Amy Reinstein, M.S., CCC - SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
Dysphagia & Neurogenic Speech Language Therapist

Amy Reinstein, M.S., CCC - SLP is a New York State (NYS) & Florida Association of Speech - Language Pathologists and Audiologists (FLASHA) licensed Speech-Language Pathologist.  Amy received her Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and holds a New York State Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD).  Amy is also an active member of the ASHA SIG13 Special Interest Group, Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders.  Amy now resides and practices full time in South Florida.

Amy has worked extensively with the NYC Department of Education as a contracted Speech Therapist along with various NYC hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities throughout the Metropolitan area evaluating and treating various speech and language disorders.  She has a comprehensive background in the evaluation and treatment of swallowing disorders and performing and assessing modified barium swallow studies (MBSS) also known videofluoroscopy exams (VFSS).  She is also certified in FEES (Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing).

Earlier in her career she worked as an Administrator for CPSE and EI at the Manhattan Center for Early Learning which allowed her to gain a unique knowledge of the evaluation process.  She began her career working as Talent Agent at a prominent New York City broadcast talent agency. These influential experiences helped Amy to discover her passion for Speech Therapy, develop a strong method for evaluating and treating speech language patients, and also gave her a unique insight that not many other speech therapists have; her own appreciation and understanding of being a speech and language patient herself. Amy was treated for and recovered from an articulation disorder with the /s/ sound in her early childhood; also known as a lisp, through essential speech therapy.

Amy graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with her Bachelor's Degree and went on to receive her Master's of Science Degree in Speech Language Pathology from Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus.  Amy currently works with private pediatric and adult patents with cognitive impairments and dysphagia, voice disorders, and language impairments.  She is also on call at her nearby hospital. Additionally  she works in a Rehab Facility and supervises Certified SLP's as well as Clinical Fellow Speech Pathologists' careers in order to get their accreditation's.  She continually writes and contributes several CEU courses as a Subject Matter Expert on various subjects of swallowing disorders & neurogenic speech and language therapy.  Amy enjoys treating speech and language children on the autistic spectrum using various methodologies and integrated methods, and is certified in the 15 hours Basic Course DIR/Floortime Model by Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. http://www.icdl.com/dirFloortime/overview/index.shtml which elicits language out of building relationships and following the child's lead. She is also well versed in PECS and Boardmaker and incorporates them into therapy when appropriate.  

Amy has been extremely lucky to have a career that's allowed her a wide variety of experiences working with both children and adults in settings such as Skilled Nursing Facilities, Hospitals, Rehabs, and Homecare specializing in Adult Neurogenic Communication Disoriders such as strokes and TBI as well as Swallowing Disorders/Dysphagia and Voice treatment all throughout New York City.  Amy is accomplished in performing, assessing, and evaluating, Clinical Swallow Examinations as well as Videofluroscopic Examinations (also known as Modified Barium Swallow).  Amy was trained by the best of the best in the swallowing field at New York Methodist Hospital to utilize different swallowing techniques and methodologies in order to improve the quality of life of the patient and the family.  She keeps up with the new Research and other clinicians' experiences by being an avid SIG 13 Member, Swallowing and Swallowing Disorder issues or SIG 13 Affiliate (SIG=Specialty Interest Group - 13 is Dysphagia).  She strongly believes that while putting the safety of the patient is the first priority, quality of life must be taken into account when making critical recommendations about a patients diet and/or treatment plan.  She works closely with the patient and the patient's family to explain the swallowing process, how and why we choose certain treatments, and hopefully keep everyone as comfortable as possible. 

Speech therapy is most successful when a partnership is formed between the speech therapist, the parents, and/or the client. When working with children or adults, Amy provides the caregiver with easy strategies they can use to reinforce what is learned during sessions.

Amy believes in treating a client as a 'whole' when designing their therapy goals.  Meaning, although she is a Speech - Language Pathologist, she will not only work on your speech and/or language, but will consider the body in it's entirety and how it contributes to the disorder and the underlying causes. For example, when working with children, consider the dynamic relationship between social-emotional growth as well as their physical and play developments.  See Speech Milestones for more information about child development.  

Amy also believes that attaining goals is best achieved in a fun, functional, and meaningful way as well as relevant to the clients life. Play is extremely important in fostering early language development in children. 

 I created this Website because...
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My great uncle had a stroke in 2010 while living in Florida.  He had recovered quite well from the stroke at the time, except for his swallowing.  They released him from the rehab on a soft diet and nectar thick liquids and suggested home therapy with barely any intermittent instructions.  Two different therapists came only TWO TIMES within TWO months and that was it.  They left no instructions or recommendations or exercises.  All they told my Aunt was to make sure he continues the thickened liquids.  But for how long?  Under whose care?  How was he to get off the thickened?  They told her he cannot drink thin liquids.  They did not explain why, or how long he will need to be on thickened.  No other information provided.  No plan was provided.  Most importantly, they scared her by telling her that if he chokes on the thin liquids he could die.   By the time I was able to see him, he wasn't drinking anything.  He refused the thickened liquids.  And believe me, he is a stubborn one!  That's one of the reasons I love him so much!  I tried thousands of different ways to explain to my Great Aunt anatomically how the swallow works, but over the phone it's not as easy, especially when she already got scared by the Doctor's!  By the time I got down to see him, it was one month post stroke.  I did my own evaluation.  He cleared his throat on the nectar and grimaced.  However, it should be noted, he cleared his throat consistently the entire visit.  I've also eaten many social meals with him, and he clears his throat normally.  No other signs or audible symptoms on thin liquids with a WNL hyolaryngeal excursion.  He has no history of any respiratory illness.  My aunt was TERRIFIED to put him on thin liquids.  He told me he wouldn't drink the thickened anymore.  By not drinking anything and suffering from dehydration, he was putting himself in more medical danger than he would by drinking thin liquids.  The Doctors and the SLP at the hospital made her think that if he aspirated ANY water he would drop dead.  Besides the fact that he did well given he was very weak having had barely any drinks.  In order to explain the research to my Aunt, I began writing it all out, and thus this site was born.  I told them I would put it all on a site, provide research, and I asked her to print it out and provide that to the same Doctor.  And from that, it kept building, I wanted to help more - I had my special sheets, and a lot of opinions!  And here my website keeps growing!  As for my uncle, he eventually got his way and was able to drink the thin liquids again and he is doing more than well!