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Our people...our strength! |
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A clinic is only as good as its people, and we are pleased to have assembled such a wonderful group of experienced, talented and energenic therapists. Since our founding, Skill Builders has taken exceptional pride in supporting our professional staff members' continuing educational development and access to the latest research materials. The commitment we share with our therapists enables them to provide your family the best care possible!
Click the names below to read more about the people that make Skill Builders such an outstanding clinic.
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Speech Language Pathologists
Director: Carolyn J. Syron, MS, CCC-SLP
Pooja Aggarwal, MS, CCC-SLP
Jane M. Bomba, MS, CCC-SLP
Ann Hardman, MS, CCC-SLP
Jeanne M. Kane, MS, CCC-SLP
Nicole S. Kerr, MS, CCC-SLP
Pamela Kugelman, MS, CCC-SLP
Mary S. Manzione, MS, CCC-SLP
Tamara Mozingo, MS, CCC-SLP
Ingrid G. Schoenburg, MA, CCC-SLP
Suzanne Tucker, MS, CCC-SLP
Kelly Veenstra, MS, CCC-SLP
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Occupational Therapists
Director: Virginia Kane, MS, OTR/L
Chrystyna Babiak, OTR/L
Deborah A. L. Barbara, OTR/L
Julie Carper, MS OTR/L
Amy Cullen, MS, OTR/L
Sharon Dorhoffer, MS, OTR/L
Jennifer Laun, OTR/L
Judy T. McCallum, MS, OTR/L
Kristin M.A. Palen, OTR/L
Torrey Templer, OTR/L
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| Speech Language Pathologists |
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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Ann Hardman, MS, CCC-SLP
Ann received her Bachelors degree in Communication Disorders from Longwood University and her Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology from Gallaudet University. At Gallaudet, Ann utilized American Sign Language to teach language and articulation skills to deaf and hard of hearing students. In the public schools, Ann specialized in working with deaf and hard of hearing students and specifically utilized Cued Speech to teach language and articulation skills. In addition, Ann also has experience working with children who present with language delays, Down syndrome, autism, fluency and voice disorders, articulation and auditory processing deficits.
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Jeanne Kane , MA CCC-SLP
Jeanne Kane graduated with a degree in Speech Pathology from Loyola College of Maryland in 1993 and received her Masters Degree in Communication Disorders at Boston University in 1996. Upon completing her graduate work, Jeanne worked in a variety of pediatric settings in the New York area, providing therapy and diagnostics to children with a range of communication disorders. After relocating to California in 2000, Ms. Kane served as Director of Clinical Services at a thriving private practice in the Bay Area where she worked with children of all ages and needs. Jeanne relocated to the East Coast in June, 2006 and maintains her Virginia licensure and ASHA certification.
Jeanne regularly participates in continuing education and has received advanced training in several areas including Beckman Oral Motor, RDI, PROMPT, Floortime, Sara Rosenfeld -Johnson Oral Motor, Pamela Marshalla Oral Motor and Apraxia, and Patricia Hamaguchi Auditory Processing. Her areas of treatment expertise and interest include early childhood language, autistic spectrum disorders, apraxia, auditory processing, and social skills.
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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, 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.
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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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Tamara Mozingo, MS, CCC-SLP
Check back soon for Tamara's bio!
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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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Suzanne Tucker, MS, CCC-SLP
Suzy received her Bachelors degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences at the University of Maryland in College Park and her Masters degree in Communication Sciences from
William Paterson University in New Jersey. She has experience working at a school for children with autism as well as her current full time employment at a private therapeutic day school for children with learning disabilities and emotional disturbance. Suzy specializes in school aged language disorders, focusing mainly on literacy and has received training in the Wilson Reading System and Read Naturally program for reading fluency.
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Kelly H. Veenstra, MS CCC-SLP
Assistant Director of Speech-Language Pathology
Kelly is originally from Lansing, Michigan and received her Bachelors degree in Audiology and Speech Sciences from Michigan State University. She received her Master of Science in Education degree in Speech Language Pathology from Old Dominion University. She has worked in many different employment settings including hospitals, a public school system, long term care and adult rehabilitation centers. Kelly has experience working with children and adults with a variety of disabilities including swallowing, articulation, voice, and auditory processing disorders, apraxia, aphasia, and autism. In addition, Kelly has worked with patients in determining the most appropriate type of augmentative communication device to best meet their communication needs. Kelly has received specialty training in the SCERTS method for children with Autism, the Kaufman apraxia program, behavior management for preschool and school age children, and autism. In addition, Kelly was a speaker at the 2002 Spectrum Health Annual Neuroscience Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, regarding Dysphagia and Communication for the Tracheotomy and Ventilator Dependent Patient.
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| Occupational Therapists |
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Virginia Kane, MS, OTR/L
Director of Occupational Therapy
 Virginia Kane (Gina) is the director of OT services at Skill Builders and the former owner of the Skill Builders occupational therapy program. She has been a pediatric occupational therapist since 1983, when she graduated from VCU/MCV with a Master's Degree in OT. Gina's early work experience included school system therapy and work in Children's Hospital in Richmond, VA. She has been an occupational therapist at
Skill Builders since 1987, where she enjoys seeing children of all ages. In addition to
training in sensory integration and handwriting techniques, Gina's interests include
cranio-sacral therapy and yoga/yoga therapy.
