Today we’d like to introduce you to Coral Du Quesne.
Hi Coral, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Florida State University in 2001. During that period, Google was not available, and my knowledge about the field of speech and language pathology was limited. I knew I wanted to work with children and to make a difference in their lives. After graduation, I decided to take a year off and work as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant to determine whether I truly enjoyed the profession before continuing on to graduate school. After a year working as an SLP-A, I decided to pursue further education and attended the graduate school program at Emerson College in Boston, MA.
I officially started as a Speech and Language Pathologist in 2004. At my first job, I attended a sensory integration course which significantly influenced my therapeutic approach. For the next few years, I continued to take sensory integration and self-regulation courses, focusing my practice on sensory-based speech and language therapy. Collaborating with occupational therapists helped me enhance my skills. Understanding a child’s sensory system and assisting them with self-regulation allowed for an improved impact on speech and language therapy. In 2006, I launched my private practice and worked independently for years, concentrating on learning and skill improvement. Gradually, I expanded my practice by hiring additional professionals, including a speech and language pathologist and an occupational therapist. Over time, the practice grew, prioritizing quality over quantity. Today, after 20 years in practice, I have a dedicated team consisting of SLPs, OTs, a teacher, and an RBT.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Opening a private practice involved unexpected obstacles and sacrifices. It has been a rollercoaster ride of successes and failures. When you own a small business, you need to become the ultimate problem solver, always be available to your staff, and lead by example at all times. Sometimes it can feel like you’re on call 24/7. Yet, pursuing your dreams on your own terms can offer a freedom you may not find when working for someone else. Your achievement potential is limited only by yourself. With hard work, anything is possible, though it demands more effort than imagined. Setbacks will occur, some greater than others, but confronting them can lead to stronger outcomes. Even the scariest of setbacks, ones that can make you question whether or not to continue, can actually have the greatest impact. Thanks to some of those moments, I have found and hired incredible professionals that have helped to make my practice much more organized and efficient, allowing for greater growth. Being a small business owner is not for everyone, but if you are willing to invest the time and energy, it can lead you on an adventure like no other. Looking back on where I started and where I find myself today, it can still feel unreal and I feel blessed. The success that I have had is in great part due to the support of family and good friends along the way. They have celebrated my successes, helped me recover from setbacks, and supported me to keep moving forward. My dad loves to say that I don’t have to worry because I have a safety net in case I fall. Although I still worry, that has proven to be true the many times I have fallen. It’s never easy to get back up, but it’s easier when friends and family hold out their hands to help you up.
As you know, we’re big fans of Speakeasy For Kids. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Speakeasy For Kids is a pediatric therapy center that offers speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, feeding therapy, school readiness programs for preschoolers, and innovative behavioral therapy. We specialize in autism spectrum disorders, apraxia, speech and language disorders, difficulties with self-regulation and sensory integration, motor planning, coordination, fine motor skills, and picky eaters. In recent years, we have been working on and fine tuning an innovative therapeutic approach that combines occupational therapy with speech and language therapy. It is an intensive form of therapy provided 5 hours a day, five days a week. I am incredibly proud of this program and the level of outcomes that we have achieved. We have had several patients who began our program classified as “nonverbal” and completed the program using 1-2 word utterances. We have seen an enormous improvement in language, communication, attention, behavior and self-regulation. As a practicing SLP for the last 20 years, I am unbelievably proud of the outcomes we have achieved.
In addition, we’ve created a variety of programs for preschoolers who struggle with behavior and self-regulation in a “typical” classroom setting. We offer curriculum based preschool programs provided by a skilled teacher with support from SLPs and OTs. This has been a great success for both the children and the parents who have struggled finding the “right fit” for their child.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Anything is possible if you set your mind to it and are willing to do the hard work to achieve it. Everything I have accomplished began with a vision and a plan.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Speakeasyforkids.com
- Instagram: @speakeasyforkids
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/p/speakeasy-for-kids-inc-100054612797458/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/speakeasy-for-kids/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpeakeasyForKids
Image Credits
Matthew Kanakis
Zoila Arias-Hernandez
