Our Team

Speech Therapists

Education:

  • BS in Communicative Disorders from Utah State University
  • MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Utah State University

Qualifications:

  • ASHA (American Speech-Language Hearing Association) Certification
  • State of Idaho Licensure

I am experienced in providing treatment for a broad spectrum of disorders, including but not limited to articulation, language, cognition, and swallowing.

My all-time favorite thing to do in life is to play in the dirt in a John Deere tractor. I am a farm girl at heart who loves to work on the farm and drive trucks, tractors, motorcycles, and four-wheelers. I enjoy camping, fishing, and cooking. Another of my all-time favorite things to do is to get together with friends and family to play games and have fun.

Eileen O. Harker, M.S., CCC-Slp has provided speech and language therapy for Premier Therapy Associates for the last 5 ½ years. Eileen received her Masters of Science Degree from Idaho State University in 1987. She has her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech and Hearing Association and her Idaho Occupational License to practice as a Speech Language Pathologist.

Eileen has worked at a variety of settings over the past 26 years. Some of these include providing services for Eastern Idaho Head Start, Shelly School District #60, Idaho Falls School District #91, Idaho Falls Care Center and Good Samaritan Center. Eileen’s current clients range in age from 2 years old to 13 years old. She works with receptive and expressive language delays, articulation disorders, central auditory processing disorders and stuttering.

Eileen is married to Paul and they have 5 children ranging in age from 25 to 15. In her free time, she enjoys scrapbooking, playing piano, and working at the Humanitarian Service Project in the Idaho Falls area.

Education

  • Bachelor of science degree from Utah State University in 2000

Major: Communicative Disorders

Minor: Spanish

  • Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Utah State University in 2002

Qualifications

  • ASHA (American Speech-Language Hearing Association)
  • Certification State of Idaho Licensure
  • Vital Stim Therapy
  • Facial E-Stimulation
  • Deep Pharyngeal Neuromuscular Stimulation (DPNS)
  • Annual Continuing Education Courses: Targeting the most effective therapeutic techniques to address areas such as articulation, language development, attention and auditory processing, swallowing, and executive functioning.

I feel very fortunate to have a job that I can wake up excited to go to work on a Monday morning. Speech-Language Pathology has been a perfect fit to mu personality and desire to help other people while working directly with them to meet their goals. I have a wonderful wife and four fantastic children. I’m forever a kid at heart and thoroughly love spending time with my family riding bikes, jeeping, and playing fames. I am always up for getting together with friends and family to enjoy each other’s company and of course eat great food. Bottom line; if it involves my family, a bicycle, nature, or food then count me in!

Education:

  • BS from Idaho State Universty

Major: Communicative Disorders

  • MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Western Kentucky University

Qualifications

  • ASHA (American Speech-Language Hearing Association)
  • Certification State of Idaho Licensure
 
I was born in North Carolina and raised in Georgia. I moved to Idaho to attend  college in 1994. I have my heart set upon being a speech language pathologist from the time I was 15 and I am happy each and every day to come to work. Upon completion of college I was a stay at home mom until all of my children were in school. I worked for the school district prior to accepting a job with Premier Therapy Associates. I have 4 great kids (3 boys and 1 girl) and I enjoy spending my time playing games and at sporting events. If there is food, family, and friends I am sure to be there!

Laura acquired her Associate of Arts degree from Northwest Nazarene College, a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s of Science degree from Idaho State University with a major in Speech and Language Therapy. Laura has accumulates 29 years working as a Speech Language Pathologist both in the public education system and private practice.

Her professional focus and expertise is with clients who have sever, autism, mental retardation, developmental delays and genetic syndromes, she has significant experience with augmentative devices and clients with apraxia, Aspergers and those needing aural rehabilitation, and moderate to severe behavioral intervention. She stays current in her profession with continuing education courses. Her professional peers recognize in her an extraordinary commitment to her clients.

Laura, who was raised as an Eastern Idaho farm girl, enjoys caring for her animals and should you catch her watching her children rodeo please be sure to say “hello”.

 

After a 20 year career in retail/wholesale home and business furnishings that included marketing, purchasing, sales, bookkeeping and interior design, I decided to return to school at Idaho State University. I began my further education experience as an art and technical writing major, but switched mid-stream to Speech/Language Pathology. I earned my SLP Masters in 2003 and have been with Premier Therapy Associates since graduation.

I enjoyed the diversity and challenge that helping others communicate presents. I cannot claim to have an expertise; I welcome the spectrum. I have additional training in ADHD, auditory processing disorders, autism, literacy, dementia, fluency, counseling, executive function disorder, dyslexia/dysgraphia and sensory integration. Working with children is special; they teach me as much as I teach them! My adult clients dealing with life changed brought on by stroke, accidents or aging hold a special place in my heart.

My husband and I have two beautiful and talented daughters. They have careers in health care, are married to great guys and are living in Portland, OR. We have one granddaughter, three grandsons and another on the way. In my spare time (?), I enjoy decorating, entertaining, reading, gardening, volunteering, cooking, golfing, snow skiing, shopping, traveling, and going to our Island Park retreat.

I graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho in 2008 with a Bachelors in University Studies. I then completed the online pre-professional program at Idaho State University from 2009 to 2010 to apply for the Master’s program in Speech Language Pathology. I was accepted in 2010 and completed the Master’s Program at Idaho State University and graduated in May of 2012 with a Master’s of Science in Speech Language Pathology.

