About
Spectra Gymnastics has been a guiding light for neurodivergent recreational therapy since 2014, due to community demand we have expanded services to include Speech Therapy. Speech Language Pathology services are designed to be neurodiversity affirming, trauma informed, and from a lens of Autistic & ADHD lived experience. Our speech services prioritize sensory and gross motor play, child led play, and connection.The team at Spectra are dedicated to bringing world-class services to our clients and their families. Spectra provides nurturing, innovative, and evidence-based practices to nurture every child’s growth and progress.
Allison Vaccaro M.S. CCC-SLP
About our Speech-language Pathologist
My name is Allison but feel free to call me Ally or Al, I use they/them pronouns. I am autistic, ADHD, queer, and non-binary. I am originally from western NY, but Portland has been my home for over 6 years now. I received a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and communication disorders from the State University of New York at New Paltz in 2016 and a master’s in speech-language pathology from the University of Utah in 2018.
I have 29 years of lived experience as an autistic human, and over 6 years of experience as a fully licensed speech-language pathologist. I discovered I was autistic over 4 years ago and it has utterly transformed my professional and personal life in the best ways. Professionally, I also work as a Topic Area Expert for The Informed SLP and run a small coaching and consulting business. Within speech pathology, I have worked across educational, medical, and clinical settings with humans across the entire lifespan.
I prioritize connection over compliance and client-led therapy that is individualized and neurodiversity-affirming. Education and advocacy are a staple in my work as well as implementing trauma-informed strategies/concepts and considering intersectionality and cross-cultural considerations. I could talk forever about my passion for working with and being a part of the actually autistic community, and I can’t wait to connect with you!
My animals are my entire world and are registered emotional support animals. I have two dogs, Swarley, Mojo jojo and one sweet kitty named Tarot. I love questioning social norms, geometric shapes, tattoos, cinnamon rolls, bright colors, watching my hyperfixation TV shows over and over, roller skates, building community, and any sort of swing or hammock.
Overview of Services
At this time, we offer Dynamic Assessment, Social Play and Communication Groups, Individual Sessions, and Direct Parent/Caregiver/Family Coaching and Support
dynamic Assessment
Identification of traits/characteristics or patterns of development congruent with neurodiversity i.e. Autism, ADHD, dyslexia, Stuttering, etc.
Evaluation of early communication, Gestalt Language Processing/Natural Language Acquisition, social communication, general speech and language.
Detailed parent/caregiver interview
Direct interaction with client and observation of play
Use of scales, semi-structured probes, and or checklists to support the identification areas of strength and areas of growth if needed
Used to determine which services may be most appropriate for each child/family, required before placement in any speech services at Spectra.
Price: $200/Hour
Social Communication and Play Groups
Groups will be 60 minutes in length and will incorporate sensory motor play
Groups are designed to build and maintain self-advocacy skills, boundary setting, relationship building, and other social communication skills.
Groups will have 3-6 children at a time depending on age and group dynamics, size of groups and pairing of children will be based on clinical judgment.
Groups will run with a 3:1 ratio, 3 group sessions to 1 family coaching/support support session. Family coaching allows for increased generalization of skills among many other researched benefits.
Price: $75/Hour
Individual Sessions
Sessions will be 30-60 minutes depending on SLP’s recommendation
Targeting articulation, phonology, expressive or receptive language, stuttering, cluttering, AAC implementation, cognition, or social communication.
Price:
30-minute session, $75 per
60-minute session, $150 Per
Parent/Caregiver/Family Coaching and Support
Counseling has always been within the scope of practice for speech language pathologists however it often gets overlooked; it is an immense passion of mine to incorporate this key aspect of my therapeutic role into our new speech program at Spectra.
Support, coaching, education will be tailored to meet the needs of each family.
Discussion of neurodivergent traits and how to support at home with tangible strategies and real time models of how to implement
Support around complicated emotions that come with understanding and accepting neurodiversity
Guidance related to navigating the medical model and medical diagnosis process
Guidance related to navigating educational eligibility assessments and IFSP/IEP processes
Required for group enrollment, Family sessions will be scheduled at least once a month, with 3-4 group sessions in between. The frequency may increase if additional support is needed.
Available for families not enrolled in groups as SLP availability permits.
60-minute sessions, available via Zoom, phone call, or in person.
Price:
$75/Hour
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you take insurance? Yes, we can accept Blue Cross Blue Shield at this time. Hopefully in the future we will be able to accept additional insurances! If you do not have BCBS, we are currently operating under a private pay model for speech therapy, prices are listed below. We are happy to help create a superbill to submit to your insurance provider. For questions about private pay billing please contact Maxine, at maxine@spectrapdx.com. For questions about insurance, please contact Jen, at billing@spectrapdx.com.
How many of the sessions are held in the gym versus a room? While every session and treatment plan is individualized to meet the needs of each human we support, the majority of the sessions (for groups and individuals) will be held in the gym!
Do we need an evaluation to start services or can we provide a previous evaluation? Yes, before initiating services all families must schedule an initial assessment appointment. Feel free to bring past evaluations to share if you think they are an accurate reflection of your child, however, our dynamic assessment process requires fresh insight into the needs and skills of your child/family at this current moment in time. Standardized assessments have their place for many things however they often are not appropriate or applicable for neurodivergent humans.
Do you have a testimonial or review related to our speech pathology services? We would Love to hear your feedback!
What People are Saying about Speech Services
“I've had the opportunity to collaborate with Ally for more than a month now, and I am truly grateful for their invaluable assistance in enhancing my child's language processing skills. Ally's abundant patience and extensive knowledge have made a significant impact on my daughter's language skills. They consistently addresses any questions we may have.
The parent counseling sessions with Ally are exceptionally enlightening, filled with practical examples that we can apply at home. Ally seamlessly integrates movement with speech, making it significantly easier for my daughter to concentrate and actively participate. My daughter thoroughly enjoys her sessions with Ally and eagerly looks forward to each one. The progress in her speech has been remarkable.
For anyone seeking speech therapy services for their children, we wholeheartedly recommend Ally based on our positive experience.”