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    Project I am me Spring 2013

    I am me********

    A new worldWe live in a rapidly changing world. What worked 20 years ago has already become

    obsolete. Parents are faced with new difficulties in their personal lives, and wonder what

    rearing practices they should adopt in raising their children.

    Continued on 2

    The visionMy vision of a center-based

    program focusing on

    individuality and community.

    Page 2

    The directorMy experience as a teacher,

    speech therapist, behavior

    therapist, and life coach.

    Page 4

    TestimonialsParents share their

    experiences.

    Page 6

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    We live in a rapidly changing

    world. What worked 20 years

    ago has already become

    obsolete. Parents are faced

    with new difficulties in their

    personal lives, and wonder

    what rearing practices they

    should adopt in raising their

    children. Is math and science

    still more important to teach

    than the arts? Would mychild benefit from learning

    piano, or taking a yoga class,

    instead? Should I restrict i-

    phone/ i-Pad use, or should I

    encourage it in an

    increasingly digital world?

    Can my 7-year old have a

    Facebook profile? He cannot

    sit still for longer than 5

    minutes - does he have ADD?He mostly keeps to himself

    I worry he has Autism

    What life skills will promote

    my childs happiness in the

    decade to come? At what

    age should he know his

    ABCs? What will prepare

    him for kindergarten?

    The web is full of diverse,

    and often-conflicting

    information, and experts inall fields offer a multitude

    of methods to stimulate

    brain development and

    acquire certain skills. How

    much stimulation is enough

    stimulation? How can I

    preserve my childs

    childhood while insuring hell

    be ready for kindergarten

    and first grade?

    A new world

    Envision a place where all

    adults are knowledgeable,

    happy, and passionate about

    working with children, as

    they consider it a privilege to

    be able to contribute to life

    that way. They pay special

    attention to each childs

    personality, strengths and

    needs, and support their

    development holistically, on

    all levels: physical, social,

    emotional, and cognitive.

    Research shows that the first

    years of a childs life are

    critical for their development.

    We want to create a place

    where children will flourish

    together, while feeling free

    to be themselves.

    A happy place to play and learn

    Happiness

    12 things happy

    people do

    differently:

    Express gratitude

    Cultivate optimism

    Avoid over-thinkingand social comparison

    Practice acts of

    kindness

    Nurture social

    relationships

    Develop strategies for

    coping

    Learn to forgive

    Increase flow

    experiences

    Savor Lifes joys Commit to their goals

    Practice spirituality

    Take care of their

    body

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    Our centerIt is not out differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and

    celebrate those differences. (Audre Lorde)

    Population served: children age 2-5 years, and their

    families.

    Ratio: 1 adult to 3 children

    Diversity of staff and children.

    Focus on individuality, social skills, community, and

    parent support and collaboration.

    Staff speaks English, Spanish, and Cantonese.

    One speech therapist is present on site 3-5 days/week.

    Occupational therapist, physical therapist and

    psychologist pay monthly visits and consult with the

    staff and parents.

    Staff attends periodical trainings led by the director in

    all areas of development.

    Monthly parent training workshops taught by the director and other specialists in the field

    of early child development will be available.

    Parents can view their children live while at home or at work via webcam upon request. Monthly reports including videos will be sent home. When graduating, children will be

    handed a video notebook with their previous work and memories for keepsake.

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    Sed et tellus at quam sagittis pharetra. Donec faucibus sagittis justo.I am a teacher, mentor, life coach, behavioral

    therapist and speech and language

    pathologist with a unique approach totherapy and counseling that incorporates an

    array of strategies originating in psychology,

    physiology, spirituality, and cognitive

    neuroscience.

    My training started in Romania, where I grew

    up in a modest family of educators. As an

    atypical learner, I struggled to excel in a

    communist education system based on rote

    memorization and non-creative thinking. At

    age eighteen I became a teacher determinedto develop a new way of thinking and

    imparting knowledge. Studying psychology

    followed, in order to better understand

    human cognition and behavior. From a young

    age, I was also drawn to language, intuiting

    the power it has over thinking and human

    interaction. Studying and learning new

    languages started as a separate interest that

    only grew larger, and merged with my other

    two passions, those of teaching and

    counseling.

    I have worked with typically developing

    children, children with special needs and their

    families for the past 13 years, in a variety of

    settings including schools and homes. I have

    learned about difficulties parents encounter in

    raising their children, from handling undesired

    behaviors to supporting childrens

    development in areas of need. Through

    collaborations with other professionals, I have

    learned ways to support a variety of childrenin their global development. I view all areas of

    development as interconnected and working

    in tandem, therefore I believe in identifying

    and building on existing strengths when

    addressing areas of need.

