Welcome
GENTLE. COMPASSIONATE. HUMBLE.
Donnetta Davis, M.S, CCC-SLP, Ampcare ESP™ Certified
Owner, Speech-Language Pathologist
HEALTH AND SPEECH PLLC is a Long Island based private practice dedicated to helping adults and seniors with neurogenic communication and swallowing disorders, with a speciality in Parkinson's Disease, Stroke, & Dysphagia. Our mission is to improve the overall quality of life for our patients and their family through fun, functional, and evidence-based interventions. We offer skilled speech therapy services in the comfort of your home, where all of our services are individualized and tailored to meet the specific needs of each patient.
HEALTH AND SPEECH PLLC is owned and operated by Donnetta Davis. Donnetta Davis is a NYS licensed speech-language pathologist and holds a certificate in clinical competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is a graduate of Emerson College with a Master of Science in Communication Disorders and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from SUNY Stony Brook University.
Ms. Davis has an extensive amount of medical experience and has worked with all ages across the lifespan treating a multitude of communication, feeding, and swallowing disorders. Ms. Davis is certified through Ampcare's Effective Swallow Protocol ESP™ to offer Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) as an innovative rehabilitative treatment for dysphagia, "swallowing disorders."
"Rebuilding Communication, Restoring Confidence"
How Speech Therapy Supports Neurological Recovery
Therapeutic Intervention for
Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects the nervous system, particularly the brain's ability to control movement. It primarily results from the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps coordinate smooth and controlled movements.
Stroke
(CVA)
A stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted, leading to damage. This can affect the areas of the brain responsible for language, speech, and cognition, leading to various types of communication difficulties (ie; cognitive, linguistic, reading, writing, speaking). The impact depends on the location of the stroke (e.g., left hemisphere vs. right hemisphere of the brain).
Dysphagia
"Swallowing Impairment"
Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulty swallowing. It can occur when there are problems with the muscles or nerves involved in swallowing. Swallowing is a complex process that involves the mouth, throat (pharynx), and esophagus, and dysphagia can happen at any stage of this process.
Dementia • Traumatic Brain Injury
"Dysphagia affects around 80%
of individuals with Parkinson's disease at some point
during the progression of the condition."
Types of Communication & Swallowing Problems in Parkinson's Disease
Dysarthria
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One of the most common communication problems in Parkinson's Disease (PD) is dysarthria. Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder that happens when the muscles used for speaking — such as those in the lips, tongue, vocal folds, and diaphragm — become weakened or difficult to control. Common symptoms include:
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Slurred speech
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Soft or low volume voice (hypophonia)
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Monotone speech
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Slow or fast speech rate
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Nasal-sounding voice
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Imprecise articulation (unclear pronunciation)
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Language & Cognitive-Communication Changes
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Word-finding difficulties
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Impaired attention and memory affecting conversation
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Difficulty organizing thoughts when speaking
Dysphagia
"Approximately 1 in 3 people who survive a stroke will experience some form of aphasia, a condition that impairs the ability to speak, understand, read, or write."
Types of Communication & Swallowing Problems after a Stroke
Aphasia:
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Aphasia occurs when the stroke affects the language centers of the brain (often on the left hemisphere)
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Broca's Aphasia (non-fluent): This type affects speech production. A person may have difficulty forming sentences, speaking in short phrases, or finding the right words to say. They typically have good comprehension.
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Wernicke's Aphasia (fluent): This type affects language comprehension. A person may speak in long, rambling sentences that don't make sense, or they may use the incorrect words.
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Global Aphasia: A severe form of aphasia where both receptive and expressive language are significantly impaired.
Dysarthria
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A motor speech disorder caused by weakness or paralysis of the muscles used for speaking. This affects the clarity and articulation of speech, making it slurred or difficult to understand.
Acquired Apraxia of Speech (AOS)
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A motor speech disorder where the brain has difficulty coordinating the muscles needed for speech, despite the muscles themselves being intact." This results in difficulty pronouncing words correctly or consistently.
Cognitive Communicative Deficits
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Impairment of memory, attention, problem-solving, and executive functioning, all of which contribute to the ability to communicate effectively." A person may struggle to organize their thoughts, find the right words, or follow conversations.
