Meet The Clinician
Ayleen Garcia Hernandez
Ayleen Garcia Hernandez, M.S., CCC-SLP graduated in 2018 with her Master of Science Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. Ayleen was one of six students admitted to the graduate program’s bilingual track in which she was able to provide therapy in Spanish to both adults and children in the clinic. Additionally, she provided therapy in Spanish to preschoolers in the program “Ranitas en El Campo” a program partnered with Forth Worth ISD. Furthermore, she had the opportunity to be part of TCU’s feeding program. The feeding program focused on implementing treatment strategies for children whose parents often classified them as being “picky eaters,” or having other food aversions and sensory needs. Along with the treatment plan, this program offered parent education training on typical and atypical feeding development, feeding challenges, the importance of playing with food, and the parent-child feeding relationship.
Throughout her years of working as an assistant, student clinician, and as a certified Speech Language Pathologist, her area of expertise is working with children in early intervention, ages 1 to 3 years old and school aged children 4 to 10 years old. She has practiced in private practice, university and outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and the Texas early childhood intervention program, throughout Dallas and Denton counties.
Through her experience working in diverse populations and settings, she knows the value of collaborating with the most important individuals involved in a child’s development, and their caregivers. Her therapeutic model is working in conjunction with families, teachers, and healthcare providers. She ensures goals are met and each child reaches his or her maximum potential through an engaged, dynamic, play-based, and routine-based approach. Research shows that providing therapy in the child’s preferred and natural environment allows for children to develop critical communication skills and gain confidence that can have transformative impacts in many areas of their lives.
Ayleen holds a license to practice in the state of Texas and it is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and has been trained in Pathways Parent Training Program and Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI). The Pathways Parent Training Program is designed for children with or at risk of Autism. It is a manualized program developed to fit the guiding principles of early intervention. It is a Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention (NDBI). The procedures taught follow the principles of operant learning and are based on powerful Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) teaching tools—such as prompting, fading, shaping and chaining. This therapeutic program is designed to teach parents to address the unique needs of their toddler with autism. This program uses an approach that promotes communication and social engagement; changing the developmental trajectory and helping these children become active participants in the world. TBRI is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. TBRI uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors. While the intervention is based on years of attachment, sensory processing, and neuroscience research, the heartbeat of TBRI is connection. Additionally, she is in the process of getting a certification as an Epidemic Answers Certified Health Coach.
In her free time, she enjoys dancing bachata and salsa in community events as well as performing at dance congresses at state and national level, exercising, reading, and watching her favorite football team the Dallas Cowboys.