“Remember your ‘why’” is Amanda De Alem’s motto. In January, the speech-language pathologist, CCC-SLP, TSSLE-BE – who graduated from New York Medical College (NYMC) in Valhalla in 2013 with a Master of Science degree – opened Speech-Language Lilies, a private practice in Larchmont. But it wasn’t just to fulfill a need in the community or to make use of her trilingual skills (English, Portuguese and Spanish) as the child of Portuguese immigrants.
De Alem’s “why” is her late sister, Lillian, who passed at the age of 22 after a lifelong battle with brain cancer.
“My sister is my guiding light,” De Alem said. “She lost her speech after they resected her tumor, and we tried to communicate with her. I wish we had a speech therapist there for that one last time to say, “I love you’ and know that she was OK.”
De Alem was 8 years old when she lost her sister, and eight years later, she was professionally introduced to the world of SLP. She started working at the Center for Small Jewels, a private speech-therapy practice in New Rochelle, at age 16 and stayed on as a contractor with the organization after earning her M.S. at NYMC.
De Alem’s contract work played a pivotal role in the creation of Speech-Language Lilies. She was a clinical supervisor for the Iona University Speech Language Hearing Clinic. She served as a bilingual SLP for the New York City Department of Education and continues to work as a bilingual SLP for the City School District of New Rochelle.
In the meantime, she said, “I’ve worked really hard to develop the funds to open something for myself. “
Speech-Language Lilies offers direct treatment for a wide range of conditions, including articulation; apraxia of speech, which involves saying sounds correctly; autism spectrum disorders; bilingualism, which has challenges as well as benefits; traumatic brain injury; accent modification; and more. De Alem designed the facility to be welcoming and easily accessible to community members.
“People can stop by and see that it doesn’t feel so medical,” she said. “It feels homey and safe.”
Early exposure to diverse health-care settings during her time at NYMC was integral to De Alem’s growth. She gained her clinical experience at the Westchester Institute of Human Development (WIHD) at NYMC’s School of Health Sciences and Practice. Situated near Westchester Medical Center, NYMC provided her with the resources she needed to thrive in and out of the classroom.
“It was very nice to have everything programmatic and available,” said De Alem, who returned to NYMC years later to earn an advanced certificate in pediatric feeding.
Indeed, De Alem indicated that she will always be close to the college, as her sister is buried nearby.
“When I was little, every week we would visit her grave, and I would be like, ‘Maybe one day I’ll go to NYMC.’ So, when I had the option, I said I’m going to NYMC, because it’s right near Lillian.”
For more on Speech-Language Lilies, visit http://www.speechlilies.com/#/. And for more on New York Medical College, visit https://www.nymc.edu/.
