A Speech-Language Pathologist’s Journey – Exclusive Interview With Amy Strekas
Amy Strekas is the founder of Speech, Language, Learning PLLC and a seasoned expert in child development and neurodiversity. With over 20 years of experience as a speech-language pathologist and coach, Amy brings a unique blend of expertise and empathy to her work. As an autistic ADHDer and a devoted mom to a neurodiverse child, she offers a fresh perspective and invaluable insights into overcoming challenges. Check out Amy's articles for useful tips on navigating the complexities of parenting, stuttering, autism, and ADHD.
Amy Strekas, Holistic Neurodivergent & Communication Coach
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life so we can get to know you better.
My hobbies are musical theatre, dancing, singing, and cooking. And I love the beach because of the warm sand and the sound of the waves. I find it incredibly relaxing and grounding. I live in Brooklyn, New York, with my husband, 9-year-old son, and a dog named Neon. You’ll find us most weekends at our son’s travel baseball games.
What inspired you to create Speech Language Learning, and what is your main mission?
Speech Language Learning was created to be a place for all kinds of children and families to access resources and learning. I offer language therapy, ADHD coaching, and autism coaching. I work with children and their families to improve communication, relationships, motivation, productivity, time management, organization, emotional regulation, and management of sensory processing disorders.
Are there any new features or updates planned for the near future that users can look forward to?
I will soon launch an online course for purchase to help parents of children with ADHD navigate parenting their child. I can only help so many parents and children with 1:1 coaching and therapy services, so I’m excited to offer this course to help even more people!
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
The field of speech and language therapy is incredibly ableist. For example, most stuttering programs aim to teach people to be perfectly fluent, which is impossible, and often teach children to say less so that they succeed during their sessions. Speech therapy should aim to teach comfortable and effective communication - to ensure that all those brilliant thoughts and meaningful ideas can be shared with others. I also want to help children who struggle to “sit still and listen” learn and attend through movement. I have ADHD and autism, and I always preferred my dance classes over lecture hall classes.
Can you describe a pivotal moment in your life that has led you to where you are today?
I was diagnosed with ADHD and then autism about 2 years ago. Up to that point, I’d been an SLP and executive function coach for well over 15 years working with ADHD and autistic children and never suspected these traits in myself. It was a bit of a shock! At the same time, it made me realize why I empathized so easily with my patients and inspired me to do and learn more!
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