Not your Regular Speech Therapist!
This was a long time coming…. Here is my story….
If you are here, you have probably already looked at my website and read my bio, and learned some basic details about me. But here are some more interesting facts about me and my practice:
I have worked in a variety of settings and with a variety of age groups. My youngest client was a 3 month old premature baby (adjusted age 1 month) struggling with bottle-feeding, transitioning to solids, and general delays. And my oldest client was a 105 year old gracious lady with Dementia, struggling with cognitive decline (memory loss, loss of daily function), and eating and swallowing difficulties.
I loved working in each setting (outpatient clinics, nursing facilities, home health), and I really don’t have a personal favorite.
The biggest lesson I learned through all these years of professional work is that, in order to see the biggest change or impact in my client, I have to work in a TEAM! And the most important team member is the immediate caregiver, whether this is a parent, teacher, nurse, sibling, daughter, or any other family member.
I was dismissed several times by trusted professionals and family members, when I was struggling with some concerns for my own child. This was very frustrating to me, and even though I was reassured time and again that my child “will grow out of it”, I knew in my gut that we needed help. We finally did get help, but it took us a long time to find someone who really understands our family’s values and concerns, does not judge us for them, and believes in empowering us parents and teaches us how to help our child on a day-to-day basis.
And this is how my Speech and Feeding Therapy practice was born. I wanted to create what I wished I had when I was first struggling with my child.
I truly believe in the power of empowering parents and caregivers, and being a strong support pillar alongside them while they are raising their children. When I work with your child, I work with the whole family. We set goals for your child together, and plan treatment together. I want you to be present in my one-on-one sessions, and ask me questions and learn the techniques that help your child move forward in their therapy journey.
I am a lifelong learner, and becoming a parent has been the most humbling experience for me so far. I learned the tricks of my trade in grad school, but as times evolve, I have had to unlearn some old ways and (re)learn new ways through continuing education. But I have also consciously broadened my scope of view and draw a lot of inspiration from Mindfulness techniques, the Montessori pedagogy, and Positive Parenting in general. This has only made me more aware of the immense potential childhood holds, and our responsibility as adults in the lives of the children around us.
This is my story…. And we can bring the change you want to see in your child’s life….
One Sound, One, Word, One Bite at a time!!!