ABOUT US
Speech-Language Pathology
LaKeya Smith is the Director/Owner of Use Your Words Speech Therapy Services. She received her undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and her Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Pittsburgh. LaKeya has over twenty years of experience in the field of Speech and Language Pathology and has worked in private practice, hospital, outpatient and school-based settings. Her areas of interest include diagnosis and treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, parent training, early intervention therapy, children with feeding and swallowing disorders, as well as working with young children with an autism spectrum disorder. She has been trained in Sara Rosenfield-Johnson’s Oral Placement Therapy (OPT), Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets -PROMPT, Sensory-Motor Feeding Therapy, Complex Feeding issues, CAN-EAT Feeding Approach, Social Thinking, Orton-Gillingham method for reading instruction as well as sensory integration strategies. She is also trained and certified Speech-Language Pathologist in Hanen's "It Takes Two To Talk Parent Training Program."
"I’ve always had a passion for working with children. I admire their resilience, passion, flexibility and their ability to learn. I have found that working with children always puts a smile on my face and brightens my mood for the day."
Licensed in both NJ and NY
Certified Speech-Language Specialist NJ Department of Education
New Jersey Early Intervention Provider
International Society on Early Intervention Member
Apraxia Kids Professional Directory (Apraxia-Kids.org)
Hanen's It Takes Two To Talk Parent Training (Certified)
PROMPT (Trained)
The Once Upon A Time Foundation's Professional Directory (ChildApraxiaTreatment.org)
Orofacial Myologist (IAOM Certification Track)
Simon Says Orofacial Myology Assessment and Treatment Certification
SOS Approach to Feeding (Trained)
American Speech and Hearing Association Certified Speech-Language Pathologist
New Jersey Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NJSHA) Member
Occupational Therapy
Dr. Lauren Gramatica graduated from New York University’s Two-Tiered MS/Doctor of Occupational Therapy program in 2020. She’s had the privilege to present at AOTA’s National Conference in 2021 on her doctoral research regarding School Mental Health Promotion and Prevention. In addition, she has been professionally working with the pediatric population within the school system in northern NJ. She is excited to join the Use Your Words team to provide occupational therapy services.
