A Pediatric Speech Therapy &
Social Skills Practice in South Jersey
Cheerful Chatter offers specialized speech therapy, social communication support & social-executive function coaching for children and teens.
Our licensed & expertly trained speech-language pathologist specializes in working with children and teens who are affected by social and friendship issues, teasing, bullying, and rejection, as well as those challenged by difficulty speaking, childhood apraxia of speech, dyslexia & other early reading and spelling difficulties.
We use evidence-based methods (including PEERS, DTTC and PROMPT for speech sound disorders, SPELL-Links for reading and spelling, and Hanen for early language support) to strengthen communication, friendships, confidence, and daily life skills.
We provide individualized sessions, structured group programs, evaluations, and parent collaboration. And, with the option of telehealth visits, we are able to reach families throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
Our goal is to help each child feel understood and to empower them to succeed socially, academically, and personally.
“She didn’t just help my child,
she taught me
how to help them too.”
— Parent in Cherry Hill, NJ
“I’ve never seen
my teen this motivated
to learn something.”
— Parent in Voorhees, NJ
“After one session,
we knew we’d found
the right fit.”
— Parent in Haddon Twp, NJ
Integrity, creativity, and empathy shape the way we work
We build real relationships with children and their parents
Your therapist is available via text and email when you need us
Every year begins with a planning meeting… we’ll be on the same page and focused on what matters most
We offer extended, 40-minute sessions in the afternoons and evenings that work around school & work schedules
We offer programs that allow you to save your spot while still taking time off during holidays and the summer
If you want to work through the summer, we offer a flexible program so we can work around your vacation plans
Our Speech Therapy Programs &
Social Skills Groups for Teens
Struggling with Friendship Are Different
Speech Therapy via Telehealth
Works Extremely Well!
The COVID-19 Pandemic forced many of us onto computers. While many struggled, our caseload actually grew… We thought of creative ways to meet everyone’s needs, regardless of age.
For younger children, telehealth services focus on coaching parents to be the therapist. Set your computer so we can watch you play on the floor, grab their favorite toys & try some new strategies… You’ll learn to be the best therapist they’ll ever have.
Are they struggling to speak clearly? The only thing we won’t be able to do is touch… but that’s not the most effective strategy anyway. When we bring our camera up our mouth, your child’s attention will be drawn to what it is doing. That allows the amazing mirror neurons to jump into action and enhance their ability to perform the same movements.
Telehealth rarely phases children past 1st or 2nd grade. Using shared screens and documents, we will work together on materials we create for them, just as if we were in-person.
Need remote support for social skills? When you participate with them, we’ll show you how to work on facial expressions, body language and spacing, as well as where to look and when.
Our Team
Ellen McSpadden, MA, CCC-SLP, CAS
Owner, Speech-Language Pathologist & Certified Autism Specialist
A few years after graduating from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Maryland, Ellen was working on living room floors and at kitchen tables through New Jersey’s Early Intervention System. The families of those she worked with were so pleased with her services and so thrilled with the progress they saw that they recommended her to their friends.
Without a practice through which to see them, she opened Cheerful Chatter Speech-Language Services in 2013. We grew from those few families to a small office in Voorhees, then to school contracts, and finally to our office near the heart of Haddonfield, NJ.
With over two decades of experience, Ellen has built a reputation across Southern New Jersey as a trusted expert dedicated to families. She is ASHA-certified, licensed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania & Georgia, and formally trained in some of the most respected, evidence-based programs in the field, including:
PEERS® for social skills development
DTTC and PROMPT for Childhood Apraxia of Speech
SPELL-Links for reading, spelling, and literacy
Hanen’s “It Takes Two to Talk” for parent-centered early intervention
