Melissa Purvis, MS, CCC-SLP

About Me

Melissa began her career as a practicing clinician in 1995. She has provided speech and language services to the adult population in various Inpatient, Day Rehab and Outpatient settings. Melissa worked with Shirley Ryan AbilityLab between 2000-2007 in the Outpatient Department at the Flagship Hospital. She is now back at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in the Outpatient Department in Burr Ridge. Melissa has specialized in working with patients who have neurological disorders including Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, brain tumors, Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and more recently with patients experiencing 'brain fog" following Covid. She has provided therapeutic services for patient's with aphasia, apraxia, dysarthria, dysphagia/swallowing disorders and memory loss. In addition, Melissa has completed certification for the SPEAKOUT!® and LOUD Crowd® programs through the Parkinson's Voice Project. She currently runs in-person and on-line weekly outpatient community based Parkinson's groups for ongoing maintenance of voice and communication skills.

Melissa has been mentioned in the book Relentless: How a Massive Stroke Changed My Life for the Better by Ted W. Baxter as well as in a New York Times article.