Dana E. Gooden-Schroeder, M.A. CCC-SLP, Founder and Owner of Speech Language Learning Systems, Inc. (SLLS) and co-founder of Language Pathways, Inc., received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Communication Disorders from Truman State University, formerly Northeast Missouri State University. 

She has owned SLLS for over 30 years and has practiced in the St. Louis area since receiving her license in 1988. Dana is committed to providing services that nurture skill development while empowering children to celebrate the perfection of their own neurodiverse learning system. Prior to starting her private practice, she was employed by Special School District of St. Louis County (SSD) and Mercy Child Development Center. During her tenure with SSD, she was recognized by local ABC affiliate KTVI as a “Class Act” award winner, a part of the Great Expectations Educational Project. These honors were given to educators making a difference and Dana was acknowledged for implementing a “Language in the Classroom” pilot for students participating in inclusionary education. She has provided curriculum-based speech language therapy through a variety of programs including Class within a Class (CWC) team teaching models, and contextualized/content-based language intervention approaches. Her practice has included school, hospital/clinic, and private practice settings, and work with neonatal intensive care follow-up/parent-infant groups and early childhood programs. Dana’s specialization is serving the school-aged and young adult populations and she considers her mentorship of other speech language pathologists at SLLS an honor, and her greatest professional achievement.

Dana is passionate about the critical role speech and language skills play in literacy development and executive function skills important to academic success. As a result, over 25 years ago, she made sure SLLS offered therapeutic reading services for students with dyslexia and that all SLLS staff received training in therapeutic reading approaches. Additionally, SLLS staff has been provided personalized professional development training in the area of executive functions from distinguished therapist Sarah Ward of Cognitive Connections, an expert in executive functioning and co-author of 360⁰ Thinking ™Methodology. SLLS proudly offers services from certified structured literacy/dyslexia specialists and all SLLS staff have been trained in intervention models to meet the needs of students experiencing reading, writing, and executive function challenges. Intervention models include but are not limited to, Wilson Reading®, Take Flight, SPIRE®, Spell Links™, LIPs®, Visualizing and Verbalizing®, The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Strategic Instruction Model (SIM™), and Executive Function 360⁰ Thinking™ Methodology.

In order to expand the quality of services SLLS provides to students with social communication needs, Dana completed a Social Thinking® Clinical Training Program (formerly called Mentor Training) with Michelle Garcia Winner at her Social Thinking Center in San Jose, CA. She and an additional SLLS staff member, are two of only four individuals in the St. Louis area to have completed this training experience and two of only seven in the state of Missouri.

Dana has presented at the local, state, and national levels on topics including Speech-Language Development-Infancy through Adolescence, Collaborative and Curriculum-Based Language Intervention Models, Language Strategies for Improving for Listening/Reading Comprehension, Oral/Written Expression, and Executive Function Skills Important for Classroom Success. Dana co-authored the Pathways for Learning book series, a resource of visual organizers designed to assist students, and those working with them, in recognizing the reoccurring schemas within curriculum as they organize language for academic and social communication success.

When Dana is not working, she enjoys time with her husband, family, and friends, as well as traveling, live music, and delighting in the day-to-day adventures of her rescue greyhounds.