Cari Syron, MA CCC-SLP
Director of Speech-Language Pathology

Cari received her Bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from State University of New York at Geneseo, and received her Master’s degree at George Washington University. She has extensive experience working with children on the autism spectrum as well as children with apraxia, down syndrome, oral motor dysfunction, auditory processing disorders, and general language and speech delay. She especially enjoys working with young children in a cotreatment model with occupational therapists.

Her experience working in the public schools as well as a private school for children with learning disabilities and emotional disturbance, has proved invaluable in helping the parents of her patients navigate the special education maze and obtain the most appropriate services available for their child. Mrs. Syron often attends IEP meetings, serving as an advocate for the children on her caseload.

Mrs. Syron has participated in many specific training programs including PROMPT, Beckman Oral Motor, Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson’s oral motor system, Verbal Behavior, Wilson Reading Program, and Lindamood Bell's Visualizing and Verbalizing program. As a graduate student in speech pathology, she also acted as an ABA therapist for a 3-year-old boy with severe autism. In addition to providing the above therapy types, Mrs. Syron is also a Fast Forward provider, a member of the American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology (AAPPSPA) and the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), and is licensed to practice speech therapy in the state of Virginia.

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Pooja Aggarwal, MS, CCC-SLP

Pooja is originally from Canada where she received her Bachelors degree from the University of Calgary.  She graduated Summa Cum Laude with her Masters of Science in Speech Language Pathology from Columbia University in New York City. Pooja has a strong commitment to continuing education and a focus on evidence-based treatments to ensure the highest quality of care and best treatment outcomes.  Some specific trainings that Pooja has attended, related to pediatric development, include PROMPT, Beckman Oral Motor, Picky Eaters vs Problem Eaters: The Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding, Pediatric Dysphagia: Management of the Whole Child, LSVT, and RDI.  In addition, she has continuing education and experience in medical speech pathology including tracheostomies, ventilators, endoscopies, and reflux disorders as they relate to swallowing. Pooja has served patients ranging from infants to geriatrics in both hospitals and outpatient clinics.  She has experience with neurological and developmental, speech, language and swallowing disorders.  Pooja has a special interest in feeding/swallowing disorders, apraxia, and auditory processing disorders. Additionally, she has international volunteer experience in Canada, India and Kenya and is fluent in Hindi and Punjabi.  She looks forward to working with you!

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Jane M. Bomba, MS, CCC-SLP

Jane Bomba received her Bachelor's degree in communication disorders from The University of Wisconsin - Madison and received her Master's degree in speech and hearing sciences at The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. She has experience working with children who have motor speech disorders, developmental disabilities, Autism Spectrum disorders, fluency disorders, oral motor dysfunction, dysphagia and feeding difficulties, and general language and speech delay. She enjoys working with children who use low and high-tech augmentative communication systems.

Ms. Bomba has experience working in center-based facilities, as well as early intervention programs in the northern Virginia area.   Jane has participated in many specific training programs including PROMPT, The DIR-Floortime Model, The Affect-Based Language Curriculum, and feeding disorders.  Jane is a member of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) and is licensed to practice speech therapy in the state of Virginia.

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Elizabeth L. Clark , MS, CF-SLP

Elizabeth received her Bachelor's degree in Developmental Psychology from the University of South Carolina and her Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Gallaudet University. She has completed trainings in both the PROMPT technique and Stanley Greenspan's DIR/Floortime Model. She has experience with a wide variety of diagnoses, including Autism Spectrum disorders, genetic disorders, speech and language delays and disorders, hearing impairments, and pediatric feeding and swalling disorders. Elizabeth also has experience working with medically involved children both in hospital and rehabiliation settings.

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Robin Goldberg, MA, CFY-SLP

Robin received her Bachelor’s degree from New York University and her Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from George Washington University.  She has experience working with children with autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities, fluency disorders, augmentative/alternative communication (AAC), and speech and language delays.  Robin has worked in private clinical and school settings with children with multiple disabilities, reading comprehension deficits, social/pragmatic deficits, and autism spectrum disorders.  She also participated in a unique Floortime-based preschool program for children with neurological language disorders.   Robin has specific training in PROMPT, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), The DIR-Floortime Model, and The Affect-Based Language Curriculum.  She is licensed to practice speech therapy in the state of Virginia. 

