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About Us

Cynthia Heryanto

M.S., CCC-SLP

Cynthia Heryanto, SLP, AAC specialist, and owner of Communication Horizons Speech Therapy

Cynthia Heryanto, M.S. CCC-SLP is a licensed and certified speech language pathologist (SLP) through the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) and the state of California.  She specializes in the evaluation and treatment of children and adults with complex communication needs related to a variety of diagnoses including cerebral palsy, autism, Rett syndrome, Down syndrome, childhood apraxia of speech, Angelman syndrome, various rare genetic disorders, and ALS.

 

Cynthia has been working with children and adults with developmental disabilities for the past 20 years, starting as a teenager working in Summer camps for children and adults with developmental disabilities.  It was here that she was first introduced to the specialty area of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) while being trained to support the communication modalities of several of the campers.  She has been working as an SLP after obtaining her Master's degree in Communicative Disorders from San Francisco State University in 2009.

 

Throughout her career as an SLP, Cynthia has continued to focus on AAC in all of her positions with the goal of becoming highly specialized in providing treatment and assessments for individuals who would benefit from AAC.  She worked several years in a non-public school in the Bay Area that exclusively served children who were non-verbal and had multiple disabilities.  After moving down to Los Angeles, she became the first full-time SLP at NAPA Center, and played a substantial role in the initial development of their speech therapy department.  After that she worked as an AAC consultant to other SLPs and families throughout Southern California, assisting them with their evaluations, providing instruction and guidance through the process of getting equipment paid for by insurance and MediCal, and providing training for successful implementation.

 

Cynthia has extensive experience with eye tracking, head pointing, and switch access technology on all high-tech communication devices, partner assisted scanning, and numerous AAC iPad apps and programs.  Cynthia has taught workshops and given presentations to hundreds of SLPs and families on a variety of topics related to AAC throughout the state and internationally. 

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Certificates and Training

  • Collaborative AAC Services in Inclusive Early Intervention Settings certificate program

  • Language Acquisition Through Motor Planning (LAMP) advanced training

  • AllAccess: Expanding Opportunities for Individuals Using AAC and Alternative Access

  • Language and Literacy Intervention for Students with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) who use AAC

  • Bridging PROMPT Technique to Intervention (Level 2) trained, PROMPT Institute

  • DIR 101: An Introduction to DIR® and DIRFloortime®

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Magdalena Gorecka
M.S., PT
www.movementhorizons.com 

Magda Gorecka, pediatric physical therapist (PT) and owner of Movement Horizons Physical Therapy

Magdalena is the owner and creator of the Movement Horizons Therapy Clinic.  For Magdalena, helping others through movement and touch is not only a career; it's her life’s passion.  She considers it an honor to work with people with disabilities and she deeply believes that every person deserves support and care independent of their age and diagnosis.  Human potential can always be awakened, it is never too late to start the process of positive changes and facilitate ongoing development and growth.

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Magdalena is a Board Certified Physical Therapist who graduated in 2001 with her Masters degree in Physical Therapy from the Academy of Physical Education in Poland with additional certifications in Sports Medicine. Her professional education provided deep understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of the human body as well as understanding of therapeutic applications in a broad spectrum of dysfunctions.

For close to two decades, working in both Europe and the United States, Magdalena has been dedicated to supporting and treating the physical and emotional needs of both children and adults. She has successfully helped her patients with various conditions to reach their potential.

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Magdalena dedicates her private practice to working with children with challenges. She has experience in management and treatment of various diagnoses including: neuro-motor deficits, cerebral palsy, hypotonia, hypertonia, early intervention for children at risk of developmental delay (e.g. prematurity or traumatic birth), autism spectrum disorder, ADD/ADHD, sensory processing disorders, stroke, genetic disorders, developmental delays, brachial plexus injury, torticollis, scoliosis, motor-coordination issue, and other impairments.

She uses an individual and holistic approach of movement therapy as an essential part of the support and treatment of a child. She is providing direct intervention, consultation, parents, caregivers and professionals training. Believing that there is always more to be discovered about the complexity of human brain and body Magdalena has been dedicated to studying newest research findings regarding brain plasticity. She continues expanding her therapeutic toolkit understanding and knowledge by ongoing studies of additional methods and techniques facilitating neuroplasticity of the nervous system allowing to reach to the source of dysfunction and to treat the cause rather then the symptom. 

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Magdalena's experience has been enriched by years of working as a Director of Movement Education at The Avalon Academy (2007-2020), a model school for children with movement disorders located in Burlingame, California [Please visit the Avalon Academy at http://theavalonacademy.org].  As part of a wonderful team and leader of movement education program she was providing direct physical therapy services for Avalon's students.

Currently Magda is working with The Gray Academy,http://thegraycademy.org which she joined in January 2021 and is providing direct therapy to the incredible students of this amazing school.

She is continuously cooperating with parents, teachers, speech language pathologists, AAC specialists, and other professionals in creating and providing optimal individual educational plan IEP for their students.

 

Certificates and Training

  • Masgutova Method (MNRI) Core Specialist (Instructor in-training)

  • Movement Lesson Practitioner

  • Anat Baniel Method (ABM) Practitioner

  • ABM for Children Practitioner

  • ABM for Vitality and Anti-Aging, and High Performers

  • NDT/C Neuro-Developmental Treatment Certified Therapist

  • Post graduate 6 month training in Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Method (PNF)

  • Kinesio Taping (light elastic tape to facilitate functional reeducation)

  • Manual Therapies of Strain/Counter Strain and Myofascial Release

  • Trained in the use of the Universal Exercise Unit (UEU)

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