Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist in Manhattan
With more than 30 years of experience in the field, I believe that every child has a unique voice. My goal, as a licensed and professional pediatric speech therapist in New York City is to help each child communicate with greater confidence and success.
Why Families Choose to Work With Me
+30 years of experience
I have dedicated my career to helping children develop the communication skills they need to participate more fully at home, at school, and in their communities. As an M.S., CCC-SLP, and TSHH, I bring professional expertise, clinical experience, and a personalized approach to every child I work with.
One-on-one speech-therapy
My approach is highly individualized, engaging, and child-centered. I take the time to understand the child's communication needs, their personality, interests, strengths, and learning style.
Evidence-based Practice
I have pursued specialized training throughout my career, including Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC) and PROMPT, at the same time I have taught undergraduate and graduate courses in speech-language pathology.
I'm Melissa Wexler And This Is My Story as a Speech-Therapist
I am a New York State licensed and nationally certified Speech-Language Pathologist working with children and young adults. I earned my Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Teachers College, Columbia University, and have dedicated my career to helping children develop the communication skills they need to participate more fully at home, at school, and in their communities.
My private practice focuses on children and young adults ages 1–21, with particular expertise in speech sound disorders, expressive and receptive language delays, and other communication challenges. I provide individualized, one-on-one therapy in a child's home or school, as well as through telehealth. I primarily serve families for in person therapy on Manhattan.
My approach to therapy is highly individualized, engaging, and child-centered. I take the time to understand not only a child's communication needs, but also their personality, interests, strengths, and learning style. I believe therapy should feel meaningful and motivating for children, while providing parents with practical strategies they can use in everyday life.
My goal is to help each child communicate with greater confidence and success.
Service Specialities
Articulation/Phonology · Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) · Receptive Language Skills · Expressive Language Skills · Social Pragmatic Language Skills · Phonological Awareness · Early Literacy · Reading ·Writing
Case Study: Helping a 6-Year-Old Master S-Blends and a Frontal Lisp
A 6-year-old boy came to me with a speech sound disorder of cluster reduction where he did not produce the /s/ sound in his ability to say words that contain /s/-blends. He consistently reduced these clusters by leaving out the /s/ sound—for example, saying “poon” for spoon or “top” for stop. He also had a frontal lisp, which affected the way he produced /s/ and /z/.
At first, the two patterns seemed closely connected: he was having difficulty coordinating the sounds within a cluster while also producing /s/ with his tongue positioned too far forward in his mouth. However after further consideration, this was not the case. Cluster reduction is a phonological process and frontal lisp is an articulatory error.
The first question I asked myself was what do I tackle first? Should I treat the frontal lisp or should I treat the cluster reduction?. To start, I spent a portion of the initial sessions having conversation while playing games with this child. What I determined from this was that the clustered reductions compromised his speech intelligibility more than the frontal lisp. This gave me my starting point.
I used minimal pairs such as, store/tore and spot/pot to bring awareness to the initial /s/ sound in words. Using this technique demonstrated how adding the /s/ sound changes the meaning of a word. This technique worked well for this child, as he moved quickly to eliminate his cluster reductions. Next, we moved on to articulatory placement, with other techniques, for the correction of the frontal lisp.
My takeaway from this case is to take into careful consideration where to start in treatment when there are multiple speech sound and articulation disorders. Each case is completely different and therapy should be tailored to the individual case.
What they say about my work
I work with passion so each patient gets the individualized treatment they require, these reviews explain my way of work
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Frequently Asked questions
How do I make an appointment?
Email melissa@melissaspeechtherapy.com to begin the process of scheduling a time to meet one-on-one to discuss your family member’s specific needs.
Frequency of therapy sessions?
There is no one answer to this question as no two patients are the same. It depends totally on the condition and the needs. While some patients receive treatment one time a week, others may be seen multiple times a week. I strive to make therapy as convenient as possible.
The scope and duration of your therapy will be decided at the initial visit consultation and be reassessed on an on-going basis.
Do you accept insurance?
I do not accept insurance; however, I provide families I work with invoices, with the appropriate codes, so they can be submitted to insurance for their reimbursement.
Do you have private pay rates?
Yes, I can provide a listing of our private pay rates.
Are you licensed in New York?
Yes I'm a New York State Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, yu can check my license here: New York State Department of Education.
I'm also a Massachusetts State Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist: The Board of Registration for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
Do you work with PROMPT?
Yes, I have experience with PROMPT and I'm also certified to work with it.
What is your cancellation policy?
There is no charge for cancellations made 24-hours prior to a scheduled appointment. Failure to cancel with less than 24-hours’ notice will result in a no show fee proportionate to the appointment cost. This policy is strictly enforced and applies to all patients.
How do you ensure your approach is evidence-based?
My treatment recommendations are guided by evidence-based practices and professional resources, including guidance from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). I also consider each client's specific communication needs, goals, and progress when developing and adjusting a treatment plan.
Proudly Serving Manhattan, NY
I'm here to support you and your family's communication journey. Whether you have questions about our services or are ready to schedule your first session, our team is ready to help.