Dysphagia
"Approximately 85% of dysphagia cases are neurogenic, meaning they result from neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, ALS, or traumatic brain injury."
Harmful affects of a Dysphagia "Swallowing Impairment"
Dysphagia is the medical term for difficulty swallowing. It can affect your ability to swallow solids, liquids, or both, and may cause discomfort, pain, or even make it unsafe to eat and drink (due to risk of choking or aspiration—when food or liquid enters the airway).
Causes of Dysphagia:
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Neurological disorders (e.g., stroke, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, Dementia)
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Muscle disorders (e.g., myasthenia gravis)
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Structural issues (e.g., tumors, strictures, or inflammation in the esophagus)
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Aging-related changes in swallowing muscles
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Surgical complications or radiation therapy affecting the throat or neck
Symptoms:
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Coughing or choking while eating/drinking
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Feeling of food “sticking” in the throat
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Pain when swallowing (odynophagia)
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Drooling or poor control of saliva
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Unexplained weight loss
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Frequent pneumonia (due to aspiration)
Common Challenges
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Risk of Malnutrition
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Dehydration
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Choking/ Aspiration Pneumonia
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Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
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Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease (LPR)
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Frustration/ Anxiety/ Depression
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Increased Caregiver Responsibility
Who Treats It?
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Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are often involved in diagnosing and treating dysphagia through swallowing therapy and diet modifications.
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Gastroenterologists or ENT specialists may be involved for medical or surgical evaluation.
Get The Help You Need
Step One: Consultation
Consultations are free of charge and approximately 15 minutes in length. During our phone call we will determine the next steps for you or your loved one. Based on this information, a formal evaluation may be recommended and scheduled.
Step Two: Evaluation
Evaluations are comprehensive and include assessment of cognition, language, speech, voice, and swallowing function. The evaluation is approximately
1 hour and is used to determine the appropriate plan of care to address areas of difficulty and guide recommendations.
Step Three: Therapy
The length and frequency of therapy sessions will be tailored to best support your goals. Sessions are provided in person within your home. Progress will be monitored and shared regularly to ensure therapeutic goals are met. A Home Exercise Program will be developed to ensure you continue practice of skills taught in between therapy sessions.
Donnetta is a wonderful speech therapist! She has been treating our brother for the past 11 months. Our brother had a stroke and has aphasia. Donnetta is the fourth therapist my brother has had and she is by far, the best! She has made a great deal of progress with him. She gives him work that challenges him, but does not overwhelm him. She gives him repetition work, which he needs, but also introduces new activities for him to advance. Donnetta is very professional. She regularly communicates with us on his progress and provides us with suggestions and resources to aid us to help him. She is always on time and on the very rare occasion when her schedule changes, she notifies us in advance. She is also very accommodating should our schedule change. Donnetta is very sweet and kindhearted and it is obvious how much she cares for her patients. We are so grateful for her and all that she has done to help our brother. She is a gem!
Donnetta Davis is professional, punctual, respectful, dedicated and achieves results, positive attitude always, communicates with patient, who is autistic and has physical disabilities, at his level of understanding, suggests ways to improve speech pattern in social settings, teaches patient(76) how to eat taking smaller bites and chewing motion never learned as a child, shows how good posture makes a difference in speech, gives positive feedback and helps patient feel good about himself, gives instructions on daily practices so patient can make improvements himself, and recommends medical check-ups possibly needed with ENT's and other professionals. As the caregiver for this patient am seeing good results and recommend Ms. Davis for speech therapy.
Donnetta, SLP, was absolutely fantastic! She was extremely personable, professional, patient, and timely! Scheduling was never an issues and willing to work with the patient to deliver services that worked best for the client! I would highly recommend Donnetta for anyone looking to receive speech language pathology assistance! Thank you for all your hard work!
We are so lucky to have met Mrs. Donnetta! She is the best speech therapist I have ever found! My son loves working with her! Mrs. Donnetta has a lot of teaching experience and is very responsible! If you are looking for a speech therapist, I highly recommend her