WELCOME
CoHearts Speech Therapy & Communication Services, PLLC
We Put Our Hearts Into Communicating!
Mission Statment:
As a community serving organization, our mission is to :
Help individuals who struggle to communicate.
Coach community helpers (law enforcement, church staff, etc,), caregivers and family members in order to break down communication barriers between those who struggle to communicate and those who struggle to understand them.
Dismantle the belief that those who don't grasp the dynamics of communication are “bad" and simply in need of punishment.
Become a hub of community resources that enhance daily life for individuals who struggle and their families.
A Speech Language Pathologist’s goal is to fulfill the communication needs of those with speech and language impairments as well as their families. Through evidence-based practice and service delivery this goal is achieved. But can we do more? The answer is yes; through equipping community helpers with communication tools and by using those tools in a seamless way from place to place in a person's everyday life. This model will effectively improve the person who struggle's qualify of life. A service delivery model provided in his/her's naturalistic environment helps them to carryover socially appropriate behavior and functional communication skills, which is our primary goal. Additionally, community helpers will know the signs of someone who is struggling to communicate and can offer an appropriate response based on their training.
The CoHearts Difference is a solution that takes a community approach to communication improvement! For an individual, the whole community or any place in between, the dedication to care is seamless. Our services provide customized communication tools based on the need expressed.
Why are Social Skills Important?
Speech-Language Pathologists are trained to observe the way individuals interact in their worlds. Can they take other's perspective? Can they attend to the unspoken rules and change accordingly? For example, do they scream in public places or demonstrate aggression, explosive type behaviors to get a desired outcome? This could indicate a social skills or pragmatices disorder? It's just as real of a disoder as say a learning disability. Social rules are not easily grasped by every child and result in the need to be taught by empathetic and knowledgeable adults. Communication breakdowns strain relationships between the person struggling and the people around them. Research has concluded poor social skills can have a lasting and negative effect on a person's life into early adulthood if not addressed. They're more likely to be unsuccessful in school, become socially withdrawn and be involved with the law. Speech-Language Pathologists can teach tools to caregivers to lessen the load on these children and create environments conducive for social skills building.
The CoHearts Solution
Adults, have individualized needs that makes us who we are. From the products we use, the ingredients in our meals and the way we learn best. Children are no different. Each child has a unique way of learning, expressing their needs and taking in information around. CoHearts understand this and also understands that needs vary from one place to another. CoHearts offers a range of strategies from individual therapy, social sills groups with 2 or more children, parent coaching and more. These strategies are proven to increase prosocial language and improve the following behaviors:
Defiant behaviors
Aggression
Shyness
Coordination of Care the CoHearts Way
Parent Coaching
A parent(s) is a child’s first teacher. You as a parent know much more, see more and hear more of your child’s behaviors and have more opportunities to engage them by creating a language rich environment. You can be given easy strategies to implement in short increments of time that increase your child's social awareness , language acquisition and more.
Caregiver Coaching
Daycare workers are first responders in their own right. They’re the first providers of structure and education outside of a child’s family. What an immense responsibility! The Speech Therapist will consult with the daycare campus' administration and teachers to obtain the needs of their campus and plan strategies to best meet the needs of their staff members and the children. Careful attention is paid to the strengths and weaknesses of each individual. Lesson plans drated for the campus place an emphasis on strengths while cultivating areas of weakness.
Multidiscipline Team
When possible it is CoHearts' goal to coordinate the expertise from other health care and academic professionals to meet the needs of the community. Multidisciplines add a seamless and holistic approach to your child's care.
Community Helpers Coaching
Police officers, firemen, teachers, church staff, and other community helpers who desire to see the very best for children of the community can be coached in ways to promote the best communication environment possible. Children need allies tasked with the ability to help them be successful in any setting they may experience.
We Come Where You Are
CoHearts is currently working with the Grand Prairie Library system to provide free talks about communication and social skills.
Are you a parent that could benefit from having the assistance of a speech therapist to coach you in strategies that decrease tantrums and unruly behaviors in public places or at home? Is your child involved in a local Dallas/Ft. Worth area YMCA or afterschool program that struggles with how to relate to your child’s unique needs? CoHearts can help them reach implement a social skills program designed to help staff members and your child’s peers to be more sensitive to your child’s needs.
