Lesley Meza

Lesley Meza is a Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist who received her BS in Human Development from Northwestern University and her MS in Speech-Language Pathology from Marquette University. She also obtained a Bilingual English/Spanish certification in graduate school where she gained specific insight on assessing, diagnosing, and treating bilingual speakers. Lesley has been working in an outpatient clinic for the past two and a half years where she has worked with a range of children and adults including for early language development, higher language skills and auditory processing, speech sound disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, cognitive communication disorders, AAC, dysarthria, and aphasia. She is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and is licensed in the state of Illinois. Lesley is passionate about working with children and adults in ways that are functional and will increase their independence, confidence, autonomy, and communication skills across their daily environments.

My Approach To Speech Therapy

I believe therapy should be designed so that it is as functional and relevant to the client’s life as possible. I like to discuss with the patient and family what they want out of speech therapy and regularly modify goals to fit the client and family’s needs. I always aim to make therapy as engaging and client-led as possible when working with children in order to foster a strong relationship and make them excited about communication. This means taking the time to learn each patient’s strengths, interests, and needs. I also like to make sure there’s plenty of room for open conversation between the patient and/or family and I. Whether it's addressing any concerns you might have, celebrating small victories, or talking about challenges, these conversations help guide our work together and make the sessions feel more personal and connected.

What A Session Looks Like With Me

I like to begin my sessions by reviewing our schedule for the session including our goals and expectations. I like to keep each session dynamic and engaging, so I plan activities that are not only theme-based, but also closely connected to what is currently happening in the client’s life. This way, the activities feel more meaningful and practical making it easier for the client to relate them to real-world situations. I like to use a combination of evidence-based approaches tailored to the client’s needs. For younger clients, this typically involves a combination of literacy-based interventionsBio and play-based interventions to provide different and fun opportunities to practice their skills. At the end of each session, we will take time to wrap things up by reviewing the key takeaways and creating a home education plan. This plan is tailored to your specific needs and goals, ensuring you have a clear direction for continuing your progress outside of our time together. I want to make sure you feel empowered and supported, so you have the tools to stay on track and keep the momentum going until our next session!

Fun Facts About Lesley

I love to dance! I've been in dance companies since I was 4 years old. Im currently in a Mexican Folklore company and occasionally teach workshops as well! Outside of work and dance I love to go on walks, workout, and spend time with my family.