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ABOUT

Providing speech, language, and social skills therapy and parent coaching to children and their families in the Los Angeles area. 

About our practice

OUR PRACTICE

AVERHART-COLLINS SPEECH THERAPY SERVICES

Our dedication is to help everyone we serve succeed beyond their limitations. We listen to what the child and caregiver's needs are and tailor our services to help them achieve their goals. By providing consistent and high-quality services, caregiver education, and honest information, we ensure the children and families we serve to achieve lasting communication success. 

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Meet our team of dedicated professionals

OUR TEAM

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Wanda Averhart-Collins, M.A., CCC -SLP, SLPA Supervisor

Wanda Averhart-Collins knew she wanted to be a speech-language pathologist since she was 16 years old. Her career aspirations, however, seemed lofty and unattainable for a teen being raised by a single mother in the South Los Angeles gang-infested neighborhood known as “The Jungle.”

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For many people, growing up in poverty causes dreams to die. Yet, Wanda, an articulate honor roll student was determined to make her dream career a reality. With passion, strong will, and the guidance of a mentor, Wanda achieved her dream career. Today Wanda is a nationally certified speech-language pathologist with more than 30 years of experience evaluating and treating toddlers, children, teens, and adults with a variety of communication disorders.

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Wanda Averhart-Collins is a highly regarded speech-language pathologist and the founder of Averhart-Collins Speech Therapy Services, specializing in providing in-home speech and language services to children ages 1-3 years old and their families. Wanda leverages extensive professional experience in a variety of settings, including more than 25 years of service as a public school pathologist, to achieve measurable and successful results.

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Wanda is passionate about serving youth who live in low-socioeconomic status (SES) households. Often, families in these communities experience inequities in health care services, especially in access to speech and language therapy services, due to their race and/or ethnicity. Wanda maintains a steadfast desire to change that. Known for being conscientious, dedicated, and full of positive energy, parents of the children she treats frequently praise Wanda for her ability to help children “find their voice.”  

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Among her many achievements, Wanda has provided speech and language services with three regional centers—the San Gabriel Valley Pomona Regional Center, Lanterman Regional Center, and East Los Angeles Regional Center —consistently for 15 years. She is also a recipient of the ACE Award from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), which acknowledges her commitment to continuing education.

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Wanda is also Hanen-certified and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA, a BA in Communication Disorders, a Master of Arts in Communications Disorders, and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from California State University at Los Angeles. Wanda is a proud member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the California Speech-Language and Hearing Association, the National Black Association of Speech-Language and Hearing, and the California Teachers Association.

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When she’s not running her private practice, the mother of two can be found cooking, traveling, and spending quality time with her friends and family.

Meet Wanda
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