March 1 was Employee Appreciation Day! We are celebrating our team members all month long by sharing their stories. Meet Caiti Eisenhut, a knowledgeable speech-language pathologist at Applied Behavioral Services’ Cincinnati campus.
What is your favorite thing about working here?
Our students! They are funny, sweet, sarcastic, and simply the best.
What keeps you coming to work each day?
I love the variety that each day brings between therapy sessions and the critical thinking that is required to encourage communication in the most effective way. I also love our staff – our team thrives on collaboration across all disciplines to help our students love coming to ABS every day.
How do you make an impact on students’ lives?
As a speech-language pathologist, I get to help my students increase communication and socialization daily. My goal is to support all students to be able to communicate their wants, needs, opinions, self-advocacy, and social relationships independently and meaningfully.
Last year, we rolled out our BetterTogether guiding principles. Which one of our values resonates with you most personally and why?
Collaborative! Our team at ABS Cincinnati is successful because each member plays a vital role in the learning and growth of our students. I have found increased success in my speech and language sessions when I implement strategies from our occupational therapists and BCBAs.
What does a “day in the life” look like for your role?
A “day in the life” as a speech-language pathologist at ABS Cincinnati is full of play-based therapy sessions. Communication targets are embedded into toy play, gross motor activities, socialization, sensory play, and arts and crafts. Every day, I evaluate communication skills, document progress, collect language samples, program AAC devices, chat with parents, and write reports and goals.
Can you talk a little bit about your career trajectory and what led you to where you are now?
I graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor’s of Communication Sciences & Disorders and a Master’s of Speech-Language Pathology. I completed my Clinical Fellowship year in the Dayton Public School District. I began working at Applied Behavioral Services in 2016.
What has been your proudest moment or accomplishment in your role?
My favorite moments include hearing a student’s first word, the first time a student accesses an AAC device independently, and the connection that is made when I understand a student’s scripted language for the first time.
What is something about you that not many people know?
I am a Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) Trained Clinician. This training provides me with the education and strategies needed to support children who communicate with delayed echolalia (scripting).