Karla Compton, MEd, CCC-SLP
Founder
About Karla Compton, Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist in North Carolina
Hi, I’m Karla Compton, MEd, CCC-SLP, founder of International Speech Path. I’m a licensed speech-language pathologist in North Carolina providing personalized online speech therapy for children and families across the state, as well as eligible expat and international families living abroad.
I created International Speech Path to help families access individualized communication support when finding the right services locally is difficult. For some families, that means long waitlists or limited pediatric specialists nearby. For families living abroad, it may mean difficulty finding an English-speaking speech-language pathologist or the specific support their child needs.
Through telepractice, I’m able to work directly with children and their families in their own homes while providing therapy that reflects each child’s strengths, communication needs, and everyday life.
MY STORY
Why I Became a Speech-Language Pathologist
My interest in communication began while I was living in Thailand, where I taught English to elementary school students and novice Buddhist monks.
When I first arrived, I did not understand or speak Thai, and I lived with a Thai teacher who did not understand or speak English. Navigating everyday life without a shared language gave me a personal understanding of how important communication is to connection, learning, independence, and simply feeling understood.
That experience ultimately shaped the direction of my career.
After returning to the United States, I earned my ESL Teaching Certificate through Duke University’s Continuing Education Office, completed my Master’s degree in Communication Disorders, and became a certified speech-language pathologist in North Carolina.
My time abroad continues to influence the work I do today, particularly with families who are living internationally and navigating the challenges of finding appropriate communication support for their child.
EXPERIENCE
My Experience in Pediatric Speech Therapy
Throughout my career, I have worked with children and families in a variety of clinical and educational settings.
EARLY INTERVENTION
OUTPATIENT SPEECH THERAPY
SPECIAL NEEDS PRESCHOOL
DIRECTING A PRESCHOOL PROGRAM
IN PERSON & TELEPRACTICE
My experience includes early intervention, outpatient speech therapy, working with children in a special needs preschool, directing a preschool program, and providing therapy both in person and through telepractice.
Those experiences have taught me that no two children—or families—are exactly alike. Effective therapy starts with understanding the individual child rather than applying the same approach to everyone.
Through International Speech Path, I bring that pediatric experience into an online setting where therapy can be tailored to the child’s communication needs, developmental stage, environment, and family priorities.
OUR APPROACH
Every child has their own way of communicating, learning, interacting, and experiencing the world.
My approach to speech therapy is neurodiversity-affirming, child-centered, and individualized. Rather than focusing only on what a child cannot yet do, I consider their strengths, preferences, communication style, relationships, and the environments in which communication takes place.
The goal is meaningful communication—not asking every child to communicate in exactly the same way.
Depending on a child’s needs, communication may include spoken language, gestures, visual supports, or aided and unaided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
I work with families to identify goals that support their child’s ability to express themselves, connect with others, and participate more fully in everyday experiences.
WORKING TOGETHER
A Family-Centered Approach to Online Speech Therapy
Children do not communicate only during therapy sessions. Communication happens throughout the day—during play, meals, school, family routines, and interactions with the people around them.
That is why I believe families should be an active part of the therapy process.
Telepractice gives parents and caregivers the opportunity to see strategies in action, ask questions, and learn practical ways to support communication outside of appointments. We can look at what is happening in your child’s real environment and develop strategies that fit naturally into your family’s routines.
When we work together, I take time to understand your child, your concerns, how they currently communicate, and what you hope to support through therapy. From there, we can develop an individualized plan that is practical for your family and meaningful for your child.
My goal is not to give parents another long list of tasks to complete. It is to help families feel informed and supported with strategies they can realistically use in everyday life.
WHO WE SERVE
Supporting Families in North Carolina & Abroad
International Speech Path serves children and families throughout North Carolina as well as eligible expat and international families living outside the United States.
Living abroad can create unique challenges when trying to find pediatric speech therapy. English-speaking providers may be limited, specialized services may not be available locally, or a child may receive support through an international school while the family is looking for additional individualized therapy at home.
Having lived abroad myself, I understand how difficult it can be to navigate resources when familiar services are not readily available.
International Speech Path was created in part to help bridge that gap through telepractice.
Services for families abroad are available only in locations where applicable regulations allow care to be legally provided without additional local licensing requirements. North Carolina residents and eligible international families are the practice’s primary service audiences.
Bring Your Child’s Voice to the World
Communication is about more than producing words correctly. It allows children to express what they need, share their ideas, build relationships, participate in everyday experiences, and show the people around them who they are.
That is what I want International Speech Path to support.
If you are looking for a licensed speech-language pathologist in North Carolina or exploring online speech therapy while living abroad, I would be happy to learn more about your child and help you determine whether telepractice is the right fit for your family.
Bring your child’s voice to the world.