Camie Cohen wants you to trust your gut. As the energetic founder of CSC Pediatric Speech, Cohen has learned from her years of experience as a pediatric speech-language pathologist that parents are in the best position to identify when something might not be quite right. “I think it’s important to not wait and see, and go with your gut instinct as a parent,” Cohen says. “Because studies have shown that the earlier we treat these children, the better the outcomes.”
Cohen draws you right in with her warmth and her easy laugh. When talking about the kids she works with, she lights up even more, excited to share how joyful it is to get down on their level and connect with them. “Play is a microcosm of a child’s world,” she says. “Children learn by experiences they have with objects and people while exploring through their senses.” Whether she is visiting a client at their home or in her new office on Danbury Road, the kids are just as excited. When a client recently moved, mom asked her son who he wanted to call, and he said “I want to call Grammy and Miss Camie.” According to Cohen, “my clients are like family.”
A practitioner for 30 years, Cohen works with children of a wide range of ages dealing with everything from articulation delays to language difficulties. She stresses that developmental “norms” we hear about have variations, so you want to give young children a little time. “Sometimes the parents will come to me at about 15 months and I’ll say alright, sit tight, let’s see,” Cohen explains. “I want you to take a journal; I want you to document what you hear and what they do, including non-verbal communication such as pointing, gesturing and how well they understand language.” Children with speech and language delays often feel frustrated, which can manifest in behavioral issues and difficulties with reading and writing as they get older.
Her passion for the process is also on display, her eyes shining as she talks about the collaborative approach she takes with her youngest clients and their parents. “Most of my job is training and coaching the parents what to do … we work together,” she says. By modeling and setting examples for the parents, she can tweak small behaviors that make a big difference. These adjustments in interaction can be used during bathtime, dinner time, and parents often see an “explosion of language.”
Her older clients, including nine and ten-year-olds, often come to her for help with their articulation. “Maybe they’ll have difficulty pronouncing the “r” sound correctly, or they may have a lisp occurring on “s” and “z” sounds so I work with them on that,” she says. “That’s a lot of fun. It’s a whole different vibe.”
Cohen is herself a Ridgefield mom, having raised her children here and knowing the value of getting advice from other moms. “Who better to recommend their child for speech therapy than a mom.” She stresses the importance of not comparing children and where they are in their journeys. “We never want to compare one child to another as every child is unique,” she says. “But as a mom you know.” It is always better to get evaluated as soon as possible because early intervention can make a huge difference.
Her excitement and enthusiasm don't stop with her job, but extend to the town she has made her home. “The sense of community is huge,” she says. “And a lot of businesses are women-owned and run businesses and I feel we all support each other.”
It is obvious that Camie Cohen was born to work with children - her enthusiasm is infectious, her smile contagious. “It’s so gratifying, and when I tell you I love what I do, I really love what I do. I wake up and … I don’t feel like I’m working.”
"When I tell you I love what I do, I really love what I do."