Speech and Language Pathologists

Margie has a passion for working with children with communication disorders and feeding disorders, and has approximately 20+ years experience working in the school setting, hospital setting, and private therapy setting. Through this extensive experience, it has enabled her to work with some of the most challenging children, and she enjoys helping the child and parents overcome challenges. She specialized in children with both medical and behavioral feeding difficulties, nonverbal children needing an alternative means of communication (AAC), Autism, and children with language disorders who are struggling with academics.

Phyllis graduated from New York University with a Master’s degree in elementary education. She taught second grade with special needs inclusion. In 1997 she received her Master’s degree in communication disorders from Nova Southeastern University. She has worked in both the school and clinical settings and owned her own practice in Houston, Texas. She is experienced with the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, and with children with language delays, Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, articulation and phonological disorders, Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome.

Regina graduated from Florida State University in 2013 with a Bachelor’s in Music therapy and Psychology and a Master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology. She graduated with honors and top of her class at FSU with a research focus on the effects of requesting in preschoolers with autism using an AAC device. Her unique experience as a former Music Therapist and Job Coach for young adults with disabilities has guided her to fulfill her passion for helping children with speech and communication needs. Regina has a passion for Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Autism, feeding, AAC and literacy.

In her free time, Joan enjoys dancing, spending time with family (and her two little dogs!), and attending local events.

Jennifer is a Speech-Language Pathologist who graduated with her Master’s degree from the SUNY University at Buffalo. Since then, she has gained experience in a variety of settings with both children and adults, including public schools, home-care, out-patient, short-term rehabilitation, and skilled nursing facilities. In 2019, she received her Bilingual Extension Certificate in Speech-Language Pathology from Hofstra University. Her skills include treating patients with  a wide variety of speech and language disorders, as well as programming and implementing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, and treating children with feeding disorders. Additionally, she is PROMPT Level 1 Trained. Jennifer is passionate about serving on a multidisciplinary team to bring the best care to her patients!

Catherine Saintelot was born in Saint-Marc Haiti. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorder and continued her graduate studies with a Masters in Speech-Language Pathology from Andrews University. Her journey as an SLP includes working in the pediatric, school age, adult, and geriatric communities, ranging from a variety of disorders such as receptive/expressive/social language, fluency, phonological, and cognitive/memory. During her spare time she enjoys being out in nature, going on vacation, partaking in church functions, and activities related to cosmetology. Her family and friends would describe her as lively, caring, optimistic, and God fearing. 

Dana is a speech-language pathologist who recently relocated from Daytona Beach to her hometown of Boynton Beach. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She has served both the pediatric and adult populations in outpatient clinics, school, hospital, and skilled nursing facility settings. She has experience working with various populations: individuals with Autism Spectrum, Early Intervention, AAC, articulation/phonology, language disorders, and hearing impairment. She has a passion for helping individuals find their voice. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, theme parks, and spending time with family. 

Erica is originally from Staten Island, New York. She attended the SUNY University at Buffalo for her Bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science. After graduating from her undergrad, she went back home and worked as an intern in the speech department of a year-round school for children on the Autism Spectrum. Wanting a change of pace (and a change of weather), she moved to South Florida. She attended Nova Southeastern University, where she graduated in 2012 with her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Since graduating, Erica has worked primarily with the pediatric population in settings such as schools, home health, and private clinics. She has experience treating a variety of patients to work on early intervention, expressive and receptive language, articulation, cognitive communication, fluency, and social skills. In her free time, she enjoys walking at the park, spending time with friends and family, and playing with her family’s dog. She is excited to join the team at Progressive Pediatric Therapy.

Giselle was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. She graduated as a Medical Doctor in the DR in 2016 and fell in love with language and communication disorders during her pediatric and ENT rotations, which inspired her to complete a Master of Science in communication disorders in Spain. She moved to Florida in 2019, she worked as an SLPA  in both the school setting and outpatient pediatric clinic working with children on a variety of skills including receptive and expressive communication, pragmatics, social skills, and articulation (what she loves the most!). In her spare time, Giselle enjoys spending time with her husband and friends, visiting new places and trying new foods (yummy!). She is very happy to be part of the PPT family. 

