OUR CLINICIANS
Vinni Panikkar
Founder & Director
REGISTERED SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST (RSLP)
Vinni Panikkar
Founder & Director
B.A. Communication Disorders, University of North Dakota
M.S. Communication Disorders, University of South Florida,
Clinical Faculty, University of British Columbia
Registered Autism Service Provider (RASP)
Vinni is a trusted and well-respected in the professional community. She has worked for over 40 years with infants, children, adolescents, and adults in multiple settings. She also supervises students, has been involved in research, and is experienced in providing group therapy.
Vinni works with a wide range of speech needs and specializes in communication difficulties arising from mental health challenges. She is the founder of Granville Island Speech. The Speech Act Program was developed from her previous studies in theatre, and passion for creating innovative learning contexts.
Testimonials
What clients say
★★★★★
“My son has been seeing Vinni for speech therapy since August and the growth in just this short amount of time is unreal. I could see a change in him from even just after a couple of sessions. If you’re looking for speech therapy this is your place! It’s a very warm and friendly environment and I can’t wait to see how much more he will grow.”
– Mary
★★★★★
“Vinni brings extraordinary warmth, insight, and humanity to her work. Her clinic is more than a place to receive professional support; it is a welcoming and deeply personal space where individuals and families are met with compassion, respect, and hope. She recognizes the unique strengths and needs of every person and helps them find not only their voice, but also the confidence to use it.”
Renowned occupational therapist, teacher, speaker, and consultant
★★★★★
“I felt so much kindness and appreciation during my sessions with Vinni. She identified my challenges
and target treatment with knowledge and compassion. I learned a lot about myself. Amazing person! Thank you.”
– Emy
Vinni’s background
Vinni grew up with a father who was a physician and a mother who was a psychiatrist. Vinni was born in St. Lucia, and lived in Africa and England, before immigrating to Northern Manitoba in 1964, and Winnipeg in 1970. Her life experiences have been diverse and instrumental in shaping the understanding and respect she has for differences in culture, perspective, and communication.
While working at Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg, she was involved in longitudinal research projects looking at the relationship between low birthweight and language disorders from 12 months through 5 years. She also spearheaded original research examining maternal affect, dyadic interaction, and communication patterns in at risk populations, and presented her work internationally.
In 1990 Vinni settled in B.C. From that time she has worked consistently in multiple facilities and has been developing her private practice. She opened the office on Granville Island in 2013, and incorporated the growing business, Granville Island Speech Inc. in 2016. She currently works part time at the Children’s Hospital in the Mental Health Programs and has extensive experience working with communication difficulties that co-exist with a multitude of other psychiatric diagnoses.
