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Nicole Smith, MS, CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist and graduated from the University of South Florida with a Master's in Communication Sciences and Disorders. During her graduate program, she completed a thesis that examined the relationship between African American English and phonological processing skills. The study results were presented at the 2001 ASHA Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. Nicole has worked in a variety of pediatric settings including the school system, head start programs, and pediatric home health. She currently works for one of the largest pediatric and geriatric inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation hospitals in the country. She treats children with a variety of diagnoses including meningitis, stroke, brain injury, anoxic encephalopathy, developmental delay, speech delay, autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, etc. She also works with adults with a variety of diagnoses including stroke, encephalopathy, brain injury, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis, dementia, etc. She also completes on-site Modified Barium Swallow Studies with both pediatric and adult patients. She is certified in Vital Stim and Interactive Metronome. Nicole serves on the CVA committee, facilitates the monthly Brain Injury Support Group, and provides staff education for the Interactive Metronome and Gait Mate programs at the hospital. In addition to her full-time position, she works for a geriatric home health company and also has several private clients. She really enjoys the diverse patient population that she gets to work with everyday!
She has been certified in Interactive Metronome since 2006 and uses it on a daily basis with patients, both children and adults, with great success. In 2008, she became a clinical instructor for Interactive Metronome and has had the pleasure of training other professionals across the country as to the benefits of this program. She most recently contributed her knowledge and experience to the Adult Best Practices Manual for advanced training. She currently resides in Clearwater, Florida.
Amy Vega, MS, CCC-SLP received her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from the University of South Florida in 1994 and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competency from the American Speech Language & Hearing Association (ASHA). She specializes in adolescent and adult rehabilitation for patients diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, stroke, epilepsy, brain tumor & and other disease processes that affect communication, cognition, and behavior. She currently serves as Director of both the Clinical Education Department and the Clinical Advisory Board for Interactive Metronome, Inc. and is their Continuing Education Administrator. She provides clinical support to IM providers globally, serves as Editor in Chief for IM’s clinical publications and website FAQ/Best Practices search engine, develops IM certification materials, and is the master-trainer for IM certification instructors.
Nicole Viegut, MS, CCC-SLP received her undergraduate and graduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls
in 1995 and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence issued by the American Speech Language & Hearing Association
(ASHA). Nicole has had wonderful opportunities to travel as a therapist, specializing and training in the geriatric population
with competencies in Dementia Staging and collaborating programs for patients, family and staff. Nicole has also had the
privilege to serve and treat the palliative population. Over the years, Nicole has worked in various settings, including
pediatric private practice, UPARC, medically fragile 0-3 population for home health care as well as acute care, rehabilitation
and outpatient rehabilitation. Nicole has specialized training in Vital Stim, is currently training in Experia procedures, and
presently providing speech-language pathology services in an acute care rehabilitation hospital specializing in neurological
disorders, traumatic brain injury, stroke and other neurological disorders that affect speech, language, communication,
swallowing and cognition. Nicole has several years of experience with Interactive Metronome, enhancing treatment
outcomes for cognitive-communicative abilities. She is dedicated to her patients and families so that they may have quality
of life and live their lives to the fullest.
Dara Weger, MS, CCC-SLP received her undergraduate and masters degree from the University of Central Arkansas and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence issued by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Dara is the National Program Champion for Interactive Metronome within the HealthSouth Corporation. She also serves as Interactive Metronome’s Clinical Support contact person for Life Care Centers of America. With expertise and experience in the field of neurological disorders, Dara was able to accept this new treatment tool and has been able to successfully integrate it into her practice by modifying it to individually meet her patient's needs.
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