SpeechForLife Brings Therapy To You!

Meet Rachel DeSando, MS Ed., CCC-SLP.  Rachel is also a mother and Horizon West resident who is passionate about providing what your child needs, right where you are. Her innovative approach using telehealth technology provides integration of therapy into daily life. 

Rachel’s compassionate methods engage children in meaningful therapy using evidence-based techniques and state of the art technology. A client-centered approach is the key component of her practice providing customized sessions that optimize communication skills to inspire and improve clients’ skill sets for a lifetime. Rachel specializes in speech and language, social skills, feeding, and literacy. 

I witnessed how weary parents were when bringing their busy family into a clinic after school, in between extra-curricular activities, and how they were too exhausted from running around to get involved in their child's therapy.  

Therapy seemed like a chore or activity for their child, rather than a helpful tool integrated into their life. I created SpeechForLife  using teletherapy so that families can conserve time and energy that would otherwise be spent on a hectic commute, to be seamlessly involved in every session, and see the progress happening before their eyes in their home.

We work best when matched with busy families who love technology, value their child's academic and social success, and are seeking the highest quality relationships with their therapists.

They offer interventions including but not limited to reading and writing, speech-language disorders, social skills, and sensory integration.  They accept private pay and the Gardiner Scholarship, to allow  families to seek quality services beyond insurance limitations and supplement school IEPs.  Therapy results are fastest when starting early (age 3 through 5th grade), but they are happy to help children of all ages succeed!

I love integrating my reading and writing therapy into my sessions while I am improving speech and language development. There is a lot of research about speech delays that are resolved by the time a child starts school, but then difficulties return in later years with struggles in reading, writing, and spelling. 

By incorporating pre-literacy skills early with children who are receiving speech therapy for speech and language, I work with the family to prevent difficulty with academics down the road. Dyslexia is also often not diagnosed until 3rd grade, so I incorporate testing elements into my evaluations to rule it out and better serve children who are at risk of a reading disability.

SpeechForLife uses a team approach to help children succeed.  SpeechForLife Licensed and Registered Occupational Therapist, Natalie Varela, specializes in sensory processing skills, social-emotional regulation, and executive functioning. This wonderful team of Speech-Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists work together to communicate with each child’s family and teachers to ensure they are progressing toward their goals.

I am passionate about educating families and the community in their children’s potential to speak clearly, express their ideas and emotions, learn without limitations, and create and maintain friendships for life. 

I love to discover children's unique abilities, spark an interest in learning, and teach them how to invest in their future by putting in their best effort and thoughtful action towards helping those around them.   

Horizon West is the perfect place for SpeechForLife, because this community is full of forward-thinking families who strive to create the best environment for their children. 

As a mother and a professional in Horizon West, I know I am surrounded by families, educators, and other professionals who are all equally passionate about investing in the future of our children and community.