For 30 years, Dvorah Martin has been an integral part of ILA’s mission to enhance the lives of Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She joined the Agency as a speech and language consultant before being hired full-time to oversee ILA’s Speech Services.
A licensed speech and hearing educator, Dvorah currently supervises ILA’s in-house speech pathologists as she coordinates speech services at all Agency sites. She also works closely with outside clinicians in Brooklyn and Staten Island to conduct evaluations and ensure Individuals’ needs are always met.
You’ll often find Dvorah on the phone acting as a liaison between ILA staff and area clinics, especially when it comes to managing an Individual’s dysphagia, a swallowing disorder that frequently impacts older developmentally disabled adults.
“I translate the clinical results into terms that explain what is required for staff at the house levels, so we can do everything we can to keep Individuals safe,” she explains. She also serves as the Designated Chairperson of ILA’s Choking Task Force, which meets regularly to ensure ILA is implementing Agency-wide safe practices.
Dvorah conducts regular trainings with Residence Supervisors, Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), and cooking staff to prevent choking incidents. Individualized placemats are designed identifying people’s prescribed consistency so meals can be safely prepared in accordance with a person’s diet.
Training staff is one of the many aspects of her job that Dvorah enjoys. “I love the collaboration that it entails. Staff are eager to learn critical practices that help them do their jobs well and keep Individuals safe,” she says.
