Hi, I’m Alyssa! I’m an ASHA-certified SLP who has been working in northern Virginia for the last 2 years. I graduated with my Master's in speech pathology from the University of Delaware in 2023 and prior to that I completed my Bachelor's at the University of Central Florida. Since I was little, I have always been passionate about autistic children. I stumbled upon speech therapy while in middle school and have fallen in love with the field. After discovering it at 12 years old, I have enjoyed learning more about all of the various areas we treat and how they generally relate to child development. I love how diverse the field is. It is truly such a rewarding job to be able to support the child in their ability to communicate at an early age.
My approach is neurodiversity affirming, meaning it is completely child-led, play based, and supports the experience of children with a variety of lived experiences. I never force an activity on the child rather observe what they naturally gravitate towards and use that to create meaningful interactions. I believe language development is best targeted in natural environments where the child feels comfortable and is ready to learn. I prioritize connection and sensory regulation to then facilitate language development. I love bragging to my friends and family that my job is pretty much just being a play expert!
I am continuing to learn more and more about language development and the best supports I can provide. I am currently taking some feeding courses so I can continue to expand my knowledge to other areas.
Outside of being an SLP, you can find me picking up random hobbies (currently loving beaded embroidery!), going to the gym, or spending time at home with my cats. I love all things crafty and creative!
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Aural Rehabilitation
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Down Syndrome
Early Language Development
Executive Functioning
Literacy
Pediatric Articulation/Phonological Disorder
Pediatric Dysphagia/Sensory Feeding
Pediatric Fluency/Stuttering
Pediatric Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder
Pediatric/Adolescent Social-Pragmatics
Professional/Public Speaking
Sensory Feeding
