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A passionate clinician, executive director, and entrepreneur with keen strategic and intellectual ability evidenced in professional accomplishments, clinical staff mentoring, and advising and teaching students, professionals, and parents across the country. Landria has the opportunity every day to work and live in her purpose by working and training people with special needs and their families. Landria is described as a dynamic, informative, energetic, and captivating speaker. She is a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist with specialties in autism, assistive technology, behavior, and communication. As the granddaughter of a woman who’s communication abilities were cut short by a massive stroke, she understands first hand the impact of impairment on the family. Landria is currently the owner and Executive Director of SLC Therapy, a private therapy firm located in Connecticut and Michigan focused on Empowering Families and Expanding Independence. Through her leadership at SLC Therapy, Landria has created dynamic and innovative programs for families that include Flourish!, a center based educational program for learners with autism, and the use of videoconferencing (Teletherapy) technology to provide families access to therapy service. In addition, Landria is focused on empowerment through partnerships with organizations to enhance community services. Landria is the creator of The Empowered Parent, a parent e-magazine focused on support for families of people with special needs. Landria was recently selected as a professional expert on a documentary focused on Autism in the African-American Community. Landria is the author of the social curriculum Keep the Conversation Going, which focuses on social cognition, conversation fluency, and social skills. Education B.S. Speech and Hearing Science University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign M.A. Speech Language Pathology Northwestern University Certified Speech Language Pathologist American Speech Language Hearing Association DIR Level 1 Practitioner Certification: Compton P-ESL Certificate: ADOS Training, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor PROMPT-Introduction Verbal Behavior, Dr. Vincent Carbone Achievements 40 Under 40 Business Professionals in Fairfield County 2009 Someone You Should Know Award, Bridgeport Black Pride 2007 People’s Bank Community Award 2006
Blog » The Camp...Where SLC is...and my experience as a Clinic Director 8-30-07
First, I could not have asked for a more energetic, professional, and implementation heavy therapy staff!
My role for social communication groups for the summer were to support the therapy staff in terms of ideas, problem solving, technology that would support concepts, and parent conversations.
Interesting that there were bumps in the road, but when I look at approximately 25 children attended Camp Keep the Conversation Going from as far as Westchester County to Southington, CT...I think that the outreach factor was good.
The interesting part for me was teaching children and parents the diversity across the spectrum! Another interesting part was to see the support in terms of coaching needed when children are in the real world trying to use the skills they've been taught. Speaking of diversity...there was a child user of an augmentative system in one of our groups. Initially (for 15 minutes) the camp participants were trying to figure out if she would have anything or as much to say...and if her brain was equivalent. Well she showed them! She won a conversation round by giving more comments, spoke up for herself, initiated conversations, etc. It was so great that one of the participants stated "Wow she really talks and she has lots of things in her head just like me...we just talk differently"
Many many thanks to the CT Children's Museum in Trumbull (awesome place...look for more SLC trips there), the Beardsley Zoo, the Maritime Aquarium, the Trumbull Mall, Stop and Shop, Precious Cargo (our transportation), and Nutmeg Bowl in Fairfield.
A bright bright moment for me was watching the little ones navigate the CT Children's Museum in Trumbull and include themselves in play, negotiate during play, and showed us that they really learned the skills of social thinking and social communication!
All in all...great time. By taking our campers out we (therapists) had the opportunity to see them in a new situation, in a different light and , as a result, garnered an entirely new perspective about how all therapy and no fun...makes for skewed relationship especially when the goal is to see them thrive outside of the therapy room or location!
As a result of a director's summer that had some interesting twists...I've decided to expand our clinic's role to become inclusive of all services and add on Community Programs. We have a therapist who has added Community Program Coordinator to her role.
I have always been a therapist serious about progress and effective programs...now I'm more serious than ever about doing what makes sense for children with special needs and their families.
I look forward to the Fall, Winter, Spring...and Summer again!!!!
Landria
