Provider Bio

Cheryl Needham-Rives is the owner of Needham and Foster Speech Therapy LLC. Cheryl specializes in diagnostics and treatment of individuals with language-based literacy disorders, including dyslexia. She also serves individuals with a variety of other speech sound and language disorders.

Previous to starting her private practice, Cheryl was a faculty member at the University of Central Missouri where she initiated their academic and clinical programs with regard to literacy and dyslexia. She also developed the speech-language program at Western Missouri Medical Center, in Warrensburg Missouri, from its inception. This program grew to a team of nine speech-language pathologists under her leadership.

Cheryl has educated and trained many graduate students and SLP clinicians with regard to evaluating and treating language-based literacy disorders. Cheryl has been most gratified by instilling the skills, knowledge, and inspiration to many speech-language pathologists and educators so they can provide valuable resources and services to individuals with literacy disorders across the country.

Cheryl also truly enjoys working with and educating individuals and families. More importantly, she recognizes that she learns and gains more from them than she shares. Cheryl is honored and gains great pleasure from serving the individuals in her community by advocating and helping those with dyslexia, and other speech and language difficulties, increase skills, self confidence and reach their limitless potential!