Hannah is a Speech, Language Pathologist who was born and raised in Florida. She attended Emory University for her undergraduate, receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She then went on to graduate school in Chicago, where she graduated from Northwestern University with a Masters of Science in Speech, Language Pathology. For her clinical fellowship, Hannah worked in the public schools in a suburb of Chicago, exclusively with children ages 3 to 5. Upon moving back home to Florida, she worked at a clinic in Deerfield Beach that specialized in Autism Spectrum Disorders. She has experience treating a variety of speech and language impairments, including expressive language disorder, receptive language disorder, childhood apraxia of speech, phonological disorder, pragmatic disorder, and sensory-based feeding. Hannah enjoys helping her clients learn new ways of communicating, and helping them reach their fullest potential. In her free time, she enjoys taking her puppy to the beach and attending country music concerts. She is excited to be joining the Progressive Pediatric Therapy team!

Hannah is a Speech Language Pathologist passionate for delivering quality, child-centered care. She attended Florida Atlantic University where she received her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Prior to starting at PPT, Hannah worked at a school for children with motor disorders such as cerebral palsy. There she developed her strong passion for helping kids develop functional communication skills. Hannah’s areas of interest include Autism Spectrum Disorders, gestalt language processing, AAC, receptive and expressive language disorders, and literacy. She strives to deliver engaging, neurodiversity affirming, child-led therapy and to help her kids develop their unique voice in the world. In her free time, Hannah enjoys reading, going to farmers markets, and spending time with her family.

Jacqueline was born and raised in Miami but wanted a change of pace, so she recently moved to Deerfield Beach. She got her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and graduated from Florida International University with a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology. Jacqueline has always had a passion for working with children and before becoming an SLP she worked as a behavior therapist for 3 years with children on the autism spectrum. Since becoming an SLP she has worked in a variety of settings including home, school, and private clinics. She has experience treating children with receptive/expressive language disorders, articulation and phonological disorders, and pragmatic disorders. In her spare time, Jacqueline enjoys going to the beach, and spending time with family and friends. Jacqueline is excited to be a part of the PPT team and work with a variety of children and their families.

Jordan is a Speech-Language Pathologist who graduated with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Valdosta State University in Georgia. Since then, she has gained experience in various pediatric settings, including public schools (head start, elementary, and middle schools) and outpatient clinics. In 2023, she became a Doctor of Strategic Leadership through Regent University in Virginia. She has experience working with different populations, including children with Autism, Down Syndrome, articulation/phonology disorders, receptive/expressive language delays and disorders, feeding/swallowing disorders, AACs, and fluency difficulties. In addition, she has a passion for working with a multidisciplinary team, including parents/caregivers, to ensure the child receives the most adequate and effective therapy. Outside of work, Jordan loves reading, outdoor activities, spending time with her husband and family, and going to church

Kennedy is a Speech-Language Pathologist completing her clinical fellowship year. She joined the PPT team in July 2022 after obtaining her Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology at SUNY Plattsburgh in upstate New York. She has a passion for working with children and has provided speech and language screenings, evaluations, and intervention in private practice and school settings. Kennedy loves child-led and play-based therapy where children can grow in a way that’s fun and empowering. Outside of the clinic Kennedy enjoys spending time at the beach, going for walks, and cooking new recipes.

Lisa is a certified Speech-Language Pathologist in the field of autism. She graduated from Florida Atlantic University in ’02 with a Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. For 18 years, Lisa has specialized in the evaluation and treatment of children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities.

A former collegiate tennis player at Duke University and the University of Florida followed by WTA tournaments, Lisa enjoys combining her tennis experience and speech therapy background to teach the sport to children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

After working with children for 6 years as a program director for a national non-profit for autism, Lisa was inspired to develop her own non-profit, Love Serving Autism, a 501(c)(3) organization in January 2017.  She has been certified with the United States Professional Tennis Association since 2010. 

In 2019, Lisa was elected by USTA National to join the Adaptive Tennis Training and Education Subcommittee to develop an adaptive tennis curriculum for individuals with special needs. She is the chair for the 2020 USPTA National Adaptive Committee.

Lori is a speech-language pathologist who joined PPT in January 2023.  She has approximately 30 years experience in evaluating and providing therapy services to children of all ages. Prior to moving to South Florida in 2017, Lori worked in children’s hospitals in Providence, RI and Boston, MA.  She also  worked for many years in the public schools in NJ and Palm Beach County.   Lori has worked extensively with multidisciplinary team members, including pediatricians, psychologists, OTs and PTs as well as teachers and parents to identify and provide comprehensive services for children.  Lori’s interests include evaluating children with language/learning impairments.  She especially enjoys treating children with reading and written language deficits.  She is trained in Lively Letters, a multisensory language based reading program.  

Luz graduated from the University Catholic of Manizales with a Master Degree of Science in Speech/Language Pathology and Audiology. She is experienced with both pediatric and the adult population. She has worked in a variety of settings including home, school, and rehabilitation.

