Mark A. Ittleman, M.S. has been a speech-language pathologist for the last 40 years serving in rehabilitation hospitals and facilities working with adults and children who have mild to profound voice, swallowing and speech and language handicaps caused by stroke, aphasia and neurological diseases. Prior to that, he ran a private practice for children and adults with speaking difficulties. He holds a Masters of Science Degree in Speech Language Pathology and the Certificate of Clinical Competence, Speech-Language Pathology from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. He also holds numerous postgraduate certifications in advanced therapies. He has lectured at numerous state speech and hearing associations as well as the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. He has also been a frequent speaker at area hospitals and others throughout the State of Texas. Ittleman was the founding speech language pathologist of an intensive program for patients with aphasia and has now written a book to teach family members, caregivers, students and speech language pathologists how to do expert speech language therapy with adults and children.

Ittleman believes the home is the perfect place for speech therapy. As our health care delivery system changes, more of the responsibility for long-term speech therapy will be the responsibility of the family. He believes students, family members and speech-language pathologists can learn this revolutionary method through books, online webinars, and seminars devoted to the Teaching of Talking. Since speech and language skills are first developed in the home, why would it not make sense to stimulate the majority of speaking there, with a family member or loved one? Speech language pathologists can also use Ittleman’s method for a home program when the person is discharged from speech therapy.