Gayle Keefer, M.A. is the director and founder of Pathways Speech and Language. She received her B.A. degree in English Literature from UCLA in 1971 and her Masters of Arts degree in Speech Communication and Communicative Disorders in 1974. She is licensed by the state of California and a member of the California Speech and Hearing Association. Her experience includes adult head trauma and acute care in her early career; interest in neurology and neurologically based disorders, which led to an interest in pediatrics. Her early experience with cleft palate, cerebral palsy and early intervention treatment paved the way for her continued interest in making successful communication a reality for any child. In 1996 Pathways came into being, thanks in large part to Robin Kushner, who became the first clinician on the staff. Gayle currently offers teacher in-services for schools on the Westside, and has the privilege of hosting rotations of pediatric residents from UCLA School of Medicine. She serves as a member of the Expert Advisory Panel for Scribble Press, Inc. and heads pre-school screenings for local schools. Her appreciation of children and their individual uniqueness sustains her love of the practice of speech pathology.
Robin Kushner, M.A., became interested in a career in speech pathology from volunteering during high school on the pediatric floor at UCLA hospital. She received both her Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in Speech Pathology and Audiology in 1972 and 1976 respectively, from San Diego State University. Upon completing her education, she began working for the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District in San Diego. At this time she was trained in assessment and treatment of auditory and language processing disorders in children. She was also among the first therapists to be trained in the LiPS program (Lindamood0Bell) that provides specific instruction in phonemic awareness, which teaches children to become aware of various mouth actions used to produce speech sounds. This continues to be a strong area of interest for Robin. In 1979, Robin, her husband, and young family relocated in Los Angeles. When Pathways Speech & Language opened in 1996, Robin became the backbone of support for the practice. Working with children and their families remains enriching and exciting.
Angie Thudium, M.A., C.C.C., received a Bachelor of Health Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2001 and earned her Master of Arts in Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Kansas in 2003. Angie is certified by the Hanen Center to lead “It Takes Two to Talk,” a family-focused early language intervention program for young children with expressive and/or receptive language delays. She is licensed through the State of California Speech Pathology and Audiology Board, holds her Certification of Clinical Competency and is a current member of ASHA. Angie’s experience includes practice at a non-public elementary, preschool, early intervention programs, and a multi-discipline pediatric clinic.
Uma Kadekodi, M.S., C.C.C., received a Bachelor of Psychology from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2003 and earned her Master of Science degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in 2007. Her interest in communication disorders stemmed during her undergraduate years when she volunteered with children severely affected by autism, at UCLA’s Neuropsychiatric Institute (NPI). Uma’s clinical experience includes working with the geriatric population at Alexandria Care Center in Hollywood and the pediatric population at Pediatric Therapy Network in Torrance. She also has experience running narrative language and social-pragmatic groups. Uma began her journey with Gayle and the excellent Pathway’s staff in 2005 as a part-time employee, and feels delighted to have later come on board as a full-time therapist. Uma is licensed through the State of California Speech Pathology and Audiology Board, holds her Certification of Clinical Competency and is a current member of ASHA.
3205 Ocean Park Blvd.
Suite 120
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310.581.6430 • Fax 310.581.6433
Please visit us at:
Copyright © 2011 Pathways Speech and Language Pathology. A Professional Corporation. All rights resreved.