Donna Lederman, M.A., CCC/SLP, Certified PROMPT^® Clinician

Donna is well known for her comprehensive approach to the treatment of pediatric motor speech disorders, especially Childhood Apraxia of Speech. She has extensive knowledge and more than 35 years of experience in providing assessment and treatment for children with communication disorders and related disabilities. Donna’s academic background includes a Bachelors Degree in Speech Pathology (Summa Cum Laude) and a Masters Degree in Audiology (With Distinction). Her certifications include ASHA certification in Speech Pathology, NYS Certification in Speech–Language Pathology and Special Education, and PROMPT Certification as a Clinician (1998) and Instructor (2001). Donna has received many ACE Awards from the American Speech–Language Hearing Association, earned for completion of continuing education credits in motor speech disorders and related areas of study.

Prior to private practice, Donna spent more than 25 years working with special needs children at Nassau BOCES, a special education program on Long Island. Her areas of specialization included assessment, treatment planning, and parent education. She mentored many graduate students and clinical fellows in the field of speech pathology. At BOCES, Donna was instrumental in developing and instituting a program for children with dysphasia (feeding and swallowing disorders), writing a compendium of goals and objectives for school–based clinicians, and providing coursework and consultation to her colleagues in the area of motor speech disorders.

As a Senior PROMPT Instructor, Donna taught numerous courses, including Introduction to PROMPT: Technique and Bridging PROMPT Technique to Intervention, nationally and internationally. She taught one of the first PROMPT courses in Europe followed by two courses in Ireland with Deborah Hayden, founder and executive director of the PROMPT Institute. Donna is honored to have taught a PROMPT Technique Course in Jerusalem in March, 2008, and she will return to Israel in June 2009, to teach Bridging in Jerusalem and two Introduction to PROMPT Technique courses in Tel Aviv. Donna is passionate about her work, and she enjoys mentoring PROMPT clinicians at varied levels of training. Future goals include participation in research projects on the use of PROMPT treatment with children with CAS (Childhood Apraxia of Speech) and cochlear implants as well as continued development of parent training workshops.