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Courtney Helsing, MS, CCC-SLP

Courtney received her Bachelors degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, with a double major in Psychology, at James Madison University, and received her Masters degree in Communication Disorders at the Pennsylvania State University- University Park. In addition to her part time work at Skill Builders, LLC, she is currently employed full time at an elementary school for the Fairfax County Public School system. Courtney has worked with a variety of communication impairments including: expressive/receptive language, language/auditory processing, apraxia, phonological disorders, fluency issues, voice disorders, and pragmatic language disorders. She is also well versed in working with the various communication deficits resulting from Fragile X, autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, and hearing impairment. Courtney’s research into the relationship between literacy and communication disorders enables her to provide a special emphasis on phonological awareness intervention and oral and written communication. She has received specific training in many areas including ABA, AAC, communication needs for the severely disabled, fluency, social skills training, dysphagia, language and literacy, and preschool language delays.

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Nicole S. Kerr, MS CCC-SLP

Nicole received her Bachelor degree in the area of Linguistics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and her Master degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Howard University. In addition to her part time work at Skill Builders, LLC, she is currently employed full time at a middle school for the Prince William County Public School system. She works closely with children having learning disabilities and emotional disturbances, as well as, articulation weaknesses and stuttering.  While she has experience working with children and adults with a variety of disabilities, including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, pervasive developmental disorders (PDD), and mental retardation, she specializes in school-age language disorders, specifically literacy and reading fluency. She has received specialized training in the Wilson Reading System, Read Naturally, adolescent language and literacy, emergent literacy interventions, vocabulary building, early intervention strategies for children with apraxia, and PROMPT.

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Pamela Kugelman-Ryan, MS Ed. CCC-SLP

Pam is originally from the Hudson Valley area in New York. She received her Bachelors degree in Speech Language Pathology at the State University of New York New Paltz and received her Masters degree in Communication Disorders at the College of St. Rose in Albany, New York. Pam began her career at a private school in New York that specialized in educating students with special needs, primarily autism spectrum disorders. She then began working in her hometown school district servicing children with a variety of speech and language disorders including stuttering, Down syndrome, autism, auditory processing, articulation, language, and mental retardation. In addition to working part time for Communication Connections and working towards an administrative degree at a local college, Pam is currently a full time employee of the Fairfax County Public School System. She has received specialty training in many areas including PROMPT and ABA. Pam recently recieved an Endorsement in Education Administration.

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Michael P. Lemieux, MS CCC-SLP

Michael received his Bachelor’s degree in developmental psychology from George Mason University. He worked in a variety of adult rehabilitation programs in Fairfax County and New Hampshire, before spending 8 years working in early intervention and early childhood education programs. He received his Master’s degree at the University of New Hampshire and later a Master’s Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders from Antioch College New England. He worked in rural New Hampshire and Vermont schools for 7 years and at a private Floortime practice in Bethesda, MD for 3 years. He has extensive experience working with children on the autism spectrum as well as children with apraxia, oral motor dysfunction, auditory processing disorders, and general language and speech delay.  He also has experience with augmentative and alternative communication systems. He especially enjoys working with young children in a co-treatment model with occupational therapists. Michael often attends IEP meetings, serving as an advocate for the children on his caseload.