I currently reside in Idaho Falls with my wife and 3 boys. I enjoy sports and spending time with family. I have been working for Premier Therapy associates for 1 ½ years. I enjoy working with children and adults for remediation of articulation, language, voice, fluency, swallowing disorders, as well as social communications and executive function disorders.

I have been a Speech Therapist for going on 7 years. I grew interested in the profession as I was in college and was investigating career paths that centered on building relationships with others and helping them. I love how my profession focuses on improving the ability to communicate in others, which is a basic and essential human function. I have had the awesome opportunity to work with so many good people, from children to elderly, in both English and Spanish, my second language. My favorite age groups to work with are early childhood to adolescent.

Current areas of interest in my profession are childhood language deficits, childhood learning disabilities and stuttering.

I have lived in Idaho Falls for several years and graduated with my Master’s Degree from Idaho State University in 2007. I am married and am a gather to an adopted son and a biological baby daughter. My interests and hobbies include anything in the great Idaho outdoors; snowboarding, four wheeling, water sports, and anything physically challenging such as marathons and bike races. My goal is to qualify for
the Boston Marathon next year.

Mr. Stevens graduated from Utah State University in 1993, with his Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders, where he served as the president of the National Speech-Language and Hearing Association, and the Idaho Speech-Language and Hearing Association.

He started his private practice in 1995, and served as the Director of Speech-Language Pathology services at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center from that year, until 2004. He also served as Director of Outpatient Therapy Services at Madison Memorial Hospital, including speech, occupational, and physical therapy from 1995-2009. He is presently the owner of Premier Therapy Associates and director of outpatient therapy services including speech, occupational, and physical therapy with offices in Blackfoot, Idaho Falls, Rigby, and Rexburg, Idaho.

Mr. Stevens has also served as an affiliated faculty member at Idaho State University from 1998 to present through his role as a student externship supervisor. He has particular area of interest in neurological rehabilitation working with individuals who have suffered strokes and traumatic brain injuries. Mr. Stevens and his wife are originally from Salt Lake City, Utah. They have 5 children and he moved up here to Southeast Idaho, specifically for the fly fishing.

Occupational Therapists

Lisa is Certified and Licensed by the State of Idaho as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. She is the mother of one beautiful girl and an experienced COTA of 16+ years in the pediatric field. She works with children of all ages, from newborns to teenagers. Her experience is in pediatric treatment of sensory processing disorder, pervasive development disorders including autism and aspergers, fine motor delays, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, congenital disorders, visual deficits and various syndromes. She also is experienced in Aquatic Therapy which has its many advantages. In her leisure time she enjoys her family, equestrian passion, traveling, and anything outdoors and just enjoying her community.

Nicolas graduated from ISU with a Masters in Occupational Therapy in 2010.

He loves spending time with his wife and 5 young children.  He has a broad range of interests and is especially interested in pediatrics. He has received additional training in sensory processing disorders, professional ethics, and nonviolent crisis intervention.

During school he served as the student representative on the Idaho Occupational Therapy Association board and enjoyed being a part of how the governing agency worked in Idaho.

He has grown up in Idaho Falls and loves being outdoors and enjoys flying as a pilot, boating, motorcycles, and about anything with an engine. He has also grown up singing and ballroom dancing which has helped him to be exposed to different cultures in Mexico, Central America, and Canada. These experiences have helped him gain a higher respect and awareness of other cultures which increases his ability to work with people from a variety of backgrounds.

Education

  • Master degree in Occupational Therapy from Idaho State University
  • Earned outstanding research award for work done during graduate professional project
  • Bachelor of university Studies from Idaho State University
  • Associate degree in Natural Science from Ricks College

Qualifications

  • Licensed by the State of Idaho as an Occupational Therapist
  • Certified and registered by NBCOT
  • Member of AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association)

I currently work in Adult Rehabilitation in an outpatient rehabilitation center and in pediatrics in the clinic. I have experienced in home health and in hand therapy settings. I have worked with a wide variety of clients from different backgrounds and with a wide range of diagnosis and deficits. I love collaborating with clients and family to maximize rehabilitation potential and help individuals do what
they need to do, want to do, and are expected to do.

I see every day as a new challenge and opportunity to learn and grow for the benefit of those individuals whom I’m lucky enough to treat.

Family and Faith are my priorities and I love spending time working, traveling, and recreating with my family. I have significant experience in business and case management specifically manufacturing and R&D. I love to work with my hands and have designed and custom built furniture for several years in my spare time. I enjoy incorporating my hobbies and skills into my occupational therapy treatment and practice.

Physical Therapists

Education:

  • Idaho State University – Master’s Degree: Physical Therapy
  • College of Education – Master’s Degree: Early Childhood Intervention

After graduation Devan worked for five years in an outpatient orthopedic clinic near Seattle Washington.  He gained experience with rehabilitation of a variety of neck, back, shoulder, and hip, knee, and ankle injuries.

For the past six years he has worked primarily in the area of pediatrics.  He is experienced in treating gross motor delays and functional limitations secondary to Cerebral Palsy, Downs Syndrome, degenerative muscle disorders, and developmental delay.  He continues to enjoy rehabilitation of a variety of orthopedic injuries for children and adults.

When Devan is not working, he enjoys participating in sports, backpacking, camping, and playing with his four children.

Office Staff