LYNDA A. DISTEFANO
North Kingstown,RI
Summary
ASHA Certified Speech-Language Pathologist and dedicated professional who is committed to provision of effective services addressing functional outcomes & the needs of the whole child
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Speech-Language Pathologist
Prestige Therapy, LLC.
Lincoln, RI
04.2025 - 12.2025
- Provide therapeutic support to pediatric clients (ages two and up), addressing listening, understanding & language processing, spoken language formulation, social pragmatics, and articulation skills.
Consultant
Looking Upwards - Early Intervention
Portsmouth, RI
11.2017 - 12.2024
- Conduct speech-language evaluations in order to establish eligibility for service and/or to document current performance levels, completing required documentation as required by state and federal guidelines.
- Working together with families/primary caregivers, develop and monitor progress with regard to outcomes as part of IFSPs for high-risk infants and toddlers - birth to three years.
- As an interdisciplinary team member and home visitor, provide ongoing parent education, support, and coaching (modeling and feedback) related to a parent's specific area of concern (e.g. strategies to decrease negative behaviors, language stimulation techniques applicable to specific family routines - using interactive, developmentally appropriate activities).
- Participate in meetings with family service coordinators/other team members to address family needs in an efficient and timely manner.
- Act as an advocate and liaison for families with various community agencies, including LEAs as part of the transition process.
- Participate in continuing education opportunities in order to maintain state licensure and professional association certification, as well as those training opportunities involving current standards and requirements across all Early Intervention Programs statewide.
Speech-Language Pathologist
North Providence School Department
North Providence, RI
02.2020 - 06.2020
- Provided assessment, direct clinical service, educational support and consultation per IEPs in individual, small group and classroom settings for students with mild, moderate, and severe special needs.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Cranston Public Schools
Cranston, RI
05.2017 - 05.2017
- Provided assessment, direct clinical service, educational support and consultation per IEPs in individual, small group and classroom settings for students with mild, moderate, and severe special needs.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Woonsocket School District
Woonsocket, RI
03.2016 - 06.2016
- Provided assessment, direct clinical service, educational support and consultation per IEPs in individual, small group and classroom settings for students with mild, moderate, and severe special needs.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Franklin Public Schools
Franklin, MA
07.2015 - 08.2015
- Provided assessment, direct clinical service, educational support and consultation per IEPs in individual, small group and classroom settings for students with mild, moderate, and severe special needs.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Architects for Learning, LLC.
Needham, MA
11.2011 - 02.2012
- Provided therapeutic and/or educational support to students (early elementary grades through high school), addressing listening/language processing, vocabulary knowledge and retrieval, spoken language formulation, social pragmatics, and articulation abilities necessary for literacy learning, academic, and social success.
- Provided instruction/support in the areas of reading foundation skills, reading comprehension, and awareness of reading-writing connections, as well as written expression at the paragraph and essay levels.
- In order to improve executive functioning, provided direct instruction to and developed specific strategies with students to support planning and organization, not only for writing, but also for general study skills (e.g. time management, listening comprehension, and note taking).
- Completed assessment of oral communication skills designed to reveal students' linguistic strengths/areas of need, providing parents & educators illustrations of the ways in which such strengths and needs affect performance in, and out, of school.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Maya Angelou Public Charter School
Washington, DC
03.2011 - 06.2011
- Provided direct academic support services and staff consultation for high school students who, in addition to mild to moderate learning disabilities, faced the social challenges of poverty, homelessness and/or involvement with the juvenile justice system.
Speech-Language Pathologist
William E. Doar Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts
Washington, DC
03.2011 - 06.2011
- Functioned as a speech-language pathologist at the elementary school level, responsible for addressing and monitoring Individual Education Plans' goals and objectives within the context of individual and small group treatment for students with mild and moderate special needs.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Educational Solutions, LLC.
Washington, DC
03.2011 - 06.2011
- Completed 'Language to Literacy' training, Educational Solutions' proprietary method for teaching literacy skills, to provide direct instruction in the areas of phonics, phonemic awareness, reading fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and writing/grammar during individual & small group tutoring sessions to students (pre-K through early elementary) experiencing academic challenges, as well as those looking to strengthen foundation skills.