    My therapy sessions and playgroups are

    environments where children are respected in

    Teacher Behavior therapist Life Coach

    Alina Mihai

    Speech Therapist

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    individuality, and supported in their

    acquisition of skills. I see every child as a

    unique individual, with unique strengths and

    motivation that drives them to grow. Since

    parents play a key role in their childrens

    cognitive, emotional and social development, I

    offer parent counseling and education on a

    regular basis, and continuously keep them

    informed of their childrens successes.

    It is my mission to continue to support

    families in their growth, and through it,

    contribute to our community that in turn will

    support all of us in our quests for happiness

    and harmony.

    Ph:

    Email:

    550 Fell St. Unit 15

    San Francisco, CA 94102

    Ph: 650.814.2818

    Fax: 650.814.2818

    www.logopeda.us

    Contact Alina:

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    Testimonials

    Rosa and Yeroham

    Alina, as a person and as a therapist, is outstanding.

    Her uniqueness exceeds all expectations. As a person,

    she is admirably organized, highly ethical and friendly,

    she has the ability to connect and to communicate,

    making one feel included and being able to participate

    as if we were old friends. She is genuine, sweet, and

    truthful. As a professional therapist, from 1 to 10, 10

    being the top, she is a 11. She is always prepared,

    knowledgeable, and capable of tackling any situationwith a very sweet approach. My son loves her, and

    expects to see her as if he knew how to count the days. She

    motivates him, and he has overcome plenty of issues in such

    amazing ways. Hardly any words could be exact to explain

    what an amazing professional therapist we have in Alina. We will forever be

    indebted and grateful for all the benefits that our son, and by association his

    twin sister gain from Alinas therapy.

    Ph: 415.240.7283

    Email: [email protected]

    Maria and ErickWhen we met Alina, our son Erick, a very shy child,

    was having difficulties in his speech/ language and social

    development. In time, Alina not only managed to gain his

    trust, but also helped me as a mother to understand my

    sons personality, how to help him socialize, and gave us

    the tools and resources necessary to help him develop his

    speech and language. Alina is a great speech therapist, as

    well as a great human being. What I like most about the

    way she works is that she focuses on Erick in a holisticway, taking into consideration all aspects of his

    personality. I felt supported a lot by Alina. These days,

    Erick is a bit more social, and has progressed a lot in his speech and

    language. This is the consequence of having worked with a person like

    Alina, who has passion and love for what she does.

    Ph: 562.221.7845Email: [email protected]

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    Allisons story

    Before Alina began providing services for Allison, she was

    completely non-verbal, and her only form of communication

    was through smiling, pointing, etc. Over the course of the

    past few months, Allison has progressed tremendously. The

    teachers absolutely noticed the progression in her language,

    which initially started as single words such as yes or no,

    and advanced to full sentences. Allison has begun to talk,

    interact substantially more with her peers, and communicate

    with her teachers. As a result, besides her speech and

    language improvements, weve also seen her personality

    flourish, all thanks to Alina. It has been a pleasure having her

    work with my student. Her teachers, as well as her parents,are equally grateful and appreciative of Alinas hard work and

    dedication to the advancement of this childs language development.

    Gabriela Clyde, Cross-Cultural Family Center: Mary Lane

    Katherine and Ian

    Alina works wonderfully with children, she is

    compassionate and sensitive to their needs and wants

    in order to reach the most success. She pays a great

    deal of attention to functional goals (improving a

    child's communication for life - daily living), not just

    constant structured activities. Her intuitiveness works

    well in a childcare environment, and she is focused on

    keeping positive energy a main priority. I myself havelearned so much from watching her work and have seen

    amazing results due to her efforts. She is amazing.

    Ph: 562.221.7845Email: [email protected]

    Ph: 415.861.0144

    Email: [email protected]

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    Hinde and Yasmin

    Before we started speech therapy with Alina, my 3-year

    old daughter Yasmin, did not attach easily to adults. She

    always wanted to be only with me. With Alina it was

    different. She liked her the first time she saw her, and

    after the second session she wanted to go home with her.

