Meet Abbe Simon
M.A., CCC-SLP
Abbe Simon, M.A., CCC-SLP, has been a speech language pathologist for 24 years. She has worked in a variety of settings including acute and rehabilitation hospitals, assisted living facilities, skilled nursing facilities, aphasia centers, and outpatient clinics, while seeing clients privately. Throughout her career, she has remained passionate about working with adults with neurological language disorders resulting from stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, brain tumors, degenerative disease, and/or age related memory decline.
To broaden her ability to help clients find wellness, Abbe became a certified integrative health coach in 2021. This training allows her to offer care partners support in order to achieve individual goals that encompass health, wellness, and happiness without neglecting their loved one.
Abbe specializes in evaluating and treating people who have aphasia. Her approach revolves around an individual's goals to create functional, engaging, relevant, and purposeful outcomes that go beyond a treatment room. She provides therapy driven by evidenced-based practices while modifying programs to suit each individual client’s needs. Abbe prides herself on the relationships she builds with clients and their communication partners.
After years of serving people with aphasia, Abbe learned and witnessed the power of intense and consistent skilled therapy. Her work as a communication coach and group leader at renowned aphasia centers allowed her to see the benefit of immersing in productive language opportunities that last more than a typical 45-minute session.
As a SLP, Abbe has seen first hand how care partners' lives change when a loved one receives a sudden life changing diagnosis. Because this new role often impacts health and wellness, Abbe has created programs that coach care partners along their unexpected journey.
My Approach
Relationship Centered Aphasia Program
I developed the Relationship Centered Aphasia Program (RCAP) to offer a unique 3-hour/day program so that clients can address multiple goals with a functional approach that targets the use of repetition, errorless learning, and multi-modal communication. Longer therapy sessions allow clients the opportunity to benefit from a relaxed pace, self-driven goals, and the opportunity to maximize neuroplasticity beyond a contained therapy environment.
While I recognize the importance of traditional speech therapy, I'm passionate about applying learned communication strategies and tools to "real-life" situations. Intensive programs include time spent outside of the treatment room in order to carry over learned skills. This is what makes RCAP unique. Building and strengthening relationships despite the presence of aphasia.
Aphasia impacts more than the person who has it. My approach includes communication partner training and education. This aspect of the program requires an investment of time and commitment.
My Background
I'm a native New Yorker with a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Communication Disorders and Speech Language Pathology from the University of Buffalo. I'm a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Aphasia Access, and am active in continuing education. I am certified to provide voice therapy with the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment and I work as a group leader for the Triangle Aphasia Project, Unlimited that offers clients a variety of conversation groups.
When I'm not working, I love to cook, exercise, be with friends, and enjoy my family. I look forward to meeting you.