Sarah Valenzuela

• Facilitated group therapy sessions designed to improve socialization skills and articulation skills among participants.
• Conducted standardized and informal assessments of language, articulation, pragmatics, and fluency skills.
• Collaborated with other professionals to ensure comprehensive patient care.
• Monitored patient progress and adjusted treatment plans as necessary.
• Created lesson plans based on individual needs and interests of clients.
• Participated in and led IEP meetings and reported progress on students' goals.

• Kept comprehensive notes on patient progress to make needed adjustments to treatment.
• Researched evidence-based treatments for different types of communication impairments including Gestalt Language Processors.
• Observed clients in natural settings such as schools or homes to evaluate their communicative abilities in real-world situations.
• Coached parents and caregivers on techniques they can use at home to promote more effective communication between them and their child.
• Provided direct therapy services to individuals with varying levels of communication difficulty.
• Developed activities that encouraged active participation from clients while providing therapeutic intervention.
• Created a resource for all clinicians to utilize to assist with transitions and behavior management.

• Met with clients provided by the CCD twice a week for 50 minute therapy sessions.
• Used evidence-based practices to determine the most appropriate therapeutic interventions for each client.
• Worked with two clients with a diagnosis of global aphasia which included:

- Using Melodic Intonation Therapy (MIT) to elicit verbal language.

- Auditory Comprehension tasks including Yes/No questions of varying complexity and one to two step commands.

- Utilizing a low-tech AAC device to assist the client in expressing their wants and needs.

- Naming tasks consisting of the client naming an object based on its functional use.

• Also worked with a teenage client that was diagnosed with congenital bilateral deafness at birth who wished to improve their oral communication. Therapy consisted of:

- Working on the client's articulation of sounds /r/ and /l/ through the use of drill therapy.

- Collecting data regarding the client's rate of intelligibility and the amount of times the client initiated conversations orally.

- Practiced daily life activities such ordering from restaurants through the use of oral communication.

• Assisted a 21-year-old man who had suffered from a stroke with his speech, occupational, and physical therapy.
• Therapy began with minimal verbal communication from the patient as well as paralysis on the right side of his body.
• Responsibilities included:

-Safety monitoring when doing daily activities, such as cooking, walking, and cleaning..

-Physical and occupational therapy exercises as well as verbal imitation practice.

-Participated in board games to stimulate memory, comprehension, numbering, and cognitive function.