Emily Kramer Leonhard, MCD, CCC-SLP
Owner, Speech-Language Pathologist
Emily founded Southern Oaks Pediatric Therapy in order to meet kids where they are, both literally and figuratively. As a private speech therapist with over 6 years of experience in Autism Centers and acute care hospital settings, she specializes in helping children reach their communication and feeding goals as they go about their daily lives. She also works alongside parents, teachers, and other therapists to maximize her clients' outcomes.
Emily is dedicated to supporting the needs of neurodivergent children as they navigate a world that was not designed with them in mind. Her goal is to educate, advocate, and offer tools to help her clients successfully engage with the world around them.
Olivia Melancon, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Olivia Melancon is a licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologist who is passionate about providing child-led, play-based therapy that prioritizes connection over compliance. She is deeply committed to neurodiversity-affirming practices and brings a warm, collaborative approach to her work with children and families.
Olivia earned her Master’s degree in Communication Disorders from Louisiana State University in 2021. Since then, she has gained extensive experience working in pediatric outpatient care, where she has treated a wide variety of diagnoses.
Her clinical interests include early intervention, autism, Gestalt Language Processing (GLP), and apraxia of speech. Olivia is dedicated to empowering children through individualized and affirming therapy approaches.
She lives in Metairie, Louisiana, with her husband and their puppy, Nox, and is excited to be a part of the Southern Oaks Pediatric Therapy team, where she looks forward to supporting families in a nurturing, connection-centered environment.
