Andrea Wray, nee Beckford, is a graduate of Immaculate Conception High School, class of ’81.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences from the University of Maryland (College Park), and a Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology from Howard University, Washington D.C.

 

Ms. Wray returned to Jamaica in 1988 and took up the post of Speech Language Pathologist/Speech Therapist for the Kingston Regional Hospitals in the Ministry of Health, working at the Kingston Public Hospital, Mona Rehabilitation Hospital and Bustamante Hospital for Children. In 1995, she left Government service to develop her private practice, The Speech and Language Center.

 

Professionally, Ms. Wray has presented at numerous Medical and Educational Seminars on various aspects of Speech and Language development in children and the field of Speech Therapy in general.  Ms. Wray is also the Speech Therapy representative on the Council of Professions Supplemental to Medicine (CPSM), which is a licensing board within the Ministry of Health.

 

Ms. Wray co-authored the Speech and Language component of a screening and referral tool developed by the Ministry of Health and UNICEF.  This research paper was published in the third edition of the Journal of the Children’s Issues Coalition.

 

In July 2018, Ms. Wray concluded a two-year project with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.  As a Consultant Speech Language Pathologist, she provided therapy for over 40 children registered with the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).

 

Ms. Wray first met Dr. Joshua Wright in 1997 when he was 3 years old. He was referred to her by Dr. Samms Vaughn a Pediatric Developmental Specialist. She  diagnosed his condition as Developmental Speech Apraxia and worked with Joshua for 8 years, two times per week. She has seen him grow over the years and overcome the speech impediment hurdles. In June 2019, she was contacted by Joshua to help create Jamaica’s first advocate group for speech impediments in children.This was the start of ‘The Right to Speak (RTS)’. Ms Wray and Joshua are working together to spread awareness on speech impediments through presentations to schools and parent groups as well as  providing resources and information to parents on how to address the condition