bachelor of Medical Sciences from Western University, a Master of Science from the University of Guelph—where her research focused on improving mental health in post-secondary students—and a Master of Health Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Toronto.
Growing up in Guelph and having lived in both Brooklyn and New Jersey, Jocelyn brings a rich blend of local and international experience to her work. Her passion for helping others and working closely with people, especially children, has guided her journey into speech-language pathology. She uses a family-centred, evidence-based approach to support her clients in achieving meaningful communication goals.
Prior to joining Wellington County Speech Therapy, Jocelyn volunteered and completed her clinical placements under the mentorship of Emily Merritt, gaining valuable hands-on experience and a deep appreciation for the collaborative, integrative care model that Wellington County Speech Therapy is known for.
Outside of work, she is a proud wife and mother, and remains deeply connected to her community roots. She is excited to work alongside families to help foster communication, confidence, and connection.
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Jocelyn provides assessment and therapy at our Fergus location.
natalie morrison, speech language pathologist
M.sc., SLP, reg. CaslpO
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Natalie recently completed her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at McMaster University before joining Wellington County Speech Therapy Erin as a Speech-Language Pathologist. Before pursuing her graduate studies, she spent eight years working with young children in the education field in a variety of settings, including a local school board, children treatment centre, and childcare centres. This hands-on experience has given her extensive knowledge of childcare, early learning environments, and the developmental needs of children.
She holds two diplomas in Early Childhood Education from Conestoga College and Humber College, as well as a Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Studies from the University of Guelph-Humber.
Born and raised in Guelph, Natalie is passionate about serving her local community. Drawing on her strong background in child development and her diverse experience with a range of populations, she is committed to providing care that is both child and family centred.
Through her clinical placements, Natalie has gained experience supporting children in the neurodivergent community, as well as those with stuttering, dysarthria, dysphagia, articulation disorders, feeding challenges, AAC, and language and literacy disorders..
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CPR-C Certified (2023)
Non-violent crisis intervention (NCI) (2023)
Supportive Conversation for Adults with Aphasia (SCA) (2025)
DTTC (In progress)
Diploma in Early Childhood Education -
Natalie provides assessment and therapy at our Erin location.
emily thompson
M.Cl.Sc.,
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Emily is a Communicative Disorders Assistant and a member of Speech Language and Audiology Canada. She was born and raised in Orangeville, and attended school within the Upper Grand District School Board.
Emily graduated from Western University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics. She then earned a Graduate Certificate as a Communicative Disorders Assistant from Georgian College in 2022. Most recently, Emily has completed her Master of Clinical Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Western University.
Emily has developed extensive clinical experience through placements in school boards, outpatient community stroke services, and private practice settings. As a Communicative Disorders Assistant, she delivered social communication and literacy programs for students and collaborated with educators to support AAC use in the classroom. Her clinical experience also includes providing articulation and phonological intervention to preschool and school-aged children, as well as supporting adults having a variety of acquired language disorders and voice disorders.
Emily is passionate about working with children and adults to help them achieve their speech and language goals. She values the meaningful connections she builds with clients while supporting them in reaching their full communicative potential.
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Hanen’s It Takes Two To Talk Program (2026)
Trauma and Violence Informed Care, Alberta Health Services (2026)
Communicative Disorder Assistant Diploma
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Emily provides services at our Shelburne and Erin locations
Communicative Disorder Assistants (CDAs) work together with Speech-Language Pathologists to implement therapy goals utilizing specialized training, tools, and techniques. They help to transform the lives of individuals and families through effective communication and strong relationships.
jennifer kentner, communicative disorder assistant
B.A., CDA, Reg. CDAAC Member
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Jenn Kentner is a Communicative Disorders Assistant (CDA) who is a member with the Communicative Disorders Assistant Association of Canada and Speech-Language & Audiology Canada. She works primarily with the preschool and school-aged population. She graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Arts and Georgian College with her post-graduate diploma as a CDA.
Jenn uses a family-centred approach and has worked for over 17 years in the Fergus and Elora regions in clinic, home, and daycare/school settings.
Through her experience, she has worked with a variety of developmental and acquired speech, language and communication difficulties, including preschool speech and language development, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, stuttering, cleft lip and palate, motor speech disorders, and complex communication needs. Jennifer prides herself on a family centered and developmental treatment approach to meet the needs of the client.
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DIR/Floortime™
Shanker Self-Reg® (Level 2)
The Hanen Centre® (It Takes Two to Talk™, More Than Words™, SPARK Communication™, Teaching Tuning-In™)
The Speech & Stuttering Institute
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Jenn provides therapy services at our Fergus location
Ashlyn Auburger, communicative disorder assistant, cda, reg. cdaac member, BASc. candidate,
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Ashlyn Auburger is a Communicative Disorders Assistant who is a member with the Communicative Disorders Assistant Association of Canada, and Speech Language and Audiology Canada. She completed both a diploma in Early Childhood Education and the Communicative Disorders Assistant program at Georgian College with honours. She is also completing a Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood studies at the University of Guelph Humber. With a strong foundation in child development, Ashlyn brings a unique blend of clinical knowledge and early childhood expertise to her work.
Her background in early learning allows her to support children’s communication and literacy development, while her CDA training equips her to assist individuals with speech, and language needs. Ashlyn is passionate about helping clients of all ages improve their communication skills and quality of life through patient, creative, and evidence-based approaches.
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Diploma in Early Childhood Education
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Ashlyn provides therapy services at our Fergus location
taryn thomson, communicative disorder assistant
b.a., cda, Reg. cdaac member
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Taryn Thomson is a formally trained member of the Communicative Disorders Assistant Association of Canada (CDAAC) and Speech-Language & Audiology Canada. She graduated from Western University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology prior to obtaining a Communicative Disorders Assistant post-graduate diploma from St. Lawrence College, graduating with distinction. Originally from Fergus, Taryn spent years working and living abroad before returning to her roots and joining the team at Optimum Health Centre. She is bringing with her experience and understanding for cultural diversity and its customs. She uses this to offer her clients a compassionate and welcoming environment. Taryn enjoys working with a variety of developmental and acquired speech and language difficulties and has gained experience with Autism Spectrum Disorders, preschool and school age speech/language/literacy development, Aphasia, motor speech disorders and more.
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Taryn provides therapy services at our Fergus location.
erika gilbert, communicative disorder assistant
cda, Reg. cdaac member, Reg. ece
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Erika Gilbert is a formally trained member of the Communicative Disorders Assistant Association of Canada (CDAAC) and Speech-Language & Audiology Canada. She is also a registered Early Childhood Educator. Erika graduated from Fanshawe College before earning her post-graduate Communicative Disorders Assistant diploma from Durham College with honours. Originally from Guelph, Erika brings over five years of experience working with toddlers, preschoolers and school-aged children at the YMCA-YWCA. This included three years leading the after-school program. She has also supported clients one-on-one as an educational assistant with the Wellington Catholic District School Board.
At Wellington County Speech, Erika has gained valuable experience supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, motor speech disorders, late talking, articulation, language and literacy development. She enjoys working with clients of all ages, with a passion for making therapy engaging and meaningful for families. Drawing on her background in early childhood development, individualized support and family-centered care, Erika is dedicated to helping children build strong communication skills with confidence.
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Standard First Aid CPR C + AED
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Erika provides therapy services at our Erin location.