Understanding Speech

“I have nothing but the best to say about Jodi and the work she has done for our four-year-old daughter, Rebecca. When Rebecca started working with Jodi almost a year ago, she was hard to understand, and would get frustrated very easily. She was mainly understood by her immediate family, and I found myself translating what she said to others the rest of the time. We knew there were issues regarding her speech articulation, but we didn’t know that Rebecca also had problems with processing language. Jodi’s knowledge shed light on a number of areas where Rebecca needed services, and the ongoing work she is doing with our daughter has made tremendous difference in such a short period of time!

Now, everyone who knows Rebecca comments not only on how clearly she speaks, but also on her attitude! Her confidence has flourished, and she is just such a happy child! She also loves the time she spends with Jodi! The exercises they do together are fun for Rebecca while also being instructive, and I am able to continue the work at home throughout the week. Rebecca simply thinks she’s playing games! I’ve sat in on a number of their sessions and have been impressed by Jodi’s demeanor with Rebecca. She does not coddle, but treats Rebecca with respect and kindness while guiding her through the activities. She is very professional on all levels. Through their work together, our daughter has grown tremendously. I hold Jodi in the highest regard, and would recommend her to anyone seeking help with their child’s speech issues.”

-Melissa W. Hunter, Mason, OH

"My son began speech therapy with Jodi when our insurance was unwilling to pay for therapy unless he had a new physical disability. I am so pleased they forced me to find Jodi, because Andrew received the best therapy anyone could ask for. I began seeing changes in him within the first month. He was so eager to "play" with Jodi that he did not even know he was doing "work". As he began to seek out new speech experiences and knowledge, Jodi would seek out new activities and programs to challenge him accordingly. Jodi was great at explaining to me what type of "work" was needed at home and provided me with the tools I needed to help Andrew succeed. I recommend Understanding Speech to any of my friends when they seem worried about their kids!"

-Jeanne Aronoff, Mason, Ohio (5/4/10)

“When my daughter Katherine was 8-years-old, she could not say her R’s, and it was really hard to understand her. I did research online, bought a book, and tried to help Katherine myself. We made NO progress and were both very frustrated. I called friends and, through the grapevine, found Jodi. I was amazed at how quickly Katherine learned her R’s! In addition to sessions with Jodi, we spent a few minutes each day "practicing" by playing games, using flashcards, and reading out loud. Literally within months, Katherine was using her R's 100% of the time and was so proud of herself. If you speak to Katherine today, you would never realize that she had a speech problem.
Would I recommend Jodi? YES!”
Sincerely,
Linda W., Mason, OH

“Once, I could not say my R’s. At first I was scared to go to Jodi's, but once I went I was not scared anymore. We played games and before my turn I would have to say an R sound. We also made up flash cards with different R combinations on them for me to do at home. We played them as memory or go fish. After 5 weeks, I knew my R’s perfectly. I was really happy. I used to get frustrated because some people could not understand me. Now people can understand me. I'm so happy I know my R's. Thanks, Mrs. Norris!”
Katherine W. (age 9)

“Jodi has made such an astounding difference with my son, Matthew. Before beginning speech therapy, he had numerous articulation difficulties and sound substitutions. He could not be understood by his immediate family at times, and rarely could anyone outside our family hold a satisfactory conversation with him. This was obviously frustrating for everyone involved.

After only a year-and-a-half, Matthew is understood by everyone, and he can carry on phone conversations with anyone. I attribute his quick success partly to his hard work, but also to Jodi. She gave us very specific words and “homework” to do, and also provided extremely practical tips on how to incorporate his speech sounds into our everyday lives. She made Matthew’s sessions fun and enticed him with games and activities he enjoyed to keep his interest. Jodi has been flexible in allowing Matthew to direct activities whenever possible. She is always honest in reporting his progress and behavior, even when it’s not what I wanted to hear, without making me lose hope for him.

Jodi has always kept very detailed and accurate notes of Matthew’s therapy sessions, and gives copies of progress notes to me on a regular basis. I would highly recommend Jodi for anyone seeking speech therapy, especially for preschoolers or elementary-aged children.”

-Barbara A. Ilcin, Framingham, MA

“Jodi has been a Speech and Language Pathologist with the BLOCKS preschool for the entire time that I have served as the Special Education TEAM Coordinator. During that time, I have observed her treating students, interacting with staff, presenting at TEAM meetings, and problem solving on a one-to-one level. Jodi knows her field better than anyone that I have ever worked with and collaborates with staff to ensure that students receive the best program that is available.

Jodi’s assessments and written reports are thorough, precise, and presented to parents in a way that helps them to both understand their child’s strengths, but also to target specific areas of need. She is able to respond to parent’s questions in a manner that serves to clarify any issues and is able to negotiate emotionally charged situations with understanding and honesty. We serve a very complex population of students here, and Jodi has been put into some difficult situation, which she has always handled with grace and respect.

Another of Jodi’s strengths is her ability to plan and implement instruction cooperatively with other staff at BLOCKS. She is available and collegial and shares her expertise willingly and often. [Finally], she is able to demonstrate flexibility in scheduling and enthusiasm for cooperative instruction.”

-Andrea Farrar, Framingham Public Schools, Framingham, MA

“Jodi was with Framingham Public Schools for seven years and is a superb Speech and Language Pathologist. As a practitioner, she served children at the preschool and elementary levels. She also served as a supervisor for clinical fellows. For the past four years, Jodi was working primarily with preschool children and became our in-house expert on working with preschool children with autism, both verbal and non-verbal. Jodi’s assessments are clear, concise, and thorough. Her performance is excellent and contributed to the successful improvement of our students.”

-Pamela Kaufmann, Director of Special Education, Framingham Public School, Framingham, MA