Therapist Spotlight: Danielle Catena M.A. CCC-SLP
Meet Danielle! Danielle is an outstanding Speech-Language Pathologist at Reach for Speech. Danielle has helped hundreds of children reach their speech goals. She is so loved by all of her patients and families, always receiving positive reviews and going above and beyond to make each session fun for her kids! This month we are honored to put the spotlight on Danielle and all the great work she is doing at Reach for Speech! Read more about Danielle and her background:
What school did you go to for your degree?
I went to the University of Pittsburgh for both undergrad and graduate school (h2p!) I graduated in 2015 with a bachelors in Communication Science and Disorders and a certificate in American Sign Language Studies. I then went right into a two year graduate program, and I earned my masters degree in 2017.
How long have you been a speech therapist for?
I began my CF in 2018, so 6-7 years. Everyday in this field presents a new opportunity, so it’s been an exciting handful of years here!
Why did you want to become a speech therapist?
I have always loved language, learning, and teaching. When I was accepted into college, it was with the intent of becoming a Spanish teacher. Part way through my undergrad studies, I took an ASL class, and that’s when things really fell into place for me. Pitt’s program was unique in that all ASL classes were taught by Deaf professors. They told horror stories of how they were forced to go to speech therapy and “fix” how they talked. It’s cliche to say that I “wanted to make a difference,” but that’s really what it was! I wanted to be part of a new wave of thinkers that helped kids find their own individual voices, that accepted them for who they were and helped elevate them in ways that made them feel good about themselves.
What type of diagnoses do you treat?
As an SLP, our scopes are so large. We treat a range of disorders, from speech/language, to social communication, to fluency, to cog-com, to voice, and feeding/swallowing. At R4S, I’d say most of my caseload is comprised of articulation, language, pragmatics, and AAC treatment. I work with kiddos with a variety of developmental and genetic disorders, clefts, syndromes, and more!
What specialty areas do you have experience in?
During the pandemic I really took a deep dive into AAC assessment and treatment. It’s a really cool corner of our world that I love to tap into for verbal and non-verbal kids alike. Feature matching devices and programs can be a puzzle, but seeing the outcome is always worth it!
I’ve also recently completed a number of continuing education credits in evaluating and treating orofacial myofunctional disorders. Since then I’ve successfully treated my first tongue-thrust kiddo and was able to help them prevent a round of orthodontic appliances!