Andrea Lopez
Bayonne
Summary
I am a current student at Maryville University going for my bachelors degree in communication science and disorders. I have an associate’s degree in science involving human services. I am currently working at Early Childhood Academy with children with disabilities (autism) and children without disabilities. My area of expertise involves mostly in helping children with autism due to my experience in occupational therapy. I’ve worked and volunteered with children with autism for two years now. Also, I am using my area of expertise of speech therapy in children with literacy difficulties, or children with disabilities.
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Child Caregiver
JCC of Bayonne
09.2024 - Current
- Work one on one with children with autism
- Taught children to organize toys, wash hands, and share by leading by example.
- Ensured child safety through diligent supervision and adherence to established protocols.
- Administered first aid when necessary, maintaining a calm demeanor during emergencies and handling situations effectively.
- Instructed children in crafts and other activities to promote gross and fine motor skills.
- Assisted special needs students with daily tasks, fostering independence and self confidence.
- Increased fine motor skills through engaging sensory play activities customized for each child''s level of ability.
- Read stories, sang songs and facilitated creative play.
- Tailored learning materials to accommodate diverse learning styles among special needs students, improving overall comprehension and retention rates.
- Implemented behavior modification techniques tailored to individual children''s needs, resulting in reduced disruptive behaviors.
- Established trust-based relationships with special needs children, fostering a sense of security and comfort.
- Facilitated parental involvement in their child''s education by maintaining open lines of communication and providing resources on relevant topics.
Internship Student
Children's Home Society Of Florida
07.2023 - 08.2023
- Get knowledge of Early Head Start home base program
- Shadow home visit with home visitors to provide support in parent and child activities that encourages developmentally appropriate activities for the changing needs of infants and toddlers
- Participate in family time and provide support with activities
- Contacted referrals and make community connections for outreach events
- Improved internship experience by efficiently managing assigned tasks and meeting deadlines.
- Contacted community agencies to promote Early Head Start program
- Worked well in team environment as well as independently
- Contacted families to offer Early Head Start and completed applications
- Worked with some agencies with the community to not only promote the program but also to know their services and share those with the families
- Collaborated with staff effectively
- Participated in staff meeting
- Able to listen client situations and how to team worked together to find solutions
Internship Student
Court-Appointed Special Advocate
05.2023 - 06.2023
- Assist in fundraisers and outreach events
- Shadowing supervisors in court to understand how a CASA advocates in the court system
- Understand and organize CASA files in online database system
- Learn how to write CASA closure forms, to give example of how a CASA has made a difference on a CASA that has closed
- Assist in volunteer oversight by updating organizing volunteer records
- Understand the role of CASA in child welfare
Occupational Therapy Assistant Student
Achieving Better Life Experiences
09.2022 - 11.2022
- Treated patients to improve fine motor and movement skills
- Taught patients to care for and use adaptive equipment
- Helped improve fine motor, visual perception and sensory processing skills.
- Provided proper ambulation support to patients in need of mobility assistance
- Promoted a safe and supportive therapeutic environment through adherence to established protocols and procedures.
- Utilized strong observational skills to assess clients'' functional performance levels before initiating therapeutic interventions.
- Assisted in evaluating patients'' needs and abilities, contributing to effective occupational therapy interventions.
- Monitored patient rehabilitative activities for proper execution and offered encouragement
- Evaluated patients' rehabilitative needs, developed treatment plans and goals and delivered appropriate therapy
- Maintained confidentiality of client information according to HIPAA guidelines, protecting privacy rights of individuals receiving services.
Volunteer
Early Steps
07.2020 - 07.2022
- Maintained clean, neat, and operational facilities to serve program needs.
- Connected and engaged more with the client
- Children and families are provided with support system and resources, so these families won't face overwhelming challenges alone
- Worked with parents and staff to improve student behavioral and learning issues with proactive approaches
Occupational Therapy Volunteer
Children's Specialized Hospital
04.2022 - 05.2022
- Helped patients learn to perform basic tasks such as eating, grooming and dressing
- Provided closet organizing and shelf placement in treatment rooms as well as arranging toys in the proper location after cleaning
- Establishing and breaking down activities and carrying out other simple tasks to assist therapists
- Delegated facility maintenance tasks to aides for cleanliness and preparedness of treatment rooms
- Used departmental emergency procedures for code red and code blue
- Helped therapist interpret to clients
- Supported therapists in conducting comprehensive assessments, leading to more effective intervention strategies for patients.
- Facilitated group therapy sessions for specific populations, such as children with autism or adults recovering from strokes, enhancing their functional abilities.
- Maintained a clean and organized therapy environment by keeping materials, equipment, and facility spaces for optimal patient experience.
Volunteer
Give Kids The World Village
08.2020 - 08.2020
- Set up tables and chairs and unloaded necessary equipment to prepare for events
- Bussing and lunch trays
- Maintained clean, neat, and operational facilities to serve program needs.
- Helping clients with their meals
- Helped the client carry their tray and pick out their food
Education
Bachelor of Science - Communication Sciences and Disorders
Maryville University of Saint Louis
Saint Louis, MO12-2026
Associate of Science - Human Services
Hudson County Community College
Jersey City, NJ05-2023
High School Diploma -
Bayonne High School
Bayonne, NJ06-2020
Skills
- CPR training
- Language skills
- Activity planning
- Child development
- Motor skills development
- Social and academic development
- Child safety awareness
- Behavior modeling
- Special needs experience and care
Certification
- Basic Life Support Certification (BLS)
- CPR/AED Certification
- [New Jersey] Driver's License
Languages
English
Spanish
Interests
-Learning new languages
Ex American Sign Language
Timeline
Child Caregiver
JCC of Bayonne
09.2024 - Current
Internship Student
Children's Home Society Of Florida
07.2023 - 08.2023
Internship Student
Court-Appointed Special Advocate
05.2023 - 06.2023
Occupational Therapy Assistant Student
Achieving Better Life Experiences
09.2022 - 11.2022
Occupational Therapy Volunteer
Children's Specialized Hospital
04.2022 - 05.2022
Volunteer
Give Kids The World Village
08.2020 - 08.2020
Volunteer
Early Steps
07.2020 - 07.2022
Bachelor of Science - Communication Sciences and Disorders
Maryville University of Saint Louis
Associate of Science - Human Services
Hudson County Community College
High School Diploma -
Bayonne High School