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Chrystyna Babiak, OTR/L
Chrystyna received her B.S. degree in occupational therapy from New York University in New York City, New York. She has been a pediatric occupational therapist for over 25 years and is still living her teenage dream of providing services to children with special needs. Chrystyna has worked in hospital settings, private practices, and home-based services throughout the DC area. Chrystyna is certified in neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) and she is trained in implementing sensory integration therapy. She is also a certified infant massage instructor through the International Loving Touch Foundation, Inc. She has extensive experience working with children with a variety of disabilities including cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, pervasive developmental disorder, learning disability as well as apraxia and sensory integration dysfunction. In addition to her part time work at Skill Builders, Chrystyna works in early intervention in Maryland providing home-based services for children under age three. She is experienced in evaluating children with delays in motor development and sensory integration dysfunction. Her treatment philosophy includes parent coaching/training, helping parents understand they are their child's first teacher, and helping parents better understand their child with special needs.
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Deborah A. L. Barbara, OTR/L
Deb Barbara came to Skill Builders as a staff therapist in 1996. She
is a native of New Jersey and graduated from Boston University with a
degree in Occupational Therapy. Over more than 25 years, Deb has
developed a strong interest in sensory integration theory and has been
certified in the administration of The Southern California Sensory
Integration Test and The Sensory Integration and Praxis Test. Deb's diverse background in
sensory integration with neruodevelopmental treatment techniques(NDT),
motor learning, and psycho-social development form the foundation of her ecclectic treatment approaches.
Deb has experience with children of all ages up through high-school, including early
intervention programs for newborns through three years. In New Jersey and Chicago, Deb worked in public and
private school programs, inpatient and out patient hospital settings,
as well as home based programs and private practice. Her experience
encompasses a wide variety of disabilities including developmental
delay, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, pervasive developmental
disorder, learning disability as well as apraxia and sensory
processing disorders. She particularly enjoys family centered services
and is a strong advocate of the team approach incorporating all who
are involved with a child's care and the parents are the team leaders.
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Julie Carper, MS OTR/L
Julie received her Bachelors degree in Physical Education from Virginia Tech and
her Masters degree in Occupational Therapy from Shenandoah University. Julie
worked full time for 4 years in the Fairfax County School system as an itinerant
occupational therapist. Her experience in the public schools included working
with children presenting with autism, learning disabilities, and moderate/severe physical disabilities. Julie began working part time at Skill Builders in 1997 and has gained valuable experience working with children with autism spectrum and sensory integration disorders. In addition, Julie has coordinated and led several summer handwriting clinics.
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Amy Cullen, MS, OTR/L
Amy received her Masters degree in occupational therapy from Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. She has experience treating children with a variety of diagnoses including: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Down syndrome, developmental delay, neurological conditions and orthopedic injuries and diagnoses. Amy also has extensive experience assisting children with disabilities in leisure settings. This experience gives her a unique insight into the ways occupational therapy can impact the child as a whole.
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Sharon Dorhoffer, MS, OTR/L
Sharon Dorhoffer, originally from New York, received a Bachelors of Arts degree from Binghamton University in the area of Health Science. She received her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Touro College in NYC. She has worked in a variety of settings including an orthopedic hospital, child development center, outpatient clinic, public schools and early intervention programs where Sharon evaluated and provided intervention to children of all ages presenting with a variety of neuromuscular, neurological, developmental and orthopedic diagnoses. Throughout her career, she has collaborated and worked closely with various professionals including physical therapists, speech therapists, orthopedic surgeons, physical medicine physicians, neurologists, social workers, teachers and durable medical equipment vendors. In addition to her work at Skill Builders, Sharon is also employed by the Chesapeake Center in Springfield and provides Early Intervention services in Fairfax County.
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Jennifer Laun, OTR/L
Jennifer graduated from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a degree in Occupational Therapy. She has worked in a number of private schools for children with special needs and private pediatric clinics in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. She has treated children with a variety of diagnoses, including learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder/ attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder, pervasive developmental delay, sensory processing disorders, dyspraxia, and fine motor delay. Jennifer’s experience working in schools has provided her with a better understanding of both the expectations for children in the classroom today and how occupational therapy can facilitate improved success in school.
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Judy T. McCallum, MS, OTR/L
Judy is originally from McLean, Virginia and received her Bachelors degree in Therapeutic Recreation from West Virginia University. She received her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1988. In addition to working part time for Skill Builders, she is a full time employee of the Fairfax County Public School System. Judy runs our Kindergarten Kick-Off group each summer, sharing her vast knowledge of fine motor skills and school readiness in fun, engaging ways.
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Kristin M.A. Palen, OTR/L
Kristin is originally from New Jersey and graduated from Boston University with a degree in occupational therapy. She began her career at a pediatric rehabilitation hospital in New Jersey where she gained valuable experience working with medically fragile children ages birth to twenty one. The majority of her caseload was infants, