Speech and Hearing

A major resource for speech and hearing in the Hudson Valley Region, the Center provides comprehensive services to both outpatients at the Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD) and inpatients at the Westchester Medical Center (WMC).  The Center serves not only individuals with disabilities, but the general public as well.  Our goals include identification, evaluation, and diagnosis of speech, language, swallowing, and hearing disorders, and provision of prompt, quality intervention.  The Speech and Hearing Center provides clinical field placements at both WIHD and WMC for graduate students in speech-language pathology from various universities. The Center is also a residency site for Clinical Fellows in Audiology (AuD).

Speech & Hearing
Cedarwood Hall, Valhalla, NY
914-493-7294
speechcenter@wihd.org

Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm

Please have your current insurance information available when you call.

Registration Packet [English]
Registration Packet [Spanish]
Hearing Resources
Speech Resources
child with therapistchild in audiology department with adultpatient with therapist

Our highly qualified speech-language pathologists evaluate, diagnose and treat communication and swallowing disorders for people of all ages.

ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR:

Speech Delays and Disorders

  • Articulation
  • Oral-Motor
  • Childhood Apraxia of Speech
  • Apraxia or Dysarthria due to Stroke, Disease or Trauma

Fluency

  • Stuttering
  • Cluttering

Language Delays and Disorders

  • Vocabulary and Grammar
  • Social Aspects
  • Language Processing
  • Language-Based Literacy Skills
  • Phonological Awareness Abilities
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Learning Disability
  • Aphasia/Stroke
  • Disease or Trauma induced Language Difficulties

Swallowing and Feeding Difficulties

Cognitive Aspects of Communication

  • Attention
  • Memory
  • Problem Solving
  • Executive Function Disorder

Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies

Voice Disorders

  • Chronic Hoarseness and Laryngitis
  • Vocal Fold Paralysis
  • Vocal Nodules or Polyps
  • Reinke’s Edema
  • Parkinson’s Disease

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

  • Hearing Aid or Cochlear Implant

Auditory Processing Disorders

The audiologists at WIHD provide state-of-the-art audiologic services to infants, children and adults. We have the knowledge, experience and compassion to evaluate and provide audiologic remediation of the gamut of auditory system disorders. The audiologists have a special expertise in testing very young and/or difficult to test individuals.

Services include:

Comprehensive (behavioral) Audiologic Testing

  • Standard audiometric testing
  • Speech audiometry
  • VRA and conditioned play audiometry
  • Immittance testing

Full Service Hearing Device Program

  • Digital hearing aids
  • Assistive listening devices
  • Cochlear implants
  • BAHA

Electrophysiologic Evaluations

  • Otoacoustic emission testing
  • Auditory brain stem response evaluation, performed under natural sleep or sedation
  • Newborn hearing screening follow-up

Auditory Processing Evaluations

Meet Our Speech and Hearing Team

WIHD speech and hearing staff

Our team consists of over 30 speech-language pathologists and audiologists who are licensed by New York State. In addition, all staff members hold the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

MICHELLE DIMATTIA, MA, CCC-SLP, BCS-S
Supervisor, Speech and Hearing Inpatient Service

MINDY SCHMELZER, AUD, CCC-A
Supervisor of Audiology

AUDIOLOGISTS
Regina Albinus, MS, CCC-A
Rivka Bornstein, AuD, CCC-A
Kristi D’Auria, AuD, CCC-A
Samantha Morgan, AuD, CCC-A
Amber Turner, AuD, CCC-A

GEMMA WHITE, M.S., CCC-SLP
Clinical Coordinator, Speech Department

SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS
Michelle Albera, MS, CCC-SLP, TSHH
Kristen Cannici, MS, CCC-SLP
Leah Ivory, MS, CCC-SLP
Erin McGee, MS, CCC-SLP
Erin McMurdo, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S
Danielle McPartlandt , MS, CCC-SLP
Rita Ricciardella M.A. CCC-SLP
Amy Rickard, MS, CCC-SLP
Noreen Schaefer, MS, CCC-SLP
Catherine Zohar, MS, CCC-SLP

We also have over ten per-diem Speech-Language Pathologists.

In Memoriam

MARILYN KLEIN, MA, CCC-SLP
Director, Speech and Hearing Center (1981-2022)

Marilyn was an invaluable member, cheerleader, and ambassador of WIHD’s team since she first started as a Speech Pathologist in 1969.  Over the years she held clinical, supervisory and instructional positions until she became director of Speech & Hearing at WIHD in Valhalla in 1981. Marilyn not only directed the Speech Language Pathology and Audiological Programs at both WIHD and Westchester Medical Center, she was integral in some of the operations of the Assistive Technology, Behavior Psychology and Adult Health Services programs. Marilyn will be sorely missed by all of those whose lives she touched but her legacy lives on at WIHD through her dedication and commitment to the organization.