Luz’s clinical areas of interest include receptive/expressive language disorder, stuttering, phonological/articulation disorder, childhood apraxia of speech, feeding disorders, and vocal cord dysfunction.

Mara is a speech-language pathologist who recently relocated from New Jersey to Palm Beach Gardens, FL.  She graduated from Lafayette College in Easton, PA with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.  She then attended the George Washington University in Washington, DC where she received her master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology.  Mara has worked in pediatrics for the past 26 years in a variety of settings including pediatric rehabilitation, private practice, public and private schools, and Early Intervention.  Her vast experiences include  working with developmental language delays,  motor speech disorders, social skills/pragmatics,  and children and teenagers with autism spectrum disorder.  She loves to work with families in order to empower them Mara has worked with Animal Assisted Intervention and has presented at conferences regarding AAI and Related Services collaboration.  Additionally, she is PROMPT Level 1 trained.  Mara is passionate about working as part of a multidisciplinary team and collaborating with others.  She is a former college tennis player and looks forward to bringing her knowledge onto the court with Love Serving Autism.  In her free time, Mara enjoys being with her two dachshunds, playing tennis and pickleball, and riding her peloton.

Shelly is a Speech Language Pathologist in her clinical fellowship year.  She graduated from West Chester University in PA with a dual Bachelors degree in Psychology and Speech Language Pathology.  She went on to receive her Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology from Salus University in PA.  She is passionate about helping children and families improve their communication skills and work as a team, including family and other therapists, to provide evidence based practice and effective treatment.  She has had the opportunity to work across settings and with a variety of disorders at both outpatient and acute adult settings, and school settings.  In her free time, Shelly enjoys staying active, hanging out with her dog, and traveling.  She is happy to greet you and your child into the therapy space with a big smile on her face!

Thais is a speech-language pathologist who joined the PPT family in 2023 after completing her clinical internship in the Boca PPT clinic. She graduated with her masters from University of St. Augustine and has a bachelor’s degree in communication science & disorders, along with a bachelor’s in special education K-12. She is passionate about working with children and families to improve quality of life through communication. She has experience working with AAC, mixed expressive-receptive language disorder, and autism spectrum disorder. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog and cat and traveling with her family. 

Amanda is a graduate from Ohio State University where she completed a Bachelor’s of Arts in Speech and Hearing Science. She has experience working in both school settings and outpatient pediatric clinics, working with children on a variety of skills including receptive and expressive communication, pragmatics, social skills, articulation, using AAC devices. She loves having fun in her treatment sessions and really enjoys doing themed activities for the holidays throughout the year! In her spare time, Amanda enjoys spending time with friends and family outside in sunny Florida all year round (especially by the ocean or pool!). She also enjoys going to Disney World and being a part of the Junior League of Boca Raton. She is so excited to be a part of the PPT family! 

Bianca is a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant who has a passion for making a difference in the life of others. She is in a Master’s program for Speech Language Pathology at Calvin University. Bianca has experience working with diverse clients. She has a passion for learning about all of their unique cultures. Bianca is Cuban American and is bilingual in English and Spanish. She enjoys building strong connections with her clients and their families. On her free time, Bianca likes to read books and play with her dogs.

Dylan graduated from Florida Atlantic University with BA in Linguistics. While earning her degree, she taught English as a Second Language to adults and children. After graduating, she decided to combine her love of language and communication with her passion for working with children and enrolled in a post-baccalaureate program in communication science and disorders at the University of South Florida to become an SLP-A. Currently, she is pursuing a master’s degree in communication science and disorders at Florida State University, which she attends online. She has experience working with children with various communication needs and is particularly interested in speech sound disorders, AAC, gestalt language processing, and fluency. In her free time, she likes to explore the outdoors, watch football (Go Ravens!), and spend time with her family, friends, and pets. 

Ms. Francesca is a graduate of Nova Southeastern University. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language and Communication Disorders. She is licensed by the state of Florida to  be a SLPA. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and has a passion for language learning and culture discovery. Due to her own personal life, she is able to understand and connect with families about autism affecting not only the individual but the family unit. She strives to connect with patients to address any concern they may have regarding therapy. Her favorite areas include articulation, working with ASD, and fluency. She believes in continuously learning for the betterment of her clients and their families. A proud first generation US citizen of Italian and Peruvian parents. She loves to cook, garden, and play with makeup. Spending time with family is what she looks forward to the most on the weekends.   

