TPES Speech and Language

Mrs. Karen Kirkpatrick
Speech Language Pathologist
Tellico Plains Elementary School

BS Speech and Hearing Sciences
University of Tennessee 1989

MA Speech and Language Pathology
University of Tennessee 1991

I am happy to be serving as the TPES Speech-Language Pathologist since 2015. I was born and raised in
Tellico Plains and received my high school diploma from Tellico Plains High School. I started my career in Athens, TN as a Speech-Language Pathologist at National Health Care where I served patients who
suffered stroke and head injury, as well as the pediatric population for 7 years. While working for NHC, I
found my love for working with school age children through contract services in McMinn and Rhea
Counties. After leaving the Athens area, I contracted privately, part-time with Dayton City Schools 2
days a week for 15 years, while raising two children of my own. My husband and I live in Tellico, where
we are beginning to enjoy an empty nest, as our children are grown and finding their own way in life. In
our free time we enjoy riding horses, working on our small farm, working in our church, and spending
time with family.