It is possible for CoHearts to meet your needs wherever they may arise! If there are certain obligations, when they are met CoHearts can proceed with services bringing all parties involved on board for the success of your child.
Programs, Plans & Outreach
People, Places & Things 2018!
"A child only educated at school is an uneducated child." Those are not my words but I know they are true. This group is to serve as a means to engage in our children's education while learning new people, places and things around our community.
I need YOUR help! We are a community of untapped resources and I would like to compile those resources to begin exposing our children to them. For example, if you know of a PERSON, PLACE, or THING in the DFW area our children would benefit being exposed to, please message me that reference.
Are you a doctor and you'd like to explain to a group of kiddos what you do? Artist? Or do you have cool farm animals on your property? Please contact me.
Additionally, If you are parents and would like your child to go on these little adventures, please inbox me as well. More info to come for our summer 2018 program!
Oracy in the community
Oracy in the Community is a program designed to teach youth from ages 5 to 18 skills that will help them become more experienced speakers and debaters. We all have opinions and we all have a voice. With communication strategies, there is a way to express your ideas in such a way that draws in your audience and respect your opponent while demonstrating emotional intelligence. More information coming soon.
Breaking Down Communication Barriers
Project Breaking Down Communication Barriers is a program modeled after the founding premise of CoHearts. It is designed to equip our youth /young adults with unique needs with communication strategies to navigate interactions with law enforcement. Additionally, law enforcement will be taught what to expect when they encounter a person with a communication impairment under intense pressure or in crisis. They may not be able to readily comply with directives.
More information to come as this program is now underway. Please see the "New Blog" section for more details on how you or your city may get involved. If you know of teens or young adults within the disability community here in the DFW area with I/DD, a communication disorder, ADHD, Down Syndrome, or a mental health disorder of any type, that would benefit from this program, please leave us a message to obtain more information.
Quiet speech
Quiet Speech is a Community Talk that goes in depth exploring the deception of body language, nonverbal communication and vernacular. Sometimes it's not WHAT you say but HOW you say it and the MANNER in which you present yourself that speaks volumes when you're saying nothing at all. More details to come!
CoHearts S.H.A.R.E.
Medical professionals and parents both see the drastic shift in children’s social and emotional well-being as we’ve gotten into the depth of COVID-19 restrictions. Although the adjustment has been a task, we don’t have to count socialization totally out at this time. Instruction does not have to be limited to lecture-style learning.with rigid requirements.
CoHearts takes a re-imagined approach to learning by letting the children lead. Using the digital media platform of ZOOM, each child will have an opportunity to be the “share person.” They will present to the group about something they find amazing and answer any questions each child may have. Parents will gently guide their child with presenting and answering questions with models.
Each child will benefit by learning from their peers and being exposed to friends from around our global community. They will increase social skills and oral expression.Parents will be able to assess what their child is learning by what they are able to share. It’s a win, win!
Contact CoHearts for enrollment today!
Coaching Program
CoHearts offers the following services depending on the needs of your group:
Consultation – A free assessment to determine the needs of the respective group that guides the direction of the intervention plan.
Power Hour Sessions- Group activities that promote social skills and effective communication.
Teacher Coaching- Coaching to assist leardership in applying communication strategies and social skills modeling.
Parent Coaching- Coaching for individual parents or parent groups to provide practical communication strategies. Parent coaching is stand alone or supplemental to reinforce strategies provided to primary facility.
Professional Development Training
In-services or coaching sessions counted towards satisfying 3-6 professional development hours in accordance with the Minimum Standards for Child Care Centers requirements. The participating teachers will receive a Certificate of Completion.
Speech Language Therapy
Consultations, Evaluations, and Direct Speech Therapy Services:
Articulation disorder
Expressive and receptive language disorders
Fluency disorder
Pragmatics Language disorder
Additional Services
Consultation with school staff
School conferences
Review of ARDs, IEPs and Evaluation reports (FIEs)
Dyslexia support
Academic support and success planning
THE COHEARTS DIFFERENCE
For many years I’ve been fortunate to work with many different disciplines in both the medical field and in the academic setting. I’ve been able to experience care at its best and sometimes at its worst. I designed CoHearts to “fill in the gaps” so to speak. I hope you enjoy what we’re doing and you desire to get involved!
