• What is Actions Speak?

    Actions Speak is a program that has been developed by a licensed occupational therapist (OT) and a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP) with the plan to target language and movement skills simultaneously. The services that are offered use a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses speech/language, motor and emotional regulation skills within one group class. It is an opportunity to engage in positive peer interaction within classes with a small instructor to child ratio.

  • How Did Actions Speak Begin?

    Frieda and Lauren met in 2008 while playing lacrosse together at SUNY New Paltz. They immediately connected over their love of sports, team activities and future careers. After completing graduate school, both clinicians entered their fields within the school setting, but always had the desire to connect back to their roots. Over the summer of 2021, Frieda and Lauren knew it was time to start their dream. It was at this time that Actions Speak was born!

  • What is Our Goal?

    Our goal is to create learning experiences for children and teens of all ages that foster their imagination and curiosity. We will do this by providing opportunities for our clients to engage in FUNctional activities that target their overall daily living skills. Our hope is that these experiences will encourage our clients to take control of their learning environment and be excited to continue their educational journey for years to come.

    At Actions Speak, we understand that family members are the backbone to the development of their children. We aim to build a community where caregivers will not only be directly involved in the learning process, but be supported by others who are working towards the same goals.

  • What Skills Are Addressed in Our Programs?

    Our classes include (but are not limited to) sentence expansion, vocabulary development, pragmatic skills, social-emotional skills, age appropriate play, motor planning, strengthening and endurance, body awareness, executive functioning skills, and fine motor skills.

About Us

  • Lauren Vaughan, M.S., OTR/L, 200 hr- YT, CPT

    CO-FOUNDER

    Lauren obtained her BS in psychology from SUNY New Paltz. With the goal to enter a helping profession, Lauren then continued to receive her MS in occupational therapy from SUNY Downstate Medical Center in 2013. Upon graduation, Lauren entered the field of pediatrics as she was always passionate about working with children and creating positive learning experiences surrounding education.

    Lauren has worked in various settings such as preschools, special education schools, sensory clinics and home-based therapy throughout the NYC and Long Island areas. Lauren has worked with children ages 3-21 with a variety of diagnoses including autism, developmental delays, Down Syndrome, emotional challenges, and ADHD.

    Lauren believes that developing positive relationships and child- led therapy are the key to helping her students thrive. She also believes that “movement is medicine” and is an essential component to all her individual and group sessions. Knowing the importance of incorporating movement into her treatment, Lauren went on to pursue certifications in yoga (Radiant Child Yoga 200hr YT) and personal training (ACE). With her knowledge in yoga and personal training she has created yoga and movement based programs (walking groups, obstacle courses, strength training) in all the schools she has worked in. Lauren loves witnessing her students explore and express themselves through movement and she’s excited to provide more opportunities such as these with Actions Speaks.

    Lauren is also a huge animal lover and is lucky enough to have her dog Maisie come to work as a therapy dog. Maisie has even helped her students practice yoga in her latest video “Yoga with Maisie” on YouTube! Her goal is to continue to use Maisie as tool to encourage her students to thrive emotionally and physically.

    In her spare time, Lauren loves spending time with her family which includes her husband ( who is her best friend and biggest supporter), her spunky toddler and her fun loving pup. Together, they love to exercise, hike, and travel.

  • Frieda Shmuel-Markowitz, M.S., CCC-SLP, TSSLD

    CO-FOUNDER

    Frieda received her bachelor’s degree from SUNY New Paltz and her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Adelphi University. Frieda began working in the field in 2012. Since then, she has dedicated her career to working in pediatrics with children in various settings. She has worked in multiple school settings, including charter schools, special education schools and preschools throughout New York City and Long Island.

    Frieda has worked with students from kindergarten-high school and has helped develop individualized education programs, specialized treatment plans and child based learning opportunities. She has overseen supervision of numerous therapists at the start of their careers, and has experience performing evaluations and individualized treatment. Frieda has worked in early intervention by supporting children and their families from birth-3 years of age. She has worked for a clinic and agency, where she worked with a wide range of needs. She has experience with phonological disorders, motor speech disorders, language delays and disabilities, behavior and sensory feeding disabilities, reading and writing concerns, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and has her Teacher of Students with Speech-Language Disabilities (TSSLD) certification.

    Frieda was a lifeguard for most of her adult life, and continues to teach private swim lessons across Long Island. She has had the opportunity to combine both of her passions by implementing “speech and swim” programs on multiple occasions. She believes swimming creates an environment where children can relax and experience sensory input differently, which provides them with increased opportunities to explore language development.

    Frieda loves spending her free time going on adventures with her family. She and her husband love providing their toddler with new experiences. She also loves reading, swimming, baking, and continuously learning.