By: Cathy Padilla | April 29, 2022 | | Middletown , Rumson
FEATURED PHOTO: Shaylyn Stilwell and Dr. Bernadette Mullen co-owners of Speech Start | CREDIT: Carmela Caracappa
Whenever we kids would ask my mother what she wanted to do for Mother’s Day she would always say, “Every day is Mother’s Day.”
As a child, even a teenager, I had no idea what that meant. Now I think it falls somewhere between how a mother’s work is never done and the idea that any day you spend with one of your children is special. Two of our Community neighbors, who happen to be a mother and daughter who live across the street from one another in Middletown, spend every day together working a career that is never truly done – helping children. Dr. Bernadette Mullen and Shaylyn Stilwell co-own Speech Start, open six days a week and located in both Rumson and Hazlet, and lead a team of therapists who develop and tailor programs that meet the developmental requirements of children with special needs. As May is both the month we collectively celebrate moms and National Speech and Language Awareness Month, we caught up with the dynamic duo who share a growing business and a love for helping children.
“We all need to communicate with people we love, friends we know, and people we meet,” said Dr. Mullen. “It is challenging for many of us to imagine, but communication is difficult for many children and adults. They have some type of speech and language disorder that disrupts that process. We all need to be cognizant of that in the community, at work, and at social events. The month of May focuses on speech and language by providing us all with information about apraxia, aphasia, dysarthria, autism, Down syndrome, hearing impairment, and many others.”
Having grown up in Lincroft and then Holmdel, Dr. Mullen started Speech Start in Middletown in 1998 and then moved the location to Hazlet in 2002.
“I always wanted to be a speech and language pathologist (SLP) for as long as I can remember,” said Dr. Mullen. “My father encouraged all my sisters and me to be nurses but I knew I wanted to be an SLP. I absolutely loved pediatrics and all the things that SLPs would work on for instance, sign language, hearing evaluations, sound production, social skills groups, and the list goes on. I also visited a speech and language rehab center when I was enrolled at Holmdel High School, which solidified my decision.”
As the practice grew, and Shaylyn graduated from Monmouth University with a Master of Science in Education in Speech-Language Pathology, her role at her mother’s office transitioned from helper to co-owner.
“I grew up around children with special needs and was very much a part of Speech Start from the beginning,” shared Shaylyn. “I served as a typical peer in individual and group speech/language therapy sessions from infancy up through my middle and high school years. I always loved being around this population and working with children so I knew I wanted to be in this field or a related service field from a very young age. I have always loved the clinical side of this field but, more importantly, I have always enjoyed becoming part of my clients’ lives.”
Though having admittedly different personalities, both mother and daughter share certain passions. Both love living in Middletown, both love their dogs and have a total of seven between them (Shaylyn – Kaia, Kenzie, Tank, and Myle. Dr. Mullen – Daisy Dukes, Willie Nelson, and Penny Lane), both are dedicated to treating their clients and client families as a whole, and both women care deeply about family and each other.
“Working together is an adventure!” said Shaylyn. “We are like ying and yang, total opposites, but it is actually a very good thing for our business. My mother and I have very different strengths and weaknesses and they complement each other. It is really great to have two different perspectives on issues as it opens the other’s eyes to a different way of looking at a situation or issue.”
The team opened a second Speech Start location in Fair Haven in 2016 and within three years relocated to a larger space in Rumson. As the only speech/language therapy private practice in the Rumson/Fair Haven area, business has expanded significantly.
“I conduct most of the evaluations,” shared Dr. Mullen. “I had evaluated many children from the shore area and the parents repeatedly said our Hazlet office was too far. After we moved to Rumson, we began to identify all the advantages of being in this community. We have expanded in many areas, but our forward movement began with many of our staff acquiring specialty certificates for example in PROMPT, feeding, and sensory processing. We have also improved our social skills, literacy, and language groups. We do groups more frequently and we have been offering community trips as part of the program. We have specialty activities at the center like the ice cream truck, The Fun Bus, gym instructor Pat, and the Bubble Man.”
Always looking to improve and offer the most innovative and effective services, occupational therapy was recently added to the curriculum at Speech Start. The team also focuses on offering parent and staff educational seminars to help the community at large understand autism as well as other disabilities and disorders.
“It is crucial that our community – first responders, professionals, families, and other peers – understand speech and language disorders particularly in those with autism,” said Shaylyn. “We are hopeful that this understanding helps us to help those with autism to integrate into our community and opens up doors professionally, personally, and socially for them.”
Having had a father who was an FBI agent, Dr. Mullen learned early the importance of work and dedication to a goal. It’s something she also credits Shaylyn with teaching her.
“Two people have greatly influenced my career,” said Dr. Mullen. “First and foremost, my father. My dad was an FBI agent and he took it quite seriously. He never complained about work or spoke negatively about it. He always did his best. Second would be my daughter. She has helped me see so many things I did not see before I worked with her. I am older and I have been doing this a long time, so a new perspective is appreciated.”
That strong work ethic is reflected in Shaylyn’s thoughts about her mom as well as her favorite saying, “She thought she could so she did.”
“My mother has shown me what a strong, powerful woman looks like,” said Shaylyn. “I come from a line of strong women but my mom is by far the strongest! She never stops learning and has always been my inspiration, especially professionally.”
Married for 33 years to Edward, also raised in Holmdel, Dr. Mullen says their three children have been their greatest blessing: Shaylyn, who is the oldest and is recently married to Dylan; Eddie, a police officer who is engaged and living in Middletown; and Daniel, a recent graduate of Rowan University who works for Boars Head.
Living and working by the mantra “I was not made to give up,” Dr. Mullen has shared her philosophy with her own children as well as putting it to use to help other children.
“The most rewarding part of my career is hearing a child ask for something they want or say ‘Mommy or Daddy’ or ‘I love you’ to people he/she cares about for the first time,” shared Dr. Mullen. “My best life tip is to put yourself in the shoes of others before you judge anyone. We never know what another person is going through. My best business tip is to be honest in your work, know what you know and be forthright with what you don’t. Do the best work you can!”
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