Meet Breonna Simmons | Dual Language & Literacy Provider

We had the good fortune of connecting with Breonna Simmons and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Breonna, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
During COVID-19, many students lost access to learning services required for them to be academically successful. As a Speech-Language Pathologist, who is also trained as a Reading Specialist, I knew I could provide a service to families to help decrease the achievement gap in students diagnosed with speech, language, reading, and/or writing disorders. Typically, a student diagnosed with any of the aforementioned disorders would have to receive services from two different providers. However, because of my education and training, I became a “one-stop-shop” for families. This allowed families to save on cost, travel, and time. Initially, I had planned to only provide dual language and literacy services during the summers; however, as more students signed up, I realized how underserved the population really was. From there, starting my own business was intrinsic. I absolutely enjoy being a resource and solution for many families, and hope to one day expand Cut to the Speech LLC.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I was inspired to become a Speech-Language Pathologist after growing up with a deaf cousin, attending his speech therapy sessions, and watching how much progress he made. It was exhilarating to watch him go from throwing tantrums because he couldn’t communicate to speaking in complete sentences and sharing his thoughts and ideas. Now that same cousin attends Rochester Institute of Technology and recently invented a smart pillow that alerts deaf individuals when there is an emergency at night. After practicing as an SLP for 6 years, I started to notice a correlation between children with speech & language difficulties and how they perform with reading and writing. I then completed an additional practicum to become certified as a reading specialist. I created Cut to the Speech LLC as a way to serve children requiring both speech-language therapy and reading remediation. Typically, parents would have to hire two separate professionals to target their child’s weaknesses, however, Cut to the Speech LLC provides an opportunity to see one professional who can remediate and integrate both skills. Cut to the Speech LLC provides dual language & literacy remediation for children diagnosed with dyslexia & language-based learning disorders. Additionally, it provides consultation services for both parents and educators who want to know more about their child’s academic strengths and weaknesses, and strategies needed to support them.

After providing services for many years, I knew creating a business was the next step. Creating a business was an easy transition because I had already been seeing clients privately; however, it was time to produce a structure that could organize my business in a more professional manner. Once I had systems (scheduler, payment collector, email reminder, etc.) in place, I was able to run my business more effectively and efficiently.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting the city, I would definitely want to do a variety of activities because there’s so much Atlanta has to offer. A few of my favorite brunch spots, include Milk and Honey, the Flying Biscuit, and Atlanta Breakfast Bar. Daytime activities may include Top Golf, Andretti, Six Flags, the Escape Room, and/or the Trap Museum. I love a variety of activities, so it really just depends on what everyone is in the mood for! For dinner, we may enjoy Juicy Crab, Kiku’s Japanese Steakhouse, or Old Lady Gang. Another option would be to eat while enjoying a nice lounge with great music, such as Boogalou, Revel, Cirque, Elleven45, or Suite lounge.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Fortunately, I have had many mentors who have contributed to my success. Cathy, Dawny, Meagan, and Leslie, my peers and mentors, have all guided me in refining my assessment, remediation, and conferencing skills, as well as assisted in my professional decision-making regarding my business, I will always be grateful for their wisdom and transparency with me. Additionally, I would like to shoutout my sisters, Brittany, Bre’auna, Jenea, and Taylor for their constant encouragement and guidance throughout this process. They contributed largely to preparing me to take that huge leap of faith required to begin my own private practice.

Website: cuttothespeech.com

Instagram: cut_to_the_speech

Linkedin: Breonna Simmons

Facebook: Breonna Simmons

Image Credits
Antoinne Duan Jones