aboutus

Defy Therapy Services is a, women owned, private speech therapy practice based in Wilmington, Delaware, providing personalized care for children and adults in their homes and community settings.

Our team of speech therapists specialize in:

Early intervention for young children
Developmental speech and language disorders
Developmental and complex feeding and swallowing interventions
Cognitive communication deficits, including stroke, dementia, and traumatic brain injury
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device support

At Defy, we make therapy functional, engaging, and meaningful. We emphasize family-centered care and focus on goals that support real-life communication and participation.

Meet Our TEam

Maggie
(McCormick) Kalinec

Maggie, a Delaware native, is a pediatric and adult Speech-Language Pathologist with a passion for rehabilitation and brain injury recovery. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland and her Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2011, receiving her ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) in 2012.

She began her career in adult neurorehabilitation at Baylor Rehab Hospital in Dallas and returned to Delaware in 2013 to focus on pediatric rehabilitation at Nemours Children’s Hospital, where she practiced for 12 years. Maggie is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist and VitalStim® certified, with expertise in developmental and rehab-based speech, language, and feeding therapy.

Passionate about community support, she has served on the board of the Brain Injury Association of Delaware and created local brain injury support groups in New Castle County. Outside of work, Maggie enjoys raising her two young boys, cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles, and exploring great food.

Molly McCormick

Molly has a degree in Organizational Dynamics and has a brain for business. Molly has worked managing digital portfolios, focusing on operational efficiencies and processes.

For Defy, Molly runs the backend of the business, managing the daily tasks as well as strategic business goals. Molly loves to spend her free time renovating her house, skiing and traveling.

Aurora
Gunter Johnson

Aurora is a pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist who believes that children thrive when learning is joyful, meaningful, and play-based. She prioritizes therapy that takes place in a child’s natural environment and is tailored to their interests, strengths, and unique learning styles.

Aurora earned her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Delaware in 2022. She has experience working with children within the pediatric hospital, outpatient, and school setting supporting a wide range of communication needs. She has a special passion for early intervention and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).

Aurora’s path into her career as a SLP was inspired by growing up alongside a family member with a disability, shaping her understanding of both the challenges and incredible success they can achieve with the right tools and compassionate support.

In her free time, Aurora co-facilitates a graduate level class for UD SLP students. She enjoys traveling, exploring state parks, cheering on the Phillies, and family game nights!

Kylie Jester

Kylie is a pediatric speech therapist that has had the opportunity to work in various settings from private practice, outpatient therapy, and in schools. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in communication sciences and her Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology from Nova Southeastern in Fort Lauderdale Florida. Kylie received her ASHA Certificate of Clinical competence CCC-SLP in 2019.

Kylie has experience in articulation, language, Augmentative and Alternative Communication AAC, and working with hearing loss and deaf population. Working with children and their families has always been a huge part of her life. Kylie is finding new joys in being a mother and raising her little boy!