Services
Currently Renata Tabellion is offering a variety of unique speech and language oriented services, in-home or via Zoom. These include:
- Speech Development Consultation
- Life & Wellness Coaching
- Family and Caregiver Training
- ASD Home Program Collaboration
- IEP Consultations
Speech Development Consultation
Are you concerned about your toddler’s speech and language development and wondering if your child is just a “late talker” or has a speech and language problem that should be addressed by a professional? Or do you have a preschooler who is not talking at all, or talks a lot but you (or grandparents and friends) don’t always understand him and you wonder if you should take him to speech therapy? Or are you concerned about your Kindergartener who still says “wabbit” for “rabbit” or “wove” for “love” and this is starting to impact her ability to spell words correctly and you would like to know how to best help her?
During a speech development consultation I will listen to you
concerns, observe and interact with your child, and possibly do some brief formal
testing depending on the child’s age and level of comfort during the session.
Immediate feedback will be given, including tips on how you can help your child at home. Specific recommendations for further evaluation/testing or therapy will also be provided, if needed. Depending on the age of your child and his/her needs, I will help you understand how to initiate a referral to GGRC (for children 0-3) or to your school district (ages 3 and up) as well as discuss private therapy options for all ages.
Life & Wellness Coaching
Each and every child brings to their family their own joys and challenges. For parents and caregivers of children with special needs, the challenges can be significant at many different levels. People caring for children with complex needs, often need special support themselves reframing a multitude of aspects in their lives. These aspects may range from their parental and spousal roles, to their expectations of their children, to their approach to family and life in general. Those caring individuals need to be encouraged to also take the
time to
take care of themselves. Through coaching, family members and caretakers are guided thorough the process of becoming aware and attending to their new life as a parent of a child with special needs, as well as attending to their own needs. By setting
and meeting personal goals, parents and other caretakers
are better able to maintain optimal levels of energy and move toward a more balanced life.
Family and Caregiver Training
Training is an effective way to encourage family members, including siblings, grandparents and even close friends - as well as caregivers - to become active participants in the client's therapeutic process. Training provides them with the tools to help incorporate every newly learned or recovered skill into the client's daily life.
ASD Home Program Collaboration
Children diagnosed with
Autism Spectrum Disorders and receiving ABA or other intensive in-home
interventions may benefit from a collaborative approach to speech
therapy. Some of these children do well attending to individual therapy
in a clinic or office, but most will do better if speech and language
goals and activities are incorporated into their on-going home programs.
With over 10 years of experience working with children with autism, I like to offer families a combination of direct and indirect services provided in the home. During each visit, I typically spend some initial time observing the child and getting feedback from the home program staff regarding the child's recent gains and challenges. I then take time to work directly with the child while being observed by the parents and/or program staff. To wrap up the visit I share my impressions regarding on-going activities and make recommendations regarding new elements that can be potentially incorporated into the program according to the priorities set by the parents along with their program directors.
Visits may occur on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis depending on the child's needs and rate of progress.
IEP Consultations
Through IEP consultations I help parents better understand their rights and choices when working with their local school district. Based on the child's specific strengths and needs we discuss the pros and cons of the services most commonly offered by the school districts.
Before IEP meetings, I review the child's history and progress and help parents define short and long term goals for their children. These goals will guide us in the selection of appropriate services. Then - based on the parents personality and overall profile - we brainstorm on how to bring their "wish list" to the table on a positive and effective manner during an IEP. This will maximize the family's chances of being well received and supported by their district.
After the IEP meeting I review all related documents with the parents and provide feedback and recommendations for adjustments when appropriate.