About Us
At iTherapy, we approach speech therapy a little differently. We emphasize engagement and fun -- while using evidence-based practices. Learning to communicate is difficult, whether a person is learning speech or using a mobile device. Research shows, however, that people of all ages retain more of what they learn when they enjoy themselves.
At iTherapy science, learning, communication, and fun are part of each therapy session.
our founders
Our team is lead by award-winning speech-language pathologists who specialize in autism spectrum disorder and assistive technology.
LOIS JEAN BRADY
CEO, ITHERAPY
Lois Jean Brady has over 25 years of experience as a practicing Speech-Language Pathologist, she’s a Certified Autism Specialist (CAS), and she also holds certification in Assistive Technology and in computer-based interventions.
Career accomplishments include: Winner of two Autism Speaks App Hack-a-thons, Benjamin Franklin Award for Apps for Autism and an Ursula Award for Autism TodayTV. In addition to Apps for Autism, she has co-authored Speech in Action and Speak, Move, Play and Learn with Children on the Autism Spectrum. Lois gives international presentations to both family members and fellow professionals at conventions and seminars on autism and technology.
Currently she is researching and developing engaging, multi-sensory products to enhance communication, attention, cognition and quality of life for individuals with autism. She has co-developed VAST Autism, a series of three highly effective apps for increasing speech production. Lois is also registered in Animal Assisted Therapy. Buttercup, her potbelly pig, frequently accompanies Lois in therapy sessions and is a huge motivator for all.
In 2015, Lois and Matthew Guggemos earned a grant through the National Science Foundation's Small Business Innovative Research program. Lois served as the principal investigator in 2018, 2019, and currently for SBIR/NSF and SBIR/NIH grants. As a team, they are working on expanding their platform using technology from Epic Unreal Engine and Snap Camera, Snapchat, and Spectacles.
MATTHEW GUGGEMOS
COO, ITHERAPY
Matthew is a speech-language pathologist for and the chief operating officer of iTherapy. He specializes in designing multi-sensory digital learning products for people on the autism spectrum. Additionally, he received the 2013 Mensa Intellectual Benefits to Society Award for his design contributions to InnerVoice, which was co-developed with world-renowned SLP and iTherapy CEO Lois Jean Brady and MotionPortrait, Inc.
In 2015, Matthew was the director of research on the National Science Foundation's Small Business Innovative Research grant #1520587, which focused on synthesizing emotional communication for mobile devices.
In 2018 and 2019, Matthew worked with Lois Brady and Microsoft to incorporate AI technology into InnerVoice, as part of Microsoft's AI for Accessibility Grant.
In 2019, Matthew was the co-investigator for a National Institutes of Health Grant 1 R43 DC018447-01, which studied the effects of a virtual reality- and tablet-based intervention on functional motor speech skills in children with autism.
In 2020, Matthew was the co-investigator on an SBIR/NSF grant that developed a machine-learning speech and language evaluation system, using speech diarization technology, novel syntax analysis systems, and social function detection captured from conversational speech.
In 2022, Matthew has been working as the CTO on a Phase 2 NSF/SBIR grant #2025836, called Evaluative Artificial Speech Intelligence-Autism Screener (EASI-AS). For more information, visit this link.
In addition to being a speech-language pathologist, Matthew is a professional drummer and a literacy specialist: two fields that heavily influence his design ideas for current and future iTherapy products. Through his project Drum Language, Matthew has been researching the relationships shared among skill mastery, improvisation, and communication: and how these concepts can be applied in a variety of contexts. He writes blogs and articles, which discuss communication development, technology, musical thinking, evidence-based practices, and autism spectrum disorder.
awards & badges
our team
Our team is lead by award-winning speech-language pathologists who specialize in autism spectrum disorder and assistive technology.
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Melissa Brettelle
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
Melissa has years of experience providing services in the areas of literacy development, functional communication, phonological delays, autism, and parent training.
