Biography
Hello! My name is Sophia Martinez.
I was born in New York but moved to Chesapeake when I was 6 months old with my mother and have lived here ever since. My family means the world to me and I currently live with my mother and grandparents. Both my grandparents are from Puerto Rico and have spoken to me in English and Spanish my whole life. My favorite food, of course, is Puerto Rican food; however, sushi is a close second. I love drawing, painting, baking, and watching movies. My favorite movies are Hot Fuzz and Pink Panther 2 with Steve Martin.
I am majoring in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) with a minor in Special Education and am currently acquiring a Certificate to Teach English as a Second Language. I have been an undergraduate research assistant for Dr. Anne Marie Perrotti for 3 years. Our projects focus on the prevalence of language disorders among justice-involved youth and what potential roles can be created for SLPs within the justice system to help prevent and compact this disproportionality. We have presented our research at many state and national conferences as well as have publications explaining our work in greater detail. I have fallen in love with research writing and presenting at conferences on a subject I am so passionate about. Because of this, I am considering attaining a Ph.D. in Speech Pathology to pursue research.
Outside of my research, I enjoy tutoring and love working with bilingual populations. Since I am bilingual, I hope to use my bilingualism to aid and advocate for bilingualism in special education settings. In addition to my Speech Pathology and Audiology bachelor's, I am attaining a Teaching English as a Second Language. Many bilingual children or non-English speakers get inappropriately diagnosed with language disorders due to their first language's influence on their English learning. After graduating from Old Dominion University, I plan on attaining a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology. I plan on specializing in pediatrics for articulation and phonological disorders, ESL students, language disorders, and fluency disorders. My goal is to educate teachers, educators, and SLPs on how to work with this population to serve them to their needs, not their differences.
American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology Publication
Reimagining From Abroad: Speech-Language Pathologists as Interprofessional Partners SupportingJustice-Involved Youth in America
Purpose: With application to the United States, this tutorial explores barriers in the American juvenile justice system for justice-involved youth (JIY) with cognitive-communication disorders (CCDs). It outlines models from abroad and reimagines the American juvenile justice system to include speech-language pathologists (SLPs) as interprofessional practice partners.
Method: Interprofessional (i.e., criminal justice, speech-language pathology) literature from the United States and overseas is reviewed and summarized to explain the American juvenile justice system, outline areas of concern for youth with CCDs, and describe potential solutions.
Results: The application of speech-language pathology services within the juvenile justice system is explained and visually depicted. This framework was informed by intervention models and approaches from international examples.
Conclusions: There is an opportunity to embed speech-language pathology services from intake into court action and through disposition for JIY with cognitive-communication impairments. This includes interprofessional education and development, SLPs providing direct intervention, and multidisciplinary screening efforts. Speech-language pathologists as interprofessional advocates and practice partners can improve life chances and outcomes for youth with CCDs in the juvenile justice system
Sophia Janeiro Martinez
Old Dominion University
Department of Health Sciences