Meet Your Clinician
Colleen Bennett, Ed.D., CCC-SLP
Licensed speech-language pathologist with more than 30 years of experience helping adolescents and young adults build communication skills for the real world.
Colleen Bennett, Ed.D., CCC-SLP
Career & Education
Colleen Bennett, Ed.D., CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech-language pathologist with more than 30 years of experience. Her primary area of practice is language and functional communication for adolescents and young adults ages 14–22, with an emphasis on the communication skills needed for school, work, independence, and everyday life.
Her professional background spans traditional schools, alternative education programs, transition programs, and community-based internship settings, along with experience in educational leadership, special education, clinical supervision, and mentoring speech-language pathologists and clinical fellows.
Colleen holds an Ed.D., an Ed.S., and a master's degree. She is licensed by the Florida Department of Health, holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and holds Florida Department of Education certification in Speech-Language Impaired, Special Education, and Reading.
Credentials & Licensure
- Licensed by the Florida Department of Health
- Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (ASHA)
- Florida DOE certification: Speech-Language Impaired, Special Education, Reading
- Ed.D., Ed.S., and master's degree
- 30+ years of clinical experience
Serving Young Adults
Colleen's work focuses on helping adolescents and young adults build practical communication skills for the transition to adulthood. Areas of emphasis include workplace communication, self-advocacy, problem-solving, following directions, functional vocabulary, social communication, interview skills, and communicating effectively with supervisors, coworkers, and unfamiliar communication partners.
She also addresses identifying and communicating emotions, understanding how emotions can affect communication and problem-solving, and developing appropriate responses to challenging workplace situations. While language and functional communication are the primary focus of her practice, speech production or fluency may also be addressed when those needs affect successful communication and are part of the client's broader functional goals.
Colleen founded WorkReady Speech Language to provide individualized, real-world speech-language services for adolescents and young adults preparing for greater independence, employment, and adult life. Her approach emphasizes how communication changes depending on the person, setting, situation, and expectations, including concepts incorporated into her Role-Switching™ approach.
Through WorkReady Speech Language, she provides virtual services throughout Florida focused on one central goal: building communication skills for the real world.
Our Why
The Belief Behind WorkReady Speech Language
I struggled in school until I began to understand how I learned best. Once I discovered the strategies and approaches that worked for me, I realized that struggling in a particular environment did not mean I was incapable of learning or succeeding.
That experience shaped a belief that has remained central throughout my career: every person learns and communicates differently, and every person has strengths and the capacity to build a successful and meaningful life. Sometimes the difference is having the right support, discovering what works, and learning how to use those strategies in new situations.
This belief is at the heart of WorkReady Speech Language.
Adolescents and young adults spend years learning how to communicate within familiar environments. In school, they are often surrounded by teachers, support staff, family members, and peers who know them well. These familiar people may understand how they communicate, recognize when they are confused, anticipate when they need help, or provide support before they have to ask for it.
Families are also an important part of this transition. Parents and caregivers may have spent years anticipating needs, explaining misunderstandings, providing reminders, or stepping in when communication becomes difficult. Those supports may have been necessary and valuable, but gradually stepping back can be difficult for both the young person and the family. WorkReady Speech Language helps families identify how to support their young adult's growing independence while still being an important part of the process.
Role-Switching™
Colleen developed the Role-Switching™ framework to help young adults understand that adjusting how they communicate in different settings isn't being fake. it's being skilled.
Learn about Role-Switching™ →Work with Colleen
Contact Us for a Free Screening to help identify your teen or young adult's communication needs and discuss how WorkReady Speech Language can support their goals. Complimentary screenings are offered on Sundays.
Schedule a Free Consultation