Michael has participated in many specific training programs including Picky Eaters and Problem Feeders: The SOS Approach to Feeding; Craniosacral Therapy I; PROMPT; Beckman Oral Motor; Boshart Oral Motor; MORE Oral Motor; Strand Oral Motor; Greenspan’s Floortime/Affect Based Language Curriculum; Levine’s School’s Attuned; Prizant’s SCERTS; PECS; Hodgdon Visual Strategies; Lindamood Bell Phoneme Sequencing Program and Visualizing & Verbalizing Program;  Hodson’s Cycles Phonological Approach; and Narrative Development. He is a member of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA), and is licensed to practice speech therapy in the states of Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

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Mary S. Manzione, MS, CCC-SLP

Mary, a native Virginian, received her Bachelors degree from James Madison University and completed her graduate work at the University of Utah. Through her work at Easter Seals, public school settings, and several years in private practice, Mary has extensive experience working with children presenting with many types of communication disorders including language and auditory processing deficits, apraxia, oral motor, articulation, pragmatic, phonological, fluency and voice disorders.   She has received extensive experience with the pediatric population through her work in Easter Seal clinics, public school settings, and private practice. Mary has worked with a variety of communication impairments including: language/auditory processing, apraxia, oral motor disorders, phonological disorders, fluency issues, and voice disorders. She is also well versed in working with the various communication deficits resulting from Fragile X, autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, and hearing impairment.  Mary’s experience is further strengthened by her participation in various continuing education programs and workshops including PROMPT, Lindamood Bell programs, Beckman Oral Motor, and Relationship Development Intervention (RDI). She is also a Speech Easy provider for adults and adolescents presenting with fluency disorders.

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Valerie Moore , MA, CCC-SLP

Valerie is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist, certified to practice in Virginia and California.  She is a member of the American Speech Hearing Association (ASHA) and Fairfax Speech-Language Pathologists Association (FSLPA).  Valerie received her Bachelors of Science degree in Hearing and Speech Language Sciences from Ohio University and her Masters of Arts degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from Cleveland State University.  In addition to her part-time work at Skill Builders, LLC, Valerie is employed full time at a local elementary and middle school.

Valerie has experience working with a variety of communication disorders and diagnosis including: developmental disabilities, Autism Spectrum disorders, fluency disorders, oral motor dysfunction, dysphagia, and general language and speech delay.  She has received specific training in many areas including Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC), Autism, childhood apraxia, fluency, and social skills.  Her clinical experience includes working in the Fairfax County Public School System, the Los Angeles Unified Public School System, the Cleveland Public School System, and co-treating within skilled nursing rehabilitation facilities.  Valerie has particular expertise working with children who use Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) and Alternative Augmentative Communication Devices (AAC).

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Melissa Plante , MS, CF-SLP

Melissa received her Bachelor’s degree from Shippensburg University in Psychology and her Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology from George Washington University.  She has experience in providing therapy to children with a variety of disabilities including Autism Spectrum Disorders, developmental disabilities, general speech and language delays, apraxia, etc. and has also worked to develop AAC devices and programs for those children who needed it. Melissa has also provided treatment in a variety of settings including home, school, and private practice. She also has experience collaborating with occupational therapists and implementing sensory integration techniques.  Melissa is trained in DIR-Floortime, Affect-Based-Language-Curriculum (ABLC), and American Sign Language and is licensed to practice speech therapy in the state of Virginia.  

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Ingrid G. Schoenburg, MA CCC-SLP

Ingrid Schoenburg received her bachelor’s degree in speech pathology in London, England in 1982 and her master’s degree in speech pathology from California State University, Northridge in 1988. She has over 20 years of experience in the field of pediatric speech pathology. Ingrid has worked in a variety of settings to include hospitals, schools, private practice, and universities. Her hospital experience includes rehabilitation of pediatric traumatic brain injury and working on the cleft palate team. She was a clinical supervisor at the University of Memphis for 8 years, where she coordinated a variety of clinics, to include a pediatric preschool language program, serving a multicultural population with a variety of communication disorders and a preschool and school-age fluency group. Prior to joining Communication Connections, Ingrid had her own private practice in St. Louis, Missouri and was a consultant to both a practice and a school specializing in learning disabilities.

Ingrid has presented on several occasions at National and State conferences in the areas of stuttering, articulation, early intervention and student training. Her continuing education has focused in more recent years in the areas of Phonology, Oral Motor Dysfunction, Preschool and School-Age Language and Learning Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

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