My name is Alicia Rao and I am an educational therapist and a professional member of the Association of Educational Therapists (AET). My academic background includes a bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology (Marquette University, USA) as well as a master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Educational therapy (California State University Northridge, USA), in which I graduated cum laude (with honours) and with distinction respectively. I was also awarded honorable mention for my clinical skills in speech therapy during my time working as a student clinician at Marquette University.
My experience in speech therapy includes working with clients from the ages of 4-7 at the Speech and Hearing Clinic at Marquette University, who were diagnosed with child language disorders, articulation disorders as well as deficits in phonological awareness skills. As I worked with these children, I realized that many of them also struggled in school. This sparked my interest in the field of special education which led me to work in schools for students with special needs in Malaysia, one of which was The Learning Connection (TLC) where I worked briefly as a teaching assistant. After my time at TLC, I went on to pursue a Master’s degree in special education with an emphasis in Educational Therapy. I chose to specialize in Educational Therapy as it focuses on individual learning styles, while taking into consideration how the individual’s social-emotional functioning affects his or her learning. The Association of Educational Therapists defines an educational therapist as "a professional who combines educational and therapeutic approaches for evaluation, remediation, case management, and communication/advocacy on behalf of children, adolescents and adults with learning disabilities or learning problems."
Upon completion of my Master’s degree, I went back to TLC where I worked as a head teacher. During this time, I worked with verbal as well as non-verbal students who struggled with language and typical ways of learning. After 2 years working at TLC, I decided to start my own private practice based in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur where I can focus on working with a variety of clients, both adults and children, who have challenges in both the areas of language and learning. My background in both speech therapy and special education has taught me to use naturalistic and strategic explicit teaching approaches with clients, depending on their needs and learning styles. I enjoy utilizing multi-sensory tools as well as games to motivate my clients. I thoroughly enjoy what I do and hope to instill the same joy in my clients.
My experience in speech therapy includes working with clients from the ages of 4-7 at the Speech and Hearing Clinic at Marquette University, who were diagnosed with child language disorders, articulation disorders as well as deficits in phonological awareness skills. As I worked with these children, I realized that many of them also struggled in school. This sparked my interest in the field of special education which led me to work in schools for students with special needs in Malaysia, one of which was The Learning Connection (TLC) where I worked briefly as a teaching assistant. After my time at TLC, I went on to pursue a Master’s degree in special education with an emphasis in Educational Therapy. I chose to specialize in Educational Therapy as it focuses on individual learning styles, while taking into consideration how the individual’s social-emotional functioning affects his or her learning. The Association of Educational Therapists defines an educational therapist as "a professional who combines educational and therapeutic approaches for evaluation, remediation, case management, and communication/advocacy on behalf of children, adolescents and adults with learning disabilities or learning problems."
Upon completion of my Master’s degree, I went back to TLC where I worked as a head teacher. During this time, I worked with verbal as well as non-verbal students who struggled with language and typical ways of learning. After 2 years working at TLC, I decided to start my own private practice based in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur where I can focus on working with a variety of clients, both adults and children, who have challenges in both the areas of language and learning. My background in both speech therapy and special education has taught me to use naturalistic and strategic explicit teaching approaches with clients, depending on their needs and learning styles. I enjoy utilizing multi-sensory tools as well as games to motivate my clients. I thoroughly enjoy what I do and hope to instill the same joy in my clients.