Having been in education the majority of my life, and teaching children with learning disabilities, I know the importance of various therapists to help young children find success. Many children I worked with struggled with speech in some form, and finding a great speech pathologist that goes above and beyond to connect with each child is a priority in fixing the issue. Luckily, Andie Schneider opened up her own speech pathology practice in New York called New York Speaks, and she has expanded her services to the Hamptons this summer. She works with both children and adults, and does home visits to make the session convenient for parents on the east end.
How many years have you been in business in NYC?
I’ve been a speech pathologist for two years, working for the top Ear Nose and Throat group in New York City, as well as a private practice dedicated to both adults and children. This experience comes after a three-year master degree and a fellowship, which I completed right here at Southampton Hospital.
How did you get your start and what was your initial inspiration?
Funny enough, I had a lisp when I was a young child… I had sucked my thumb for many years. My mom, thankfully, took me to a great speech pathologist, who made me feel good about the therapy. This experience stuck with me.
What do you feel differentiates you from others in your field?
I have a cumulative approach to speech pathology. I find it very important to coordinate with physicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and anyone relevant to my patients’ therapy and success. It’s also very important to me to listen to the patient describe their symptoms prior to reading doctor reports. Understanding symptoms is always key to helping the patient! But most importantly, my goal is to provide comprehensive care and do whatever it takes to ensure the treatment I provide is successful. My patients tell me that I’m warm and friendly. I try and go above and beyond to achieve results for them. A few days ago, I took a patient (who recently had a stroke) to a pet adoption store. He loves cats, so I took time out of my day to accompany him to adopt a cat. He had to communicate with the ASPCA employees and practice the techniques I had taught him in therapy. We had a good time and he successfully adopted a cat!
What do you feel gives you longevity in this big city with so many options?
I really believe that having a very personal approach to my business separates me from others in my field. I strive to find creative ways to achieve results with my patients. Whether I’m working with children or adults I see better results when the patients are engaged.
How do you positively impact your clientele?
I show them respect and positivity. I believe in mind over body, if you have a positive outlook your body will respond appropriately.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Making my patients smile.
What is your favorite secret NYC spot?
Face Gym. Hidden on the second floor of Saks Fifth Avenue, is one of my new favorite workouts- for your face! Many of my patients have muscle tension in the head and neck region. With this new workout, you can release tension of the facial muscles in minutes!
How do you benefit mamas?
I make speech pathology FUN! I use props, games, and fun exercises to engage the kids so that the therapy feels more like playtime rather than a chore. I use a collaborative approach to engage the parents in treatment and ensure the parents or caretakers know how to implement my treatment techniques at home. Also, I have a private practice office on 50th Street and Park Avenue, and do home-care in New York City and The Hamptons as well. I know how incredibly busy moms are so I provide several offerings to ensure speech therapy can easily fit into their schedules.
What is the most memorable feedback a client has given you?
I recently had a patient thank me for providing my personal experience (with my grandmother) and applying it to my patient care. She thanked me and stated that my “caring understanding” and “personal feedback” pepped her up and prepared her for her cancer treatment.
Pay it forward and name your top colleagues in the same field or related field:
Dr. Jonathan Aviv with ENT and Allergy, Chelsey Kotler (owner and director of Speech Zone NYC), Tara Hantman-SLP (516) 978-5896.
What is the best advice anyone's ever given you? Or what is your "mantra" / words to live by?
“Work hard, keep your head down and stick to your goals. It will come”. This was my grandfather’s advice to me. By the way…while I was working on my Master’s Degree I was commuting from New York to New Jersey every day for a total of a three-hour daily commute for three years. It was tough and at times I wondered if it was worth it. It is worth it…my kid and adult patients make me feel it every day!
As moms, the day can escape us, what is your best time-saving trick?
I am VERY organized!! For me, it’s all about preparation. I keep a detailed schedule, and always prepare my treatment plans ahead of time, then review them the night before. I know my patients are busy as well so I try to make the process of attending speech therapy as seamless as possible for them by providing detailed appointment reminders and easy payment options.