774 White Plains Road Suite 250, Scarsdale, New York 10583, United States
Myofunctional Therapy helps treat atypical muscle patterns of mouth & face
Speech-Language Therapy
PROMPT
PROMPT therapy is a unique holistic tactile/kinesthetic approach to speech therapy. Therapists use touch cues on the lips, jaws, tongue, and vocal cords. They use this technique to help shape and support proper movement and placement of the vocal organs, known as articulators, and include the lips, tongue, hard palate, and teeth.
The name comes from an acronym: Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets. It’s both a treatment method and philosophy and this holistic program is designed to promote and facilitate the development of motor skills and the production of phonemes, which are the smallest units of sound.
For the most part, PROMPT therapy is used to improve functional speech, meaning the clarity of speech. Using this method, therapists are able to clearly communicate and demonstrate the proper placement and movement of the lips, tongue, teeth, and jaw to create specific sounds and sound combinations.
Language
Receptive language refers to the understanding of language, including both gestures and words/sentences. Receptive language skills consist of (but is not limited to) knowledge of vocabulary, understanding concepts, and being able to interpret types of questions.
Expressive language refers to the "output" of language and the use of words, sentences, and gestures to convey messages and express wants and needs. Expressive language skills include labeling objects in ones environment, describing actions, putting words together to form sentences, grammar, and forming narratives.
Pragmatics
Pragmatic language is the use of appropriate communication in social situations (knowing what to say, how to say it, and when to say it). Therapy in this area will focus on using language for different purposes, changing language according to the listener and/or following the rules for conversation. Clients will learn to engage in reciprocal conversations with peers, transition as the speaker/listener, stay on topic of discussion, all while using an appropriate tone of voice.
If left untreated, weaknesses in these areas can lead to academic (reading/writing) challenges, developing relationships/engaging socially with others, completing higher level education and/or applying for jobs in both interviews and written application.
COLLABORATIVE Team Approach For Greater Impact
Partner with us to reach your fullest potential
Orthodontists, Dentists, ENT practitioners, SLPs, Pediatricians, and any other professionals, please fill out the form HERE to refer:
Our passion is to partner with you and other professionals to bring about success.
The goal of our Orofacial Myofunctional Therapists is to provide customized treatment for you or your child while working with the recommended treatment plan of your dentist, orthodontist, or speech pathologist to collectively achieve the best oral function and balance. Whether we are influencing growth patterns in a developing child, or maximizing muscle function in our adult patients, we want to achieve lasting CHANGE.
Meet Our Therapists
Nicole Molinari- Tobon, B.S., RDH
Nicole has been in the dental field for over 25 years. She started as a certified dental assistant in general dentistry and head surgical assistant for an oral surgeon in private practice. While working part time as a surgical assistant Nicole earned her AAS in dental hygiene from CUNY Hostos in 2000 and graduated with honors. She was a member of the English Honors Society during her time at Hostos. Nicole practices dental hygiene in a private pediatric practice and has been on staff there for 21 of her 22 years as dental hygienist. The motivation to educate herself and practice orofacial myology are her two young boys. She took her initial training with the IAOM and continues educating herself in order to grow through conferences, webinars, books, and online forums. Nicole lives in Westchester County NY with her husband, two sons and their dog Ginger. In May of 2022, Nicole earned a B.S. in Oral Health Promotion from O'Hehir University.
Hetal Sutaria, B.S., RDH
Hetal, working as an RDH since 1996 and specializing in pediatric and special needs care since 2000. She is also a wife, a mother of two beautiful children, and a playful puppy 'Astro'. With over 25 years of experience in private practice, Hetal has delivered the highest level of patient care which motivated her to get her training in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy from one of the leading members of IAOM, Kimberly Benkert. The introductory course was followed by extensive training, advanced courses, workshops, and webinars. She hopes to be collaborating with many other professionals in this journey. She truly enjoys helping patients get into an optimal overall life with good oral rest posture and achieve mature swallow patterns. Hetal earned her education in dental hygiene from the New York University School of Dentistry with honors. In May of 2022, Hetal earned a B.S. in Oral Health Promotion from O'Hehir University.
Chetna Rana, B.S, RDH
Chetna is a Registered Dental Hygienist practicing for 24 years. Her clinical experience encompasses adults for the span of her practice and a cumulative ten years in pedodontics.
While studying Dental Hygiene at New York University College of Dentistry she consistently volunteered with the intramural Minority Oral Health Research Center across the boroughs of NYC. Her interest in health policy led her to earn a graduate Certificate in Bioethics, Health Policy and Law. She continues to diversify professionally by training with the IAOM as an Orofacial Myologist. She finds this field of study dynamic, bringing awareness to the intricate structures of head, neck and face and further developing an understanding of their functions via therapeutic modalities.
To balance the work-life, Chetna enjoys traveling for hiking and volunteering. She has scaled the globe from the jungles of Borneo to the Swiss Alps and volunteered Dental Hygiene services in S. America.
She is excited to join the team at Westchester Myofunctional Specialties.
Bianca M. Cucullo, M.S., CCC-SLP
Bianca is a New York State licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. She holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She is also certified as a Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD). She received her Bachelor of Arts from Iona College and Master of Sciences in Speech-Language Pathology from Adelphi University. Bianca is level one PROMPT trained.Bianca is a full-time speech-language pathologist in an elementary school within the NYC Department of Education. She works with a diverse population of students ranging from Pre-K through fifth grade. Bianca provides speech and language therapy to school-age students who present with a variety of speech, language, and learning impairments. Bianca has worked in additional settings, including private practice, early intervention, and home care. She has extensive experience with children diagnosed with Developmental Delays, Autism, Central Auditory Processing Disorder, Apraxia, Language-Based Literacy Disorders, ADHD, and Speech Sound Disorders-Articulation/Phonology.Bianca prides herself on creating individualized plans for each child to ensure success at home, school, as well as in the community. Bianca believes in working as part of an interdisciplinary team to help each child reach his or her full potential. She emphasizes the importance of parent involvement to promote the generalization of learned strategies and skills. Bianca aims to create engaging therapeutic activities by incorporating client interests and strengths. She is passionate about seeing children achieve their goals so that they can thrive and be successful outside of the therapy room.
Rachel Bashkoff, M.S., CCC-SLP
Rachel Bashkoff has been a practicing speech-language pathologist for more than 11 years. She is a certified member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and is licensed to practice speech language pathology in the state of New York. Rachel is a PROMPT Level II trained speech therapist who specializes in motor speech disorders. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Maryland and a Master’s of Science in Speech Language Pathology from Adelphi University. The majority of Rachel’s experience has been in private practice where she has worked extensively with toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children who have speech and language delays and disorders. More specifically, clients with expressive and receptive language delays/disorders, Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), Auditory Processing Disorders, and Executive Functioning difficulties.
Rachel believes that continuing education is essential in order to stay up to date on her technique and practice as a speech pathologist. She uses the information learned to discuss with her colleagues and utilizes it as part of her skill set in session.
Rachel is a firm believer in thorough and respectful communication with the client and team. A team approach is the most effective way to see steady growth in the client’s speech and language abilities. In 2021, After 15 years of living and working in Manhattan, Rachel moved to Westchester with her fantastic husband and two sons.
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