Speech Language Pathologists

Speech therapists at Infinity Children's Services

Jennifer Steen, Carissa Sweatman, Katrina Paschall, Heather Knowles (Calhoun clinic director), Allison Vanderplough and Margaret McMullen. Not shown: Melinda Lindgren and Miranda George.

Jennifer Steen, M.A., CCC-SLP, received her bachelor’s degree in speech language pathology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in May 2000. She continued her studies at UTK and received her master’s degree in 2002. During graduate school, Jennifer completed her thesis and worked as a research assistant in the area of pediatric swallowing. She presented her research at the national American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) conference in November 2001. Jennifer joined the ICS team in May 2002. She completed her clinical fellowship year under the supervision of Heather Knowles. In turn, Jennifer has also served as clinical fellowship supervisor at ICS. Jennifer continues to demonstrate significant interest in the areas of pediatric oral motor and swallowing impairments. She is certified in the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol and has completed continuing education courses in pediatric swallowing, oral motor therapy techniques and food chaining. She has over 15 years experience working with children with various diagnoses, including autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and hearing impairment and vision impairment, as a childcare provider and speech language pathologist.


Carissa Sweatman is a 2009 graduate from the University of Alabama. While earning her master’s degree in speech language pathology, she interned at United Cerebral Palsy in Birmingham, Ala., where she gained tremendous experience and a love for children with multiple disabilities. Carissa also earned the Speech and Hearing Association of Alabama’s 2009 Graduate Student Award. She has guest lectured the Special Populations in Speech Language Pathology graduate level class at the University of Alabama since working at Infinity Children’s Services. Carissa grew up 30 minutes north of Rome, in the small town of Trion, Ga. She has worked for Infinity Children’s Services since 2010 and enjoys the diversity of patients ICS serves. She says the children she sees are amazing and resilient, and teach her something every day. Outside of work, Carissa enjoys running, traveling and Alabama football.


Katrina Green Paschall is a native of North Carolina. She received her bachelor of arts degree in elementary education with a minor in English from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. After teaching elementary school, she decided to return to school to pursue her master’s degree. She received her master of education degree from North Carolina Central University, where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in communication sciences and disorders. During her tenure at NCCU, she served as NSSLHA president and presented at the ASHA and NBASLH national conventions. She is licensed and certified in the states of Georgia and North Carolina and has received her clinical certification of competence by the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association. Her career interests include reading and language development, articulation and fluency disorders.


Heather Knowles, M.A., CCC-SLP, joined Infinity in 2002, but has worked as a pediatric speech language pathologist since graduating from the University of Central Florida with a master of arts in communication disorders in 1997. Heather has been the director of Infinity’s Calhoun clinic since 2008. She is licensed by the state of Georgia and has a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association. She treats children of all ages and diagnoses at both clinics, with her main interest being maximizing the functional communication and swallowing skills of every person she has the opportunity to serve.


Allison Vanderplough is a 2007 graduate from the University of West Georgia, where she earned a master of education degree in speech language pathology and a bachelor of science in education degree in speech-language pathology in 2005. While earning her master’s degree, she worked as a special instructor with the early intervention program Babies Can’t Wait. Allison received the “Outstanding Master of Education Student” award presented during West Georgia’s 2007 convocation. Allison is licensed by the State of Georgia and is a certified member in good standing of the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). She has been trained in the Beckman Oral Motor Program. Allison began working for Infinity Children’s Services in June 2010 and enjoys the challenge and rewards of helping families reach their goals. Previously, Allison spent three years working as a speech language pathologist in the school system where she provided speech therapy to children ages 3-11 with varying cognitive and developmental disabilities. Allison was born and raised 40 minutes south of Rome, in the small town of Rockmart, Ga. She lives with her husband and dog in the Kennesaw area. In her free time, Allison enjoys reading, shopping, painting and UGA football.


Margaret McMullen, M.A., CCC-SLP, began working with Infinity Children’s Services in June 2009. She earned her undergraduate degree in communication disorders at Auburn University and her master’s degree in speech pathology at the University of Memphis. During her time in Memphis, Margaret had the opportunity to intern in a variety of pediatric settings, including the Memphis Oral School for the Deaf and in the Memphis City School system. She also served as the program co-coordinator for speech pathology for the University of Memphis’ 39th annual Mid-South Conference on Communication Disorders. Margaret earned her Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA after completing her clinical fellowship at Infinity in 2010. She has also received specialized training in treatment strategies and techniques for oral motor impairments and dysphagia and the Beckman Oral Motor Program. She has enjoyed the opportunity to work with children of all ages and from a variety of backgrounds, including children diagnosed with receptive and expressive language impairments, articulation impairments, fluency impairments, reading/writing impairments and dysphagia. She also has experience working with children diagnosed with a variety of syndromes including Down syndrome, autism, CHARGE syndrome, Williams syndrome and children with hearing impairments/cochlear implants.


Melinda Lindgren, M.S., CCC-SLP, earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and hearing sciences and a master’s degree in speech language pathology from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Ala. She has more than six years experience working as a speech language pathologist in pediatrics. Melinda has worked in a variety of settings including Mercy Medical Hospital in Fairhope, Ala., United Cerebral Palsy in Huntsville, Ala., and Babies Can’t Wait of Georgia. Since 2006, Melinda has worked with Infinity Children’s Services treating a variety of syndromes and disorders including autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, feeding/swallowing impairments, fluency disorders, hearing impairments, cochlear implants and receptive/expressive language and articulation impairments. She has received specialized training and certification in a variety of areas including dysphagia/oral motor treatment strategies (feeding and swallowing impairments), apraxia including the Kauffman approach, sensory integrative approaches, craniofacial disorders and treatment strategies, and augmentative/alternative communication strategies and approaches. Melinda has also worked as a clinical fellowship supervisor at infinity. She is licensed with a Certificate of Clinical competence through the American Speech and Hearing Association. She lives with her family in Marietta, Ga.


Miranda George is a licensed speech-language pathologist who completed her clinical fellowship at ICS in 2008 and has worked with ICS ever since. Miranda has experience with treating speech, language, fluency, voice, oral motor and swallowing impairments in children ages birth to adult, with a wide variety of diagnoses including autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, speech-language delay, traumatic brain injury, cleft palate, attention deficit disorder, hearing impairment and patients with tracheostomy. Miranda has internship experiences in elementary school settings, hospitals and private pediatric practices. She is certified in the Beckman Oral Motor Technique and has attended courses in apraxia, oral motor therapy, anxiety disorders, cochlear implants and pediatric feeding/swallowing. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.