A Center-Speech & Learning

Speech and Language Pathologist Alida Engel has over 40 years of experience in Connecticut private and public schools, and in her private practice in New Haven, Connecticut. She works with children and adults and is a generalist, with broad experience in stuttering, autism, voice, language, articulation, reading, accent reduction, and other speech concerns.

Speech and language therapy is treatment for people who want to communicate better. They may find it challenging to produce clear sounds (a speech disorder) or to comprehend and put words together to express ideas (a language disorder). In speech and language therapy, we teach clients how to properly pronounce challenging sounds; we lead them through exercises to better understand and transmit ideas, both oral and written.

If this adversely effects your employment or social life, we can help with accent reduction. Free accent screening. We work with foreign-born individuals who already have mastered basic English vocabulary and grammar but wish to improve their pronunciation. We focus on accurate sound production and the prosody or "music" of standard American English speech.

Autism and PDD are developmental disorders which may be mild or severe. Problems arise in social skills (relating to others), communication skills (conversing, understanding others), and written comprehension.

Some common behaviors associated with autism/PDD are difficulty adjusting to transitions, repeating words spoken by others (echolalia), behavior issues, narrowly focused interests, social issues, and difficulty with comprehension, expression, or both.Therapy is based on the child's specific needs, in close collaboration with family and school.

Children with language delays often have behavior issues because they have difficulty expressing their needs. Learn to nurture age-appropriate behaviors and expand your parenting skills to achieve more positive interactions with your child. Alida is experienced in training parents to meet children's needs in their natural environment, in a supportive, positive manner, and to gently and effectively set limits.