WELCOME to
HAPPY NEST SPEECH THERAPY
Happy Nest Speech Therapy is a pediatric private practice specializing in the assessment and treatment of speech, language, and feeding disorders for children ages birth through 12. Our convenient services take place in your child's most natural environment, in-home or online! We are committed to getting you and other caregivers involved in the therapy process and giving you the confidence to support your child's communication and feeding skills during everyday activities. Together, we will help your child achieve lasting success!
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Speech Therapy
Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Articulation, Phonological Disorders
After completing a comprehensive evaluation to determine the nature of your child's speech sound errors, we design upbeat and motivating sessions to help them practice new speech patterns! Whether your child struggles to produce a certain sound or many different sounds, we will address the root of the problem through evidence-based therapy approaches including Dynamic Temporal & Tactile Cueing (DTTC). Speech therapy will help your child produce all age-appropriate sounds correctly, coordinate the movement between sounds, say words that are important to them, effectively communicate without frustration, and feel confident in their speaking abilities.
Language therapy
We take a child-centered approach to language therapy, which means that each session is individualized to your child's goals, abilities, interests, and preferences. Through a combination of proven strategies and engaging activities, we will help your child improve their comprehension, expression, and social communication skills. We also support language development in autism through the Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) framework. Language therapy will help your child grow their vocabulary, combine words into longer sentences, use grammar, understand and follow directions, navigate their social world, and authentically participate in conversations and social interactions. Your child will have the tools they need to succeed in school and build meaningful relationships!
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Late talkers, language disorders, natural language acquisition
Feeding Therapy
picky eating, dysphagia, sensory and oral motor challenges
Feeding disorders can often be complex and involve multiple areas of need. We are dedicated to identifying the source of your child's chewing, swallowing, and eating challenges to design the most effective feeding therapy program for their individual needs. By working closely together, we will help your child master essential feeding skills and make mealtimes enjoyable and stress-free for your family. Feeding therapy will help your child transition from liquids to solid foods, chew foods effectively before swallowing, eat a greater variety and volume of foods, improve sensory tolerance, and shorten the time it takes to finish feeding or eating. We will also work to decrease gagging, vomiting, & coughing during meals, and support selective eating by thoughtfully introducing new textures, temperatures, colors, and smells.
Parent and Caregiver Coaching
Parent and caregiver coaching is the cornerstone of all of our therapy sessions. We strongly encourage family members to get involved in the therapy process because we know that your involvement is key to your child's success! We will provide you with specific tools and strategies to support your child's development during daily routines. We also dedicate time at the end of sessions to answer questions and provide home practice tips. Parent coaching sessions will equip you with strategies to help your child communicate, engage in back and forth exchanges, manage mealtime and feeding challenges, and effectively create learning opportunities while playing with your child. You are your child's most important teacher!
tools, strategies, and home practice ideas
MEET your THERAPIST!
Mary Ellen Baker, M.S., CCC-SLP
Owner, Speech-Language Pathologist
Mary Ellen is a speech-language pathologist with over 8 years of experience working with children with various communication and feeding needs. After earning her master’s degree from New York University, she has worked in a variety of settings, including early intervention programs, schools, private practice clinics, and rehabilitation centers. Mary Ellen founded Happy Nest Speech Therapy out of her passion for speech and feeding therapy and desire to provide quality care to families in her community. Not only is she a clinician, but also a parent of a child who experienced significant feeding challenges as an infant. Following her experience, Mary Ellen pursued specialized training in pediatric feeding therapy, which deeply influenced her professional work. Now, she provides holistic and evidence-based therapy at the intersection of speech and feeding. Mary Ellen actively holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP). She was awarded the renowned 2021 Award for Continuing Education (ACE) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for her dedication to professional learning. Mary Ellen is trained in a variety of research-based therapy methods, including Dynamic Temporal & Tactile Cueing (DTTC), Natural Language Acquisition (NLA), and Feed the Peds. She is a lifelong student and uses her vast knowledge and experience to create a tailored therapy plan for each child that she works with. In her free time, Mary Ellen loves spending quality time with her husband, daughter, and dog. She also enjoys Pilates, reading, and going to the beach.
Getting Started
STEP ONE
Contact us using the form below! Mary Ellen will reach out to you for a complimentary phone consultation to discuss your concerns, answer your questions, and determine if an evaluation is recommended.
STEP TWO
Our first session will begin with an in-depth evaluation to gather information about your child's unique skills and challenges. We will review the findings together and develop an individualized treatment plan with customized therapy goals that are meaningful to your child.
STEP THREE
Therapy sessions will be conducted in person or virtually at a frequency that best meets your child's needs. We will monitor progress on a regular basis to ensure that your child is achieving his or her goals.
WHERE WE MEET YOU
in your home
We travel throughout Nassau County and parts of Suffolk County to provide therapy in the comfort of your home. No need to plan for transitions or schedule in extra time for commuting!
Online
Our convenient online teletherapy services allow you and your child to participate in therapy sessions from anywhere. Teletherapy is accessible to all residents of New York.
“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.”
- O. Fred Donaldson