Publications

As a pediatric speech language pathologist in Manhattan, I have worked with many children over the past 20 years. I have grown so much in that time—personally and professionally as well as emotionally– and reflecting on this growth has caused me to consider how my therapeutic interactions have shaped my beliefs.

Nicole created a packet, geared towards Speech Language Pathologists, to  encourage and facilitate the use of WRiTE BRAiN products in their practice(s).

As the special needs products and programs consultant for WRiTE BRAiN Books (a narrative and creative writing program) , Nicole aligned each lesson in the curriculum to consider and support the students who may have learning challenges within the classroom.

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) has been described as a disorder of praxis which results in significantly impaired communication skills. Many children with CAS produce unintelligible speech, making verbal communication extremely challenging. It has been hypothesized that the speech production difficulties seen in children with CAS relate to problems with motor processing (Crary, 1984; Grunwell and Yavas, 1988; Nijland, Maassen, and van der Meulen, 2003a; Nijland, Maassen, van der Meulen, Gabreels, Kraaimaat, and Schreuder, 2003b), suggesting that speech motor control may be altered in CAS.

Listed below are tips to easily encourage your little one to talk. Read on to learn how to help them expand their vocabulary and use language variety consistently…

1.  Become well versed with developmental milestones—including speech and language milestones.  This way you can be clear of what the expectations are at the different ages and various stages along the continuum of development (do a search on the web for “developmental milestones” and you will be provided with a ton of resources to guide you).

Any savvy parent of a child with special needs will tell you that there are many tenets to a successful therapy program. But one crucial piece to the dynamic that is often overlooked is team collaboration. If your child is receiving therapies from numerous providers across multiple disciplines, such speech, physical and occupational therapies, team collaboration is critical.

Nicole Kolenda our very own adjunct professor and former clinical supervisor, took a position this summer as the executive clinical director at the Atlas Foundation for Autism (www.AtlasforAutism.org). The Atlas Foundation for Autism is a newly formed organization that Nicole’s friends and colleagues (Amanda Friedman and Alison Berkely) started as an evolution of their program Emerge and See Education Center (which has been operating since 2009).