Julia Lakoduk, M.S., CCC-SLP

Welcome to Otter Speech Therapy! My name is Julia Lakoduk, and I am the owner and speech language pathologist.

I received my bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders in 2014 and Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology in 2016 from Minot State University.

I am excited to now be providing services in Fergus Falls as I am a Minnesota native. For the past 9 years, I have gained skills and experience working in the Minot, ND public school-setting serving elementary and middle-school aged children. My special interests include supporting children with Autism, social-emotional skills, executive function skills, dyslexia, childhood apraxia of speech, and language delays.

The best thing about being a speech-language pathologist is getting to see kids’ confidence, academic success, and relationships grow with improved communication skills. I value the trust you put in me to help your child. I am incredibly grateful that I get to be an SLP and serve your family in this way. 

One of my core values is providing a fun, safe, and emotionally secure environment for your child to learn and develop, free of shame and guilt. Kids who work with me know that when they make mistakes, they will hear how I also have imperfections. When we recognize we are all incapable of being perfect, it helps us develop empathy, learn to forgive others, and cope when others make mistakes. 

Special certifications / trainings: 

• NLA (Natural Language Acquisition) Level 3 Trained Clinician, meaning being trained in assessing and supporting those who are gestalt language processors (i.e. echolalia). 
• Trained in IMSE Orton-Gillingham Plus (OG+) Curriculum which teaches foundational phonics skills required to be successful readers. The Orton-Gillingham method is considered the gold-standard intervention for any struggling reader or child with dyslexia.
• Trained in IMSE Morphology Plus (Morphology+) curriculum. This training is designed to improve reading comprehension and vocabulary for struggling readers or children with dyslexia
• Trained in Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC) approach which improves children’s speech production who exhibit Childhood Apraxia of Speech.
• Trained in LETRS Units 1-8 designed to provide knowledge and tools to teach literacy skills based on the science of reading
• Trained in Level 1 Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)

I hold a current speech language pathologist license from the Minnesota Department of Health and am a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Certification page available using the ASHA ProFind tool:

If you have any questions or are interested in a free screening for your child, please contact me.