Francesca earned her bachelor's degree from Loyola University Maryland, and a Master of Science in Communication Disorders with Distinction from Mercy University. During her graduate career, Francesca earned membership into the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association Honor Society, as well as the Alpha Eta Honor Society for outstanding academic record and leadership potential within the School of Health and Natural Sciences. 

 

Francesca's passion for pragmatic language intervention led her to seek out opportunities to dedicate herself to refining her expertise in pragmatic-based intervention. In addition to training in the Social Thinking methodology, she has worked closely with children and teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorder, using a hands-on approach that emphasizes the importance of pragmatic language abilities in real-world settings and their impact on individuals' overall functioning and independence. While earning her Masters, Francesca worked as a Community Habilitation worker in a Medicaid-funded program that provides individualized support to people with intellectual disabilities. In this role, she worked closely with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, assisting them in achieving goals related to activities of daily living. This culmination of experiences has equipped Francesca with a deep understanding of the impact of communication across various settings and the importance of working towards each client's personal goals. She is passionate about utilizing evidence-based strategies to help individuals develop their pragmatic skills and thrive in various social and functional contexts.

 

Prior to joining the DP team, Francesca gained experience in a local Westchester public school district, providing evaluation and speech and language therapy across the age-span of pre-school through high school. She utilized creative and evidence based approaches to help students reach their goals in the areas of receptive and expressive language, articulation, literacy, articulation and pragmatic language.  She believes in a family centered approach and brings her warm, engaging personality and positive energy into each therapy session.