About Me
Hi! I am Alice Ruiz, M.A., CCC-SLP, the owner of Speech and Spoon, LLC. After becoming a speech-language pathologist in 2006, I was inspired to provide the most holistic, play-based approach in therapy for my clients and families. Since then, I’ve had the honor of meeting hundreds of children and families and sharing my expertise with parents throughout Florida. With the launch of Speech and Spoon, I’m able to help children become the best communicators with their families, help little ones overcome feeding difficulties, and support parents in their therapy journey.
I attended the University of Florida (Go Gators!), where I earned my Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders. I have experience working in a variety of settings, including private practice, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, AdventHealth and Florida’s public school system.
Throughout my years of experience I have completed training to help children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech, feeding disorders, and language delays.
Picky Eaters vs Problem Feeders: The SOS Approach to Feeding
Beckman Oral Motor Assessment and Intervention
Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC)
Hanen’s It Takes Two to Talk
Introduction to PROMPT Technique
The SOFFI Method: Supporting Oral Feeding in Fragile Infants
Diagnosis and Management of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
Our mission is to provide compassionate, family-centered speech, language and feeding therapy for infants, toddlers and children. We help every child communicate confidently, overcome feeding difficulties, and thrive at home, in school, and beyond.
“Alice has been amazing with my son and has been such an integral part of his speech journey for the past 2 years! When we first stated speech therapy he was 3 years old and speaking very little, but the amount of progress he made in the 1st year alone was just incredible. She is so welcoming, patient, kind, engaging, fun and thoughtful! She creates an environment that is comfortable and inviting and makes it a point to include their interests and incorporate their learning styles through play! She is encouraging to both kids and parents, and is so helpful in explaining to families how to implement changes and practice working on skills at home. She really gets to know her kids and their families and truly cares. Not only has my son’s vocabulary grown, he now communicates more clearly, tells stories, asks questions and as a result, his confidence has skyrocketed! Alice has made the biggest difference for my son and we are so thankful for her!”
— Briana, Speech and Spoon parent
“Alice has been absolutely amazing with my son! He is diagnosed with apraxia, which can be really tricky to navigate, but Alice always keeps therapy fun, engaging and motivating. My son’s speech and language skills have improved so much since working with her- but even more importantly, his confidence in his ability to communicate has blossomed. we’re so grateful for her patient, creativity and dedication every single session!”
— Summer, Speech and Spoon parent
