Melissa Zbinden, M.S. CF

Professional:

• B. S. from the University of Florida in Communication Sciences and Disorders
• M. S. from Florida International University in Speech-Language Pathology with Emphasis in Bilingual Studies
• CF- Center for Bilingual Communication Sciences and Disorders (CBSLD). During my CF year, I presented at the Florida Language and Hearing Association (FLASHA) conference representing (CBSLD) alongside a fellow CF using data collected on bilingual Philippine and Hispanic children to investigate the pragmatic abilities in bilingual children diagnosed with language impairments.
• 2004-2006 Miami Children’s Hospital. Here I had the chance to work closely with a multitude of disciplines. It was where I fused what I knew about bilingualism with what I was learning in the area of feeding and swallowing.
• 2006-present Bilingual Therapies Inc. Currently working in the Waukegan Public Schools at Whittier Kindergarten Center, and loving it!

Personal:

Melissa was born and raised in Miami, Florida, where the Hispanic community makes up the majority of the population.  Her cultural background is quite diverse.  Melissa’s mother is Colombian, and her father is part Puerto-Rican and part Swiss-German. The Miami experience is what inspired her to pursue working with the Hispanic/bilingual population.   For some reason, perhaps her silly nature, children have always been drawn to her.  In her free time, she enjoys swing or jive dancing to 1950’s style music.  She has incorporated some of these dance moves into therapy, and the kids love it!  Melissa also loves baking and spending time in the kitchen creating all sorts of sweet concoctions.  Something else the kids love, some adults too. 

Experience with Bilingual Therapies:

It was a difficult decision to move from Miami to Chicago, and it may not have happened had I not come across the Bilingual Therapies booth at ISHA.  Speech therapy seminars in Mexico were too difficult to pass up, and once I met some of the team, it was a done deal.  Since signing on with the company, they have been nothing but supportive.  If I have a question or concern, whether it is clinical or administrative, someone is always willing to help.  From the conferences the company sponsors to the fantastic clinicians that are part of the team, I have learned a great deal through the company in the past couple of years.  It is a pleasure to be a part of the Bilingual Therapies family.