Paula Galazka

Paula is an experienced Speech-Language Pathologist with over 5 years of experience in pediatric care, holding the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She is licensed to practice in the states of Florida and New York. Paula earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Psychology from CUNY Queens College, followed by a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from CUNY Brooklyn College.

My Approach To Therapy

Throughout her professional career, Paula has practiced across a variety of clinical settings, including telehealth, in-home therapy, and outpatient pediatric rehabilitation clinics. She has extensive experience evaluating and treating children with a broad spectrum of diagnoses, such as developmental delays, prematurity, autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), feeding disorders, and speech-language impairments. Her clinical expertise includes the management of articulation disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, phonological disorders, expressive and receptive language delays, the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), infant feeding, transitioning to table foods, picky eating, and oral motor feeding difficulties.

Paula is committed to providing evidence-based, individualized care tailored to the unique needs of each child and their family. She collaborates closely with multidisciplinary teams, including occupational therapists, physical therapists, applied behavior analysts, and nursing professionals, to ensure comprehensive treatment. Additionally, Paula has completed advanced training in the AEIOU Feeding Approach, LSVT LOUDS for Kids, and Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC). She employs a combination of play-based therapy, research-driven methodologies, and parent coaching to optimize therapeutic outcomes and empower families in supporting their child’s communication and feeding goals.

What A Session Looks Like With Paula

A typical 30-minute speech-language therapy session with Paula, conducted via telehealth on the Zoom platform, is designed to be engaging and collaborative, with a strong focus on patient motivation. The session might look something like this:

Opening

• Paula begins by greeting the child and family, establishing rapport, and making the child feel comfortable. She may ask the child about their day or talk briefly about something they enjoy to build a connection.
• She checks in with the family to see how things are going at home and if there are any specific concerns or progress to discuss.

Warm-up and Goal Review

• Paula reviews the child’s progress towards goals, adjusting based on the child’s mood or energy level that day. This could involve discussing progress since the last session or introducing a short, light activity that aligns with the therapy objectives.
• The child is encouraged to engage actively through fun activities, like a quick game or short story related to the goal area (e.g., articulation, language comprehension, or social communication).

Main Activity

• The core of the session focuses on targeted goals. Paula uses interactive activities tailored to the child’s interests to ensure motivation. This could be an online game, using digital flashcards, or a themed activity (like a story, picture descriptions, or role-playing exercises).
• Flexibility is key—if the child seems distracted or less interested that day, Paula adjusts the activity to make it more fun and engaging (e.g., incorporating something the child is excited about, like a favorite toy or character).
• She uses positive reinforcement throughout, celebrating small successes and encouraging the child to take part in the tasks.

Wrap-Up and Family Collaboration

• As the session nears the end, Paula reflects on the activities completed and provides feedback to the family. She discusses what went well, where further practice might be needed, and offers suggestions for home exercises.
• Paula also gives the family strategies to continue working on goals outside of sessions, using natural interactions or games at home. She ensures that any recommendations are realistic and aligned with the child’s interests.