Finding Her Voice: The Children’s SPOT Helps Young Girl Turn Silence Into Strength

Janette Platter is the community chaplain at Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place, a vibrant senior living community just steps from the Country Club Plaza. But in early 2025, she was just another mom seeking the very best care for her child. Fortunately, she knew it wasn’t too far away.

Janette’s five-year-old, Hildie, had always been a bright and affectionate kid, but her autism and selective mutism made socializing difficult. Although she laughed and played freely at home, new people and situations made her cautious. At preschool, she went three years without speaking to a teacher. She avoided eye contact, wouldn’t raise her hand, and stayed quiet when other children engaged with her.

“It wasn’t that Hildie didn’t know the answers or wasn’t interested in people,” Janette says. “She just couldn’t get the words out.”

For Janette and her family, the silence was heartbreaking. She knew Hildie had so much to say—she just needed help finding her voice.

Janette reached out to Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City The Children’s SPOT (Speech, Physical, and Occupational Therapy), which provides early and intensive therapy for children across the region. Janette wasn’t sure what to expect. She and Hildie met with Kirsten Schalekamp, speech language pathologist, and Janette was immediately impressed by Kirsten’s patience and grace.

“She approached Hildie with so much respect,” Janette says. “She asked her on that first day: Do you want to be able to talk? And Hildie nodded yes.”

From that very first session, Kirsten earned Hildie’s trust slowly and gently. She learned Hildie had a silly side and introduced new ways to play with her in therapy, such as dancing, touching letters around the room, or whispering different sounds of letters.

“Kirsten met Hildie where she was,” Janette says. “She created a safe space for Hildie to learn. She taught her that her voice had value—and that it was OK to use it.”

Over several weeks, Hildie continued to make great strides. Not only was she responding to other people, but she was also initiating her own conversations. Kirsten even introduced her to other speech therapists at The Children’s SPOT, and Hildie spoke clearly and confidently. When Hildie started kindergarten in fall 2025, Janette knew her daughter had come a long way, but still wanted to be upfront with her teachers.

“I just wanted Hildie’s teachers to know about her and to not be offended if she didn’t talk to them,” Janette says. “Imagine my surprise when they told me Hildie not only talks, but also laughs, asks questions, and engages in class.”

Kirsten and The Children’s SPOT did more than just help Hildie speak. They helped her family understand what autism is and is not, what selective mutism means, and how they could best support Hildie at home.

“They didn’t just treat her symptoms,” Janette says. “They gave us, as parents, the skills we needed to better connect with our daughter—and it’s changed our lives.”

Janette once wondered if Hildie would ever feel truly safe in her own skin. Now, she feels hopeful that Hildie will continue to grow into herself and flourish as the vibrant, expressive child Janette knows her to be.

“Hildie recently lost her first tooth and the first thing she said to me was, ‘I can’t wait to tell my teacher,’” Janette says.

For Janette, that small burst of excitement said it all. Hildie didn’t just find her voice—she found her strength.

Established in 1980 at Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, The Children’s SPOT (Speech, Physical, and Occupational Therapy) provides early and intensive rehabilitative therapy for infants through school-age children. The dedicated therapists at The Children’s SPOT are all working toward one goal—to help children reach their highest level of functional ability and success in the environments where they live, learn, and play.

Visit The Children's SPOT to learn more about Saint Luke's pediatric rehabilitative therapy.