* Masters of Science in Communicative Disorders – University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2003
* Bachelor of Science in Communicative Disorders- University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2001
* Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Speech Language Pathology (American Speech Hearing Association)
* New York State Professional License- Speech-Language Pathologist
* PROMPT trained
* Orton-Gillingham Trained
* International Dyslexia Association Provider
Brain Research, Volume 1389, 10 May 2011, Pages 93-102: P300 as a measure of processing capacity in auditory and visual domains in specific language impairment
Craig lectures to parents, schools, and professionals. He lectures locally and internationally; read more about his professional lecture vitae. Contact Craig, if you would like him to lecture to your school, organization, etc.
EARLY CHILDHOOD SPEECH & LANGUAGE
How to Get a Child to Imitate Speech to Learn Words
Using Simple Descriptive Language in Speech Development
How to Expand a Child’s Speech
How to Provide a Sound Cue for Speech
How to Provide a Speech Fill-in
How to Repeat Words and Exaggerate Sounds for Speech
READING SKILLS
How to Make Sight Word Flash Cards
Tips for Teaching Sight Words
Connecting Language Pathology with Literacy and Learning, & Speech Language Pathologists: Language Experts and Literacy Resource, & Six Techniques and Exercises to Facilitate Early Childhood Speech and Language Development
craig@brooklynletters.com & 347-394-3485
I’ve worked with children for over 17 years as a day camp and sleep away camp counselor, respite care worker, tutor, volunteer, and the last 8 + years as a certified speech language therapist! It all started freshman year in high school when I volunteered at a local elementary school summer camp. At the time I didn’t know anything about speech language therapy until 5 years later. In high school I wanted to help children but I wasn’t sure in what capacity: may be special education, psychology, or possibly become a reading specialist, like my mother.
1997-2003: Madison, Wisconsin: The Land of Cows & Cheese
You might be surprised to know this, but Madison is actually a surprisingly progressive liberal city and an epicenter for academic research; even if it is located in the Midwest. Sophomore year, an interesting class entitled Introduction to Communicative Disorders piqued my curiosity. Not knowing anything about speech language pathology, I signed up and became instantly hooked. Dr. Julia Evans, who taught the course, became my mentor for the next four years, and she introduced me to Dr. Seth Pollak, who I worked with for three years. Before you could say abracadabra, I was in grad school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of the top programs in the country for speech language pathology. While there I conducted the following:
* Neuropsychological testing on Romanian children adopted in the Midwest
* Neuropsychological research on children from Wisconsin who were abused
* Brain research on school-aged children who had language processing
difficulties, examining limited working memory capacities
2003: Welcome to the Big Apple
It’s here in the city of dreams that I started my clinical fellowship and later working with children of all ages (babies through adolescents) with varying learning needs. Speech, language, and feeding therapy? Check. Reading and writing intervention? Check. Socials skills remediation? Check. My experiences working in early intervention in families’ homes and at a school in Queens plus working as an independent contractor for the Board of Education, with preschool and school age students, have led me to work with a diversity of family cultures and backgrounds. I also have training and experience with Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), a type of therapy used with children diagnosed on the autism spectrum.
2005-2007 Climbing Mt. Sinai
I worked as a pediatric speech language pathologist at Manhattan’s Mount Sinai Hospital’s Therapeutic Nursery division of Child Psychiatry. Here, I taught (along with a special education teacher, social worker, and a teacher’s assistant) at a nursery with caregivers and their children incorporating an interdisciplinary model of teaching (each family was assigned a psychiatrist who we collaborated with weekly).
2007 Hitting the lecture circuit and Ohhhmmmm
I started giving talks to parents, professionals, and schools about early childhood speech and language delays. That same year I also collaborated with a yoga instructor, Marty New, creator of Climb Time Yoga. We developed a curriculum incorporating contemporary scientific research on healthy cognitive and language development with unique yoga partnering exercises; enhancing emotional, social, and communication bonds between parent and child.
2008 Montessori Magic
I started working as a learning specialist for a Montessori school (toddlers through 6th grade) in Manhattan as an expert on students with learning delays. Here I worked one on one and in the classroom helping students with speech, language, and learning difficulties and I collaborated with their teachers.
2009-2010 No Sleep Til Brooklyn
Wanting to be closer to my Park Slope hood, I opened Brooklyn Letters in the summer of 2010. Here I feel more at home and love it! Stop by my office and introduce yourself! Don’t live in the hood? Don’t worry, my team can probably travel to your home.
2010 Still in Brooklyn. Now awesome.
I was featured on About.com as an expert explaining and modeling six techniques to facilitate early childhood speech and language development. In 2011, I was filmed by About.com to demonstrate how to teach sight words (reading development). Videos to be released early 2012.
2011 Ruling the World
I presented my first international lecture along with Sarah Stuntebeck, Brooklyn Letters speech language therapist, to a preschool, The Study, (emphasizes learning through play) in New Delhi, India.
