Meet The Founders of Soaring Eagle Academy

Deanna Tyrpak, M.A.,CCC- Speech & Language Pathologist
Deanna Tyrpak is co-founder and Executive Director of Soaring Eagle Academy, and is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. She received her Master's Degree in Communicative Disorders at Northern Illinois University.

As Executive Director, Deanna plans and directs all aspects of the organization's operations to ensure its mission, programs and services are consistently presented in a strong, positive image.

As a Speech Language Pathologist, Deanna has worked for 24 years with children with special needs in various settings that included both private and public school, and private practice treatment at home with families. She provides evaluation and treatment of speech and language disorders with children ranging in age from preschool through high school.She assists in the development and implementation of student Individual Educational Plans, adapts curriculum according to each student's speech and language needs and adherence to Illinois State Board of Education learning standards and guidelines, and initiates assistive technology to augment classroom learning when necessary. She has used the DIR® Model in her treatment for the last 15 years.

Deanna is also a proud parent of a 19-year-old daughter diagnosed with Autism. She has gained extensive experience and knowledge in the area of Autism and related topics as a result of her daughter's journey. Deanna has become a strong and skillful advocate for her daughter and other children with special needs, in the area of parent's rights and public school law. She has provided a homebound instruction program for her daughter, utilizing the DIR® Model and supported by her public school district, since 2001.

Michele Ricamato, M.A. CCC- Speech & Language Pathologist
Michele Ricamato is a co-founder and Program Director of Soaring Eagle Academy and a licensed Speech and Language Pathologist who works primarily with children diagnosed on the autism spectrum. She has been in private practice since 1997 and worked in an early childhood setting prior to that.

Michele has participated in the certification process for DIR®. She is certified as an SLP and trainer/tutor. She is also faculty for the ICDL institute where she trains and supports those that are part of certification, Michele co-teaches the language development and language practicum courses through ICDL graduate school, a doctoral program for those interested in infant and early childhood mental health and developmental disorders.

Michele has an interest in developmental speech and language therapeutic work and uses the science of developmental language acquisition to guide her evaluation and intervention of children with disorders in relating and communicating.

Michele has a Master's Degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She also holds an undergraduate degree in Communicative Disorders from University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.

Michele is also a mother of three children under the age of 10 and has learned the most about development and language acquisition through her interactions and experience as a parent.

Linda Cervenka, M.A., CCC- Speech & Language Pathologist
Linda Cervenka is a co-founder and Program Director of Soaring Eagle Academy, Vice-President of the Board and a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. Linda works primarily with children diagnosed with autistic spectrum and related disorders within her private practice in Westchester, IL.

Linda has participated in the certification process for DIR®. She is certified as an SLP, trainer/tutor and is a facilitator at the ICDL Institute. Linda provides speech and language evaluations and therapy using DIR® and a development language model and has conducted numerous workshops for school districts and families interested in learning these models. Linda is also trained in Therapeutic Listening®, Samonas® Sound Intervention and the Interactive Metronome®.

Linda received her Bachelor's Degree from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL and her Master's Degree in Communicative Disorders from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has worked for 25 years, with children with special needs, in home based and clinic based therapeutic services and public and private schools providing consultation, training and support for children and families.

Linda is married and Tom and she are the parents of two children age 16 and 21. Caitlin attends Marquette University in Wisconsin and Tommy attends Riverside Brookfield High School. Linda enjoys reading, gardening, walking and watching her son play hockey.