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Throughout my childhood and academic career I received glowing teacher reports and high grades while often receiving perfect marks.  My parents would often hear from teachers at our parent-teacher conference nights that “they wished all their students were as studious,  conscientious, and as hard working as Heather.”   All those things were true – I was… Continue reading Why Masking Can Lead to Burnout in Neuro Divergent Girls & Women: A NYC Speech Therapist’s Personal Perspective

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Sally.  One day Sally’s mom was in the kitchen crafting her favorite brownie and ice cream dessert – she’s a fantastic baker!  But she was dismayed – she could not find her special cinnamon spice blend!   Well – out of a hundred spices – little… Continue reading What Is Hyperlexia? How a Neurodivergent Speech Therapist in NYC Supports Different Learning Styles

Johnny’s mom was shocked when she learned during the first parent teacher conference night of the third grade that Johnny was not talking during the school day.  Johnny was not talking in class.  Johnny was not talking in the lunchroom.  Johnny was not even talking on the playground.  Nope. Not a single word.   He was… Continue reading How a NYC Speech Therapist Uses Neuro-Affirming Care to Improve Communication Confidence in Selectively Mute Children

Today in this blog – I will tell a personal story about how I came to be a speech therapist and why I created Chatty Child Clinic. I discuss what inspires me daily to empower the children in my care to be agents of change and successful communicators in their own lives. I  have been… Continue reading A NYC Speech Therapist’s Personal Story & Life’s Mission to Create Voices and Empower Children

Allow me to paint a picture for you. His name is Tommy. Tommy is a little 6-year-old boy who just started a new school. He has curly brown hair that likes to fall in front of his face, tiny freckles sprinkled along his cheeks, and a set of blue glasses that cover his large and… Continue reading Traditional vs Holistic Speech Therapy: Why Neurodiversity-Affirming Speech Therapy Matters in NYC For Highly Sensitive Kids

Gestalt language processing is a hot topic in the speech-language pathology world these days. As a speech therapist in NYC, I thought I would take a moment to explain all the important facts about Gestalt Language Processing and why it is gaining attention now. Who is ready to put on their learning caps? Let’s dive… Continue reading What Is Gestalt Language Processing? Speech Therapy in NYC Supporting Different Communication Styles

As a pediatric speech therapist in NYC, I love using oral motor and sensory activities to improve focus and engagement with all my sensory seekers. These are activities I implement in speech therapy sessions at Chatty Child. Oral motor and sensory activities not only improve focus and engagement but also improve a variety of important… Continue reading A Pediatric Speech Therapist in NYC Shares Oral-Motor Activities to Improve Focus and Engagement

As a speech therapist in NYC, feeding specialist, neurodivergent person, and picky eater myself, I have a long list of nutritious snacks to choose from that I am excited to share with you today. In fact, my family, friends, and clients alike know my affinity for squirreling and consuming clean and healthy snacks. When I… Continue reading A Highly Sensitive Speech Therapist in NYC Shares Clean, Nutritious Snacks for Picky Eaters

You may be wondering why a speech therapist has a list – ahem – an arsenal of tried and tested allergen-free products – ranging from laundry detergents, soaps, body washes, fabrics, and textiles! Many people who are differently-abled also have skin and food sensitivities and allergies. This is something we consider in speech therapy sessions… Continue reading Sensitive Skin During Allergy Season? A NYC Speech Therapist Shares Her Favorite Products

My meditation and mindfulness training teacher and friend, Dina Kaplan, was recently named one of the Top 25 Meditation teachers in the world! I had the pleasure of completing The Path’s ™ Meditation Teacher Training (MTT) course. Dina created this amazing 150 hour teacher training course, which discusses Buddhist history and wisdom, along with the… Continue reading How Mindfulness Can Help Neurodiverse People to Thrive: A Neuro-Affirming Perspective & Conversation with Dina Kaplan, Founder of The Path