Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Smith.
Originally from New Jersey, Matthew moved to Los Angeles upon receiving his Masters in Speech Pathology in 1997. He has resided in Culver City for seventeen years and loves the Westside community.
Upon completing his Masters degree (inspired from growing up with his brother who had been diagnosed with ADD), Matthew realized he had to find work that incorporated his education with kids with special needs, as he always loved working with children. Thus he began his own ‘in-home’ therapy service and currently has 34 speech pathologists working for his organization. Says Matthew, “the most enjoyable element of my work is the fact that it’s in home, where the child is comfortable, and where the family can most easily learn strategies and techniques to promote carry over for the child once we leave.”
Matt has two dogs, a Shih Tzu and a Terripoo (half terry and half poodle) which are his pride and joy. When not working, Matt enjoys biking along the beach front, attending the theatre, movies watching and traveling the globe. He very much enjoys meeting (and working with) people from different cultures and ethnicities. He is also a foodie and brunch enthusiast.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It’s a client-centered service. With that comes a great deal of variation and you have to adapt to many different needs without compromising your credibility. Marketing and finding referral sources were also a challenge. However, honest word of mouth has made it a rewarding experience helping Matt to focus upon more of the positive as opposed to the negative aspects.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the LA Speech Guy story. Tell us more about the business.
Our mission is to provide state-of-the-art therapy services that are individually tailored to meet each of our client’s communication needs.
Matthew strongly believes that his onsite therapy is more effective than working out of an office, however, he also does work at schools. The session itself last an hour with fifty minutes dedicated directly with working privately with the patent and the final ten minutes dedicated to going over what was just practiced with family members, so treatment can continue upon Matt’s leaving. Progress depends upon the specific issue with which the child struggles. Says Matthew, “a child with autism may take two to three years to improve, as opposed to a child struggling with general expressive vocal or comprehensive issues in which improvement could be seen after a couple months.”
Improvement and progress is dependent upon factors that include the child’s tension level and behavioral components.
What sets us apart from our competitors is that we go well above and beyond the call of duty to meet each family’s needs.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
When we receive a telephone call from a family graciously thanking us for meeting their family’s needs. It’s a very fulfilling and rewarding experience.
Contact Info:
- Address: LA Speech Guy
Matthew Smith, M.S., CCC-SLP
5625 Windsor Way,
Suite 106
Culver City, CA 90230 - Website: www.laspeechguy.wix.com/home
- Phone: (310) 384-5317
- Email: laspeechguy@gmail.com
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/matthew-smith-ms-ccc-slp-culver-city
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-smith-ab1862a?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic
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