TEACH CT - The Education Association of Christian Homeschoolers

Special Needs Provider Listings

The information provided does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal, medical, or professional advice. All information, content, and materials are for general informational purposes only. The views expressed at, or through, this site are those of the individuals in their individual capacities only – not those of TEACH CT. All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the contents of this site are hereby expressly disclaimed.

A Holistic Approach to Learning

Pat Mattas is an Educational Therapist/Nurse offering a holistic, brain-based approach to learning and life that goes beyond traditional methods. Underlying problems are resolved rather than compensated. The pillars of her practice are neuro-academics, brain integration therapy, sound/music therapy, natural vision improvement, mindfulness, nutritional supplements, neuro-based body movements, and doTERRA essential oils. In the 20 years that Pat has been in practice, she has assisted countless children in overcoming academic, social, emotional, behavioral, and motivational struggles that were not getting resolved using standard methods. Her other credentials include: Certified Natural Vision Coach, Certified Sound/Music Therapy with Advanced Brain Technologies, Authorized Provider of the Movement Program, and DoTERRA Essential Oil Advocate. In addition, Pat homeschooled her three children who are all college graduates with excellent professional careers. Distance and in-person services offered.

Office Location: Plainville, CT - serves worldwide
Contact: Pat Mattas 
Website: patmattas.com
Facebook Business Page: facebook.com/patmattaseducation

Alicia Dinda, Speech and Language Pathologist

Alicia Dinda is a pediatric Speech and Language Pathologist serving children ages 18 months to 18 years in eastern, CT. She is also a homeschool mom of three children and a farmer. Jackie Arnott, SLP joined her this year and together they offer individual evaluations and therapy, along with a variety of speech/social/feeding groups, developmental playgroups and nature based enrichment classes. Skills are taught in a playful and supported environment. The services are customized to meet the needs of each family and are meant to empower families to utilize strategies in their own home to help their children to grow and learn.

Office Location: Lebanon, CT
Contact: Alicia Dinda,
Facebook Business Page: facebook.com/aliciadindaslp
Phone: (860) 377-7814

Comprehensive Neuropsychological Services

CNS offers neuropsychological examinations for differential diagnosis and treatment of children and adults related to a variety of issues including: anxiety, attention and learning problems, obsessive-compulsive disorder, brain injury and other challenges. Their detailed Neuropsychological Examination yields a profile of strengths and weaknesses to guide rehabilitation, educational or vocational interventions and therapies. A pdf brochure explaining the Neuropsychological Examination can be found HERE. They use a variety of treatment approaches and collaborative input to build an effective, comprehensive plan of care for individuals and families. Most insurances accepted. In-office and HIPAA-compliant telehealth appointments available.

Office Location: 1095 South Main Street, Cheshire, CT
Contact:
Website: clinicalneuropsych.com
Phone: (203) 271-3809

Each Learner Unique

Christine Cartier-Benguiat is a certified Educational Therapist, supporting K-12 aged students with special needs and general learning issues. She works to uncover learning gaps and develops strategies using individualized interventions to remediate and compensate by drawing upon students’ distinctive strengths. Learning interventions offered include phonics, decoding, reading comprehension, writing, executive function, dyslexia, writing difficulties, processing issues, and ADHD, which often affect children’s social and emotional well being. A background in clinical social work has equipped Christine with a deep empathy and understanding of children’s struggles and she works closely with families to help build their children’s confidence in their abilities to succeed. Distance appointments only at this time.

Office Location: New Haven, CT - serves entire state
Contact: Christine Cartier-Benguiat 
Website: christinebenguiateducationaltherapy.weebly.com
Phone: (510) 967-2233

More to Say, LLC

A pediatric therapy and wellness center focused on building strong clinician + family relationships, providing successful & evidence-based treatment, and making intervention as naturalistic as possible. More to Say offers pediatric speech-language pathology (including feeding and literacy), occupational therapy, and physical therapy services as well as enrichment and extracurricular activities and programs. Their team is comprised of clinicians dedicated to working with children and providing the highest quality services. They believe children learn best through play and are most motivated by what interests them, therefore, they individualize treatment for every child. They utilize a collaborative approach to focus on the whole child and take pride in the synergistic nature of their team.  More to Say currently provides both in person and virtual therapy services and are covered by most insurance plans. Haley Addis, the owner and founder of More to Say, is always happy to respond to questions regarding services or enrichment programs and can be contacted at the email address below.

