WHAT WE DO

Telepractice is the newest addition to the field of speech and language pathology and it has been used more widely since 2014. Due to the recent COVID19 restrictions and use of social distancing, it has gained seemingly overnight popularity over the past three weeks. It can also be seen as an exciting and innovating service delivery as it helps to reach individuals in remote or rural areas where speech therapy is sometimes not an option. Due to the active COVID19 response, HIPPA compliancy and licensing restrictions have been temporarily loosened. We at Sunrise Speech and Language Services have been offering HIPPA compliant telepractice sessions for several years, as many of our clients are adults that work full time and cannot travel to any of our 3 locations in Valley Stream, Huntington or Manhattan. We have found that our telepractice sessions are equally effective and have not added school aged clients to our telepractice roster in light of the state wide school closures we are experiencing due to COVID19.

Telepractice was approved by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) as an appropriate method of service delivery in 2005. ASHA’s position is that “telepractice is an appropriate model of service delivery for the professions of speech-language pathology [and audiology]. Telepractice may be used to overcome barriers of access to services caused by distance, unavailability of specialists and, or subspecialists, and impaired mobility” (ASHA, Speech-Language Pathologists Providing Clinical Services via Telepractice: Position Statement [Position Statement], 2005).

ASHA defines telepractice as “the application of telecommunications technology to delivery of professional services at a distance by linking clinician to client, or clinician to clinician, for assessment, intervention, and/or consultation.” Telepractice typically occurs in real time and ‘face to face’ with a clinician via online videoconferencing.

Interested in telepractice sessions with us? Contact us to schedule your appointment today.

Coaching and Communication Supports is an adjunct service for individuals whose functional impact of disability requires assistance with communication, including, but not limited to individuals on the Autism Spectrum. This service includes weekly, and as needed individualized supports in the form of a Communication Support Specialist for participants in postsecondary education or engaged in competitive employment. Coaching and Communication Supports may also assist students for whom post-secondary education has been interrupted, intermittent or previously non-existent as a result of limitations imposed by their disability. The goal is for independent communication skills to be actively learned from the Communication Support Specialist so that competence can be achieved for gaining and sustaining meaningful employment outcomes.

To make or maintain a relationship with a friend or work colleague requires conversations, problem solving, mutual understanding and much more. Research suggests that social behavior is best learned through role playing, real life experiences, repetition and modeling. For those who struggle with the social demands of everyday life, negative thoughts or beliefs about social experiences can become generalized and self -defeating. Self -defeating negative thoughts interfere with developing friendships and intimacy. This social anxiety and social skills group is designed to help adults learn and implement cognitive and behavioral strategies to enhance their professional and personal relationships.

Participants will practice cognitive and behavioral techniques to reduce anxiety and negative thoughts such as:

• Identifying cognitive distortions or “ways anxiety tricks me”
• Talking back to anxiety
• Ways to change my thinking
• Relaxation and breathing techniques
• Self-acceptance and positive self-talk
• Participants will use role- plays to practice:
• Conversation skills
• Self-disclosure to move the relationship forward
• Assertiveness through communication
• Listening skills
• Eye contact and body language

Groups are held on Monday evenings at Spectrum Services in New York City, from 8-9PM.  Fee is $640, for the 8 week program with a no cost initial consultation required before joining the group.

Gina-Marie Moravcik, MACCCSLP, will facilitate the groups. Gina has had more than 20 years experience creating and facilitating social skills groups.

Evaluation of Developmental Language Disorders, Social Pragmatic Language Disorders, Articulation disorders, Apraxia and Phonological Impairments, Dysfluency, reading based language disorders and disorders of written expression.

If you’re looking to have fun while improving upon your verbal and nonverbal communication and social skills, then look no further! Improv is for you. Improv combines both verbal and nonverbal strategies to develop social skills, while having a blast in a judgment free zone. Improv helps to improve communication, social skills and perspective taking while encouraging participants to go with the flow. Acting ability is not required as our environment is a friendly non competitive one. Our groups are held on the lovely Long Island University CW Post Campus. Come check us out and be ready to have fun with our talented improv facilitator, Dr. Robert Domingo, PhD SLP and talented actor.

Shy? Difficulty making friends? Anxious in public speaking situations?
This class is open to ALL adults who struggle with social communication in a variety of settings. It is designed to introduce and incorporate various performance arts (improv, voice, movement, story-telling, percussion) to help people work together creatively to develop interpersonal, social communication skills while engaging in cooperative teamwork with one another. The end result of these classes will be to create a performance piece to highlight learned social, interpersonal communication skills.

Individual treatment and small social skills groups for children, adolescents, and young adults. Goals are selected based on the individual’s and/or families input combined with qualitative observations and most recent documentation of learning/social/communicative profiles. It is firmly believed that older individuals take and active role in their own goal development for optimal success. Please inquire about the availability of telepractice based options.

College readiness & related self-advocacy skills which are needed to navigate academic/social demands and maintain motivation, focus and responsibility in academic settings.

Parent consultation and counseling to facilitate language and communication, parallel and aide positive behavioral support plans and increase your child’s independence in day to day experiences, whether you are a parent of a  preschooler or college student.

New classes forming now!
To accommodate your varied school, life and work schedules.  This class is open to ALL teens and young adults who struggle with interpersonal
communication in a variety of settings. It is designed to introduce and incorporate various performance arts (improv, voice, movement, story-telling, percussion) to help people work together creatively to develop interpersonal communication skills while engaging in cooperative teamwork with one another. Persons with special needs are welcome.

• Whether buliding your resume by seeking volunteering experiences or preparing to enter to work force,  Job readiness, skill and interest analysis, interviewing preparation and maintaining employment communication skills can assist you in your endeavors.
• Community based workshops, presentations and school consultation upon request.
• Teaching and supervision for graduate students enrolled in local speech and language pathology programs, completing their external practicum placement and requirements