Celebrating Local Heroine: Akron's Emily Cihon Shines in Pediatric Speech-Language Pathology

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Emily Cihon, a speech-language pathologist at Akron Children’s, combines her early interests in teaching and medicine in her career. During National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, Emily discussed her career path, which started when she experienced vocal strain and underwent speech therapy in college at Ohio University. This led her to specialize in pediatric speech-language pathology, focusing on helping children and their families.

Since joining Akron Children’s in 2015, Emily evaluates and treats children with speech and language disorders. She works extensively with toddlers who have language delays and stresses the importance of involving parents in the treatment process. She is skilled in Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC), offering non-verbal communication tools for children with significant speech or language challenges, including devices like iPads and specialized communication tools.

Professionally, Emily prioritizes recognizing the strengths and progress of her patients. She values every small achievement, which she believes is encouraging for both the children and their parents. Her experience as a mother also enhances her empathy and support for the families she works with.

Emily has chosen a part-time schedule to balance her career and personal life, spending more time with her daughter. Her personal interests include reading, walking her dogs, visiting craft fairs, and taking family vacations, which she finds rejuvenating.