Lauren Hastings

Lauren Hastings, MS, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist, private practice owner, business coach, podcaster, and Ph.D. student. She has held various clinical positions in Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama, including roles in rehabilitation centers, school districts, and an autism center. Her clinical and research interests include child language disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the impact of socioeconomic status on language and literacy development, and early intervention. In 2016, Lauren began working full-time in her private practice, Hear to Speak, a company based in South Fulton (Atlanta), Georgia, that serves the pediatric population using a community-based model. She independently applied to several insurance companies and was credentialed with Medicaid, Amerigroup, WellCare, CareSource, Peach State (GA-based), TRICARE, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia. In January 2021, she launched Hear to Speak Academy, a coaching business designed to help other therapists build their private practices. She expresses her passion for the profession and the African American community through her weekly podcast, Speech Tea, which she co-hosts with her colleague Lauren Prather. Together, they discuss topics impacting minorities and break down special education concepts into accessible terms. As of August 2022, Lauren is pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Studies in Diverse Populations with a concentration in Health Disparities at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.