Meet The Team

Shelley Stroud, MBA, LOTR, CLSSGB

Shelley is a licensed Occupational Therapist in the state of Louisiana with over twenty years of experience. She achieved her Bachelor's degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, her MBA from Louisiana State University Shreveport and her MBA Project Management Specialization from Capella University.

Shelley has a wealth of experience in pediatric skilled nursing facility, early intervention, adult inpatient rehabilitation, and a residential facility providing comprehensive support for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Shelley is originally from Atlanta, Louisiana and now resides in Central Louisiana with her two children. Her hobbies include reading, watching basketball and listening to podcasts. She loves animals, family time, Jesus and continuously learning!

Her favorite thing about being an OT is the diversity of the profession, the privilege to work in a variety of settings over the years, cultivating relationships with patients/families, and helping people improve their quality of life.

Laurie Draper, M.A., CCC-SLP

Laurie is the owner and founder of Elevation Therapy. She a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist through the Louisiana Board of Examiners for Speech Language Pathology and nationally certified through the American Speech Hearing Association. She has completed training as an Orofacial Myologist through Neo-Health Services. Laurie received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA.

Laurie has almost a decade of experience in a wide variety of settings including pediatric outpatient, adult inpatient rehabilitation facility, skilled nursing facility, and school-based setting. She has advanced training and certifications in:

Beckman Oral Motor Assessment and Intervention
Orofacial Myology through Neo-Health Services
Licensed SPEAK OUT! Provider for Parkinson's Disorder
Feed the Peds (a three-month training addressing assessment and intervention of pediatric feeding difficulties and dysphagia)
Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile
eSWALLOW NMES for Treatment of Dysphagia

Laurie has been awarded 2017 Hometown Healthcare Hero-Best Speech Therapist in Cenla and ACE Award from the American Speech Hearing Association.

Laurie is a native of Pineville, Louisiana, where she and her family currently reside. She is married to Dylon and they have a son, Ezra. Laurie enjoys spending time with her family and friends, being outdoors, iced coffee and working out.

Lauren Forester, M.S., CCC-SLP

Lauren is a licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologist through the Louisiana Board of Examiners for Speech Language Pathology and nationally certified through the American Speech Hearing Association. She completed her Bachelors degree at Nicholls State University and. Masters degree at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Lauren has spent her 4 years of speech practice in a variety of treatment settings across the country including pediatric outpatient, acute care hospital, inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and the school system. She has developed a passion for feeding and swallowing, expanding that knowledge with trainings and certifications in:

Feed the Peds: (a three-month training addressing assessment and intervention of pediatric feeding difficulties and dysphagia)
Beckman Oral Motor Assessment and Intervention
Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile
eSWALLOW USA
Kinesiology Taping Techniques for Swallowing Disorders
Licensed SPEAK OUT! Provider for Parkinson's Disorder

She has attended the Neurorehabilitation Conference on Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke, and Other Neurological Disorders put on by Encompass of Braintree.

Lauren has been awarded the ACE award by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Lauren is a native of Tioga, Louisiana. She currently lives in Pineville with her husband, Adam, and their blended family.