Ms. Mears
Hi! My name is Patricia Mears, and I am the licensed Speech-Language Pathologist at McHenry Middle School. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in 1991 and my Master of Science degree in 1993 from Eastern Illinois University. I have been employed with McHenry District 15 since January 2002. Prior to that, I worked in a variety of settings, such as Early Intervention, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Home Health Care, schools, and hospitals. Not only do I hold a state licensure and an Illinois Teaching Certificate, I also maintain my Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Being a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) is an extremely rewarding profession. I am passionate about helping individuals of all ages communicate their wants, needs, and ideas. My role as an SLP is to evaluate and treat those students with deficits in the following skill areas: sound production (articulation), speech clarity or intelligibility, stuttering, voice disorders, listening comprehension, expressive language, language memory, auditory processing, language processing, problem solving/reasoning and thinking, abstract language (e.g., inferences, idioms, analogies, sarcasm), reading comprehension, written expression, and swallowing (dysphagia). I believe that collaborating and consulting with teachers and family members is important if our students are to succeed academically and socially. It is a team effort! My goal at the middle school level is to teach the skills needed to make students proficient listeners, speakers, writers, communicators, and social beings.
On the weekends, I work as an SLP at Northwestern Medicine Hospital in McHenry. In my leisure time, I enjoy nature walks, reading, playing word games, and visiting family. I have two sons, who are 25 and 27 years of age.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