Education
Master of Science - Communication Disorders
Emerson College
Boston, MassachusettsBachelor of Arts - Linguistics, concentration in Communication Disorders
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MassachusettsSkills
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Multicultural sensitivity
- Patience and tolerance
Recent Professional Engagements
- Prestige Therapy, LLC., Lincoln, RI, 04/01/25 - 12/01/25, Provide therapeutic support to pediatric clients (ages two and up), addressing listening, understanding & language processing, spoken language formulation, social pragmatics, and articulation skills.
- Looking Upwards - Early Intervention, Portsmouth, RI, 11/01/17 - 12/01/24, Conduct speech-language evaluations in order to establish eligibility for service and/or to document current performance levels, completing required documentation as required by state and federal guidelines., Working together with families/primary caregivers, develop and monitor progress with regard to outcomes as part of IFSPs for high-risk infants and toddlers - birth to three years., As an interdisciplinary team member and home visitor, provide ongoing parent education, support, and coaching (modeling and feedback) related to a parent's specific area of concern., Participate in meetings with family service coordinators/other team members to address family needs in an efficient and timely manner., Act as an advocate and liaison for families with various community agencies, including LEAs as part of the transition process., Participate in continuing education opportunities in order to maintain state licensure and professional association certification.
Relevant Clinical Experiences
- North Providence School Department - Birchwood Middle School, North Providence, RI, 02/01/20 - 06/01/20, Provided assessment, direct clinical service, educational support and consultation per IEPs in individual, small group and classroom settings for students with mild, moderate, and severe special needs.
- Cranston Public Schools - William Dutemple & Daniel D. Waterman Elementary Schools, Cranston, RI, 05/01/17, Provided assessment, direct clinical service, educational support and consultation per IEPs in individual, small group and classroom settings for students with mild, moderate, and severe special needs.
Accomplishments
- Recipient of Graduate Student Stipend for the Specialized Interdisciplinary Training Program in Early Intervention, funded by the U.S. Department of Education and coordinated by Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, Waltham, Massachusetts.
Academic Preparation
- Emerson College, Boston, MA, Master of Science, Communication Disorders
- Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, Bachelor of Arts, Linguistics
Supervisory Experiences
- Provided field placement supervision for Master's level students as part of their Graduate Programs in Communication Disorders at University of New Hampshire and Boston University.
- Provided supervision for two speech-language therapy assistants regarding planning and provision of services.
Presentations Publications Professional Contributions
- Speech and Language Content Institute, Fall, 2007, Invited ten-hour workshop series for parents and educators sponsored by The Learning Tree Store.
- Speech and Language: An Introduction to Remediation Theory and Strategies, 02/04/06, Invited five-hour workshop for parents and educators sponsored by The Learning Tree Store.
Credentials
- MS
- CCC-SLP
Professional Certifications Licenses Affiliations
- Certificate of Clinical Competence from and Membership in the American Speech Language Hearing Association, # 01088005, 1989 - present
- Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, SP00880, Rhode Island, 08/01/09 - present; 05/01/06 - 05/01/08
- Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, 3041, Massachusetts, 1989 - present
- Previously Certified as a Speech/Language Pathologist (Grades PK - 12), 58119, Rhode Island, effective 05/01/10
Timeline
Speech-Language Pathologist
Prestige Therapy, LLC.
04.2025 - 12.2025
Speech-Language Pathologist
North Providence School Department
02.2020 - 06.2020
Consultant
Looking Upwards - Early Intervention
11.2017 - 12.2024
Speech-Language Pathologist
Cranston Public Schools
05.2017 - 05.2017
Speech-Language Pathologist
Woonsocket School District
03.2016 - 06.2016
Speech-Language Pathologist
Franklin Public Schools
07.2015 - 08.2015
Speech-Language Pathologist
Architects for Learning, LLC.
11.2011 - 02.2012
Speech-Language Pathologist
Maya Angelou Public Charter School
03.2011 - 06.2011
Speech-Language Pathologist
William E. Doar Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts
03.2011 - 06.2011
Speech-Language Pathologist
Educational Solutions, LLC.
03.2011 - 06.2011
Master of Science - Communication Disorders
Emerson College
Bachelor of Arts - Linguistics, concentration in Communication Disorders
Boston College