Office Location: Oxford and Branford, CT - serves entire state
Contact: Haley Addis
Website: moretosayct.com
Facebook: facebook.com/moretosayct
Phone: (203) 828-6790

Parent and Family Special Needs Support: Christian Counseling with a Homeschooler’s Heart

Joanne Baker Deal is a licensed Professional Counselor, operating from Biblical foundation and is sensitive to the needs of homeschooling families. She and her husband homeschooled their four now-adult children K-12 over a span of 25 years. Two of those four children have Asperger’s Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism and ADHD. Between the four children, they have earned two Associates degrees, two Bachelors degrees, and two Masters degrees. In addition to facilitating weekly bereavement support groups for the last seven years through her church, Joanne has a private counseling practice. She also facilitates monthly and quarterly support groups, through two different towns’ entities, for parents and grandparents of children diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism, all currently meeting via Zoom. Believing that parents and family are the foundation for a special needs child’s personal development, the focus of her work is to support and equip these parents in a range of specific areas, as well as collaborate with other therapies their child(ren) may be receiving and equip them to address related issues that may impact their family as a whole. Joanne works with individuals, couples, and families. She is qualified to address emotional, relational, and neurologically based issues such as depression; anxiety; anger management; grief, loss and bereavement; communication/conflict resolution; ADHD; Asperger Syndrome.

Office Location: Guilford and Madison, CT - serves entire state
Contact: Joanne Deal
Website: (under development) joannebakerdealchristiancounseling.com
Phone: (860) 304-5695

Pyzza Speech Therapy, LLC

Gabriela Pyzza of Pyzza Speech Therapy, LLC is a state licensed and ASHA certified speech-language pathologist with years of experience working with school-aged children, adolescents, and adults. The core values of Pyzza Speech Therapy, LLC include: connection between client, family, and therapist; individualization of therapy sessions; use of evidence-based therapy approaches; and family collaboration and participation to allow for functional application of skills taught during therapy sessions. Without effective communication skills we cannot have our needs met, express ourselves, or engage confidently in social interactions. Speech therapy services are available to individuals ages 5 through adulthood living throughout Connecticut with concerns in the areas of: speech (articulation), language (i.e., understanding, expressing, vocabulary acquisition, etc.), social skills, and stuttering. Services are provided via teletherapy on a HIPAA-secure platform. A free 15-minute consultation/screening is offered to anyone interested in determining speech/language therapy eligibility. 

Serves: Clients throughout the state of CT virtually
Contact: Gabriela Pyzza - 
Phone: (860) 840-7575
Website: pyzzaspeechtherapy.com 
Facebook: facebook.com/pyzzaspeechtherapy/

Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities

Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities has started local chapters in parts of Connecticut that serve to educate, guide, and inspire parents of children with learning disabilities and ADHD at the community level. The primary functions of a chapter include increasing awareness, creating a family support network, producing educational programs to help parents become effective advocates for their children, and raising funds for local and national events and programs. Check website for local chapters.

Serves:  Current Chapters: Hartford, Greenwich, Northern Fairfield County, and Westport/Farifield.
Contact: Alison Brown - 
Website: smartkidswithld.org/local-chapters

Special Needs Consultation - Learning in the Living Room

Theresa Lynch is a retired home educator with over 30 years of experience home educating (including learning how to educate her special needs son) and teaching in the public sector. She is a certified Reading/Language Arts Consultant and Elementary Educator offering professional (and compassionate) consulting, tutoring, and/or literacy testing to help parents develop the BEST learning life for their child.

Office Location: Prospect, CT - serves entire state
Contact: 
Website: learninginthelivingroom.com
Phone: (203) 525-1205

SPED Homeschool

National nonprofit providing support, resources and encouragement to the special education community.

Website: spedhomeschool.com
FB Group: facebook.com/groups/spedhomeschoolsupport
Online Community- General [a different social app than facebook] spedhomeschool.com/support-tribes
Online Community Northeast [link to sign up for the Northeast online community]: app.thejump.com/jump?jumpID=48143&_branch_match_id=748734140075414227

Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
Resources for Special Needs

HSLDA offers help for parents who want to homeschool special needs children and struggling learners. Parents are often made to feel that they need to have their children taught by a professional in order for them to overcome challenges and reach their potential. However, HSLDA has found that with literature, teaching aids, and enlisting the help of professionals such as speech or physical therapy, any parent who desires to help their child learn can do a much better job than any school could do. Hundreds of parents who now homeschool their special needs children can testify that it works. Find out what help is available at the HSLDA website.

NOTE: Some services, such as phone consultation, require HSLDA membership. If you are a member of HSLDA, please call 540-338-5600 or email one of HSLDA’s special needs consultants.  If you are not a member of HSLDA, we recommend that you first consider becoming a TEACH member so that you can benefit from HSLDA’s group member discount. Join HSLDA Online or download a Printable Application.