Manuela is a bilingual-English & Spanish, Speech and Language Pathology Assistant. Manuela graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2017, with a Bachelors of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Following her graduation, Manuela enrolled in one semester of courses regarding Audiology and hearing disorders where she learned about diagnosis and treatment for patients with hearing, central auditory processing, and balance disorders as well as aural rehabilitative strategies for prevention and awareness of hearing loss. Manuela also received a certification through ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association). Being “certified” means she holds the C-SLPA, a nationally recognized professional credential that represents a level of excellence in the field of Speech-language Pathology Assistant.  Manuela has been working as a Speech and Language Pathology Assistant with Progressive Pediatric Therapy for 4 years and has experience in treating children with a wide variety of Speech and Language disorders including expressive/receptive language disorders, fluency disorders, articulation/phonological disorders, hearing disorders and has experience working with children with Autism, Down Syndrome, and Auditory Processing Disorder. Manuela has a passion for working with children of all ages and diagnoses. Manuela loves to collaborate with occupational and physical therapists at PPT in order to provide a Multi-disciplinary approach when necessary. She strives to make therapy fun through new and engaging activities, while ensuring that therapy strategies are backed through evidence based practice.

Marissa was born and raised in South Florida.  She earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of South Florida.  Soon after completing her undergraduate studies, she quickly became a pediatric clinician. For the past two years she has been working in the private setting as well as the Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care (PPEC) environment.  She has experience with a variety of medically severe patients as well as a wide range of speech and language disorders, specializing in feeding with training and mentoring in Beckman Oral Motor techniques, articulation, fluency, and phonology.  

She will be continuing her studies further to become a Speech-Language Pathologist.

She is excited to be a part of the Progressive Pediatric Therapy team and can’t wait to continue her work with pediatrics! 

Samantha was born and raised in Southern California, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders and Deaf Sciences. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology. Along with her education, Samantha has experience in cognitive therapy which has allowed her to work with people of all ages with speech and language disorders and improve executive function and other underlying processing skills. Samantha appreciates being a part of clients’ journeys to reaching their goals. 

A few of Samantha’s favorite things are Disney, chocolate and film!

Shannon is a speech language pathologist assistant and is on pace to graduate from Nova Southeastern University next year with her master’s degree in speech language pathology. She has experience working in school and clinical settings and has worked with children for many years, from substitute teaching, Sunday school, Girl Scout leader, baseball coach, and church youth director. She recently started a reptile education business and gets to experience the joy of children learning about and holding reptiles for the first time. Her goal is to work with people who stutter and to include her animals in therapy sessions.

Stephanie Herrera graduated from Cal State University Long Beach, CA with a double bachelor in Family Life Education and Human Development, and a minor in Child Development and Family Studies. After working as a preschool teacher and noticing speech delays and disorders, she obtained her license as a Speech and Language Pathology Assistant in Santa Ana. As a bilingual therapist she has used her skills at a nonprofit speech and hearing clinic in Orange, CA and at a private clinic in Long Beach, CA. With a heart for pediatrics, Stephanie strives to work with her clients, and their families, to use their voice throughout various stages of their development. It’s always a process, but the journey is worth the wait!

Stephanie was born and raised in Ecuador. She went to Palm Beach State College for 2 years and received her AA. She transferred to Florida Atlantic University (FAU) where she received her BA in Linguistics and a certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language. She started her undergraduate studies in Ecuador because she wanted to be a preschool teacher. When she moved to the US in 2017, she decided that her dream was to become a Speech Therapist. She has taken prerequisite classes to begin her studies to receive her Master’s in Communication Disorders. She wants to work as a Speech Pathology Assistant to get immersed in the field, gain experience, and continue furthering her education to become a Speech Pathologist. She thinks that this field is amazing because she can use her native language, Spanish, to help the community. She loves working with bilingual children and observing how a child’s native language can impact second language production. When working with children, it is important to see the glass as half full instead of half empty; it is important to work with what you have and make the most out of it. Her dream is to treat children with Speech and Language disorders in different settings and communities. 

I was born and raised in Miami, FL and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL in 2017. I have been working as a bilingual pediatric speech-language pathologist for five years. I moved up to West Palm Beach in July 2022 to continue pursuing my career as an SLP-A. I am in my second year of graduate school obtaining a master’s degree in speech-language pathology at Carlos Albizu University. I have a passion and extended experience in working with bilingual children diagnosed with autism, expressive and receptive language disorders, down syndrome, and articulation and phonological disorders. I hope to continue pursuing my career as a speech language pathologist and hope to one day work with both children and adults in the hospital and clinical setting.