    Now she asks for Alina every single day. She even pretends

    to talk to her on the phone. It is very unusual that she

    attached to her so quickly. Alina gave me useful advice on how

    to help Yasmin with her speech and language, and also on how

    to manage her behavior. Because Yasmin she was having

    difficulty transitioning to a new speech therapist, Alina volunteered to

    join in one of their sessions, which was very helpful. Alina is proactive, a

    wealth of knowledge, and a very kind person. Thank you so much Alina.

    You were amazing with Yasmin. You are the best!

    Julie and Basil

    I cannot say enough about Alina Mihai and what an

    incredibly positive influence she's had on our 3 1/2

    year old son Basil. Not only has Basil's speech and

    comprehension improved considerably since he's been

    in her care for the past year and half, but he adores

    her, talks about her non-stop and always looks forward

    to her visits. Alina's technique possesses the perfect

    balance of structure and nurture that Basil responds

    to very well. She is incredibly knowledgeable,

    passionate and confident about what she does and goes above and beyond their hourly

    weekly sessions. She has stopped by our house on several occasions (off the clock) just to

    discuss the progress he's made. She's always on time and returns texts/calls within minutes.

    We feel beyond lucky to have found her and plan on never letting her go!

    Ph: 562.221.7845

    Email: [email protected]

    Ph: 415.533.9044

    Email: [email protected]

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    My name is Rebecca Taylor; this is a picture of my

    happy two year old and 8 months baby boy Jake

    Taylor. He was not always this happy. Jake has had a

    global developmental delay, which means he is slower

    than most kids in every developing domain. He has

    struggled with gross motor, fine motor, cognitive and

    speech development. This also caused behaviors with

    Jake that were sometimes hard to work through which is

    typical for a child that is behind and frustrated. When

    Jake first started receiving services, he was just about

    to turn two and began speech therapy. He had four

    consistent words, Mama, Dada, Baba (bottle) and go.Jakes assigned speech therapist Alina Mihai was much

    needed at the time but at that time I did not know just

    how much we needed her.

    Jake was extremely frustrated with limited speech, and

    Alina worked with Jake building a rapport with him even through that frustration

    and tantrums. Alina is multi-talented. She has a strong background not only in

    speech but also in behavior therapy. This was key for Jake; she was able to break

    through barriers with Jake that I had only hoped for. Soon after Alina started

    working with Jake, he was able to baby sign language. This brought Jakes

    communication up and frustration down. Her methods through play soon

    produced speech and started to bring other qualities out of Jake. Suddenly Jakecould attend to activities and his focus increased greatly. He was able to

    maintain joint attention, which is key when helping a child learn during sessions.

    Other things emerged through these sessions such as pretend play and sharing.

    This has transferred over into his everyday life not just during therapy, at the

    playground or home. Jakes receptive skills have doubled since Alina has guided

    him he can now follow two-step instructions, and has expanded his verbal

    vocabulary. Jake can make simple request and express himself now without

    having to tantrum or cry.

    Jake may still have a disability but through early intervention, Jake will have a

    head start on his future challenges in life. There is no one I would have wanted as

    a support system for our family more than Alina; she has truly changed Jakes

    life. I cannot tell you how blessed I feel to have her in our lives and any child

    would be blessed to have her as a caregiver. Alina cares about her children,

    guides them, finds their strengths and weaknesses and helps the child grow. Jake

    looks forward to his time with Alina and waits at the door before she enters the

    room and you can see that smile on his face when she comes in. There is nothing

    more beautiful than a childs smile when they see someone that they care about,

    and makes a difference in their lives.

    Rebecca and Jake

    Ph: 415.244.8025

    Email: [email protected]

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    Ph:

    Email:

    550 Fell St. Unit 15

    San Francisco, CA 94102

    Ph: 650.814.2818

    Fax: 650.814.2818

    www.logopeda.us

    Contact Alina:

    Helena and AveryAlina has been working with my 2-year-old daughter,

    Avery, with a speech delay. Over the past several months,

    we have noticed a substantial growth in her speech. I give a

    great deal of credit to Alina for the improvement. Not only

    are the sessions fun and motivating, but they are organized

    and constructive. Alina's natural intuitiveness combined with

    her knowledge in psychology & behavior management help her

    to connect and understand my daughter as a whole. This

    creates a safe and comfortable atmosphere for learning. Alina

    is always eager to share her knowledge with me, and answerany questions or concerns. Our family feels fortunate that

    Avery's first "teacher" is Alina. She's enriched Avery's life in

    more ways than just providing speech therapy. I firmly believe

    our children and community will benefit greatly from Alina and

    her vision.

    Ph: 813.410.1434

    Email: [email protected]