Kate Besonen began her career as a Speech and Language Pathologist working in the school system and a home-health private practice in Charlotte, North Carolina. This invaluable experience reinforced her passion for working with children but it also revealed ways in which the structures of institutional learning limited the effectiveness of her work. This passionate belief in finding a more effective way to provide treatment led her to launch Speak Easy Pediatrics in January of 2017. Since then, Speak Easy has expanded into a team of highly trained, licensed, and enthusiastic speech, occupational and physical therapists dedicated to helping children reach their full potential.
Why Speak Easy Pediatrics: Play-Based Early Intervention!
Kate’s desire to build a community-based early-intervention practice came out of a simple goal: “to provide the best possible treatment, and therapeutic support system for each child and family that is served.” This goal led her to incorporate practices based on each child’s specific needs rather than insurance requirements or school-mandated scheduling.
As Kate explained, Speak Easy Pediatrics practices a play-based model that emphasizes family involvement, parent education, and training. Speak Easy also comes to YOU! Therapy is provided within a child’s “natural environment,” rather than a clinic or office setting. Conducting sessions at a child’s home, daycare, or preschool is convenient for parents and more comfortable for kids. It also allows Speak Easy therapists to use materials familiar to your child and incorporate functional outcomes in your child’s everyday routines.
Therapists come ready to play with plenty of fun, novel toys, and stimulating activities. The hour-long sessions also allow for snack and potty breaks, and an occasional sibling or pet inclusion. Your kids will love every minute of the sessions because 90% of their time is spent where they learn best: on the floor, playing! Don’t be surprised when they race to the door, excited to get learning, and more importantly, excited to get playing! This play-based approach provides kids AND parents the tools they need to keep progressing even when they’re not in a formal therapy session.
Why Speak Easy Pediatrics: A Team Approach
Speak Easy promotes a team-based approach to treatment. They work with each member of the family, providing therapy strategies and guidance so that at the end of each session everyone feels educated and empowered. This approach ensures greater success, progress, and generalization of your child’s goals. Each session is also tailored towards your child’s specific and ever-changing needs. So, for example, if your child is struggling to tell you what he wants to eat for a snack, then they will take the session directly into your kitchen and model ways to provide choices or label objects. Speak Easy will help families learn how to incorporate cues and therapy strategies to ease this sometimes stressful time of day.
What happens if families aren’t able to be a part of the session? No worries! As a working mom, Kate knows how challenging the work/ life balance can be. Speak Easy understands that communication is the key to success for every member of your child’s team. So even if the family can’t be at every session in person, Speak Easy therapists will keep caretakers, teachers, and parents informed and connected via text, email, phone calls, and even videos of direct therapy.
Who Can Speak Easy Help?
Speak Easy offers assessment and treatment for children ages birth to 18 years with varying medical diagnoses and conditions. Speak Easy also services private and charter schools throughout Pinellas County. If you have concerns related to your child’s expressive, receptive, or social communication, reading abilities, gross and fine motor development, postural control, endurance, sensory integration and processing, behavior challenges, anxiety, executive function and coordination, Speak Easy can help! If you have questions related to your child’s development, or would like to set up an evaluation, consultation or treatment, contact Speak Easy today.
To find out how Speak Easy Pediatrics can help YOUR child thrive, contact them at 614-940-4428 or [email protected]. You can also learn more about the individual therapists and the many services they offer by visiting Speak Easy Pediatrics at www.speakeasypediatrics.com.
