Sara Mejia Eaton, M.S.P. CCC-SLP [email protected]
Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist
About Me
Hola. I’m Sara, a Bilingual Speech-language Pathologist living in the Chicago area. Being an SLP has been a calling for me. That is to say, I feel passionate about providing engaging and culturally/linguistically appropriate therapy and providing accurate diagnostic results.
Background
I am a Third-Culture Kid (TCK) and was lucky to grow up in Mexico, Venezuela, and the US. I'm a native Spanish and English speaker. Growing up multicultural and with more than one language since birth has shaped who I am today as a human as well as a multicultural clinician.
I received my education at the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!), Loyola University Chicago (Go Ramblers!), and the University of South Carolina (Go Gamecocks!).
I view myself as a cultural liaison and can personally attest to the power of communication and how it connects people, no matter in what language or dialect. Who do you know that does not want to “feel heard?” There is a reason that “communication is the key” to so much, including enriching human connections, academic success, and the human experience.
Professional highlights:
- 9+ years of experience working with bilingual children in public schools and private clinics throughout the Chicago area.
- Conducting bilingual speech-language evaluations. I take into consideration current best practices, including taking into consideration cultural/linguistic differences related to communication.
- Providing district-wide and local community continuing education unit opportunities with a focus on “Diagnosing speech or language disorders for the monolingual clinician.” My presentation aims at educating monolingual SLPs on how to conduct culturally appropriate assessments with or without using traditional standardized testing tools.
- Volunteering as a clinical supervisor for graduate student clinicians from St. Xavier College, Midwestern College, and Elmhurst College.
- Diagnostician for all bilingual speech-language evaluations, including Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, and Burmese. All languages assessed other than Spanish are with the help of professional interpreters.
- Additional post-graduate education in Bilingual Speech-Language Pathology through Portland State University in Quito, Ecuador.
- Conversant in French. I studied and lived in Pau, France, and minored in French in undergraduate school. Although not a native speaker I seek opportunities to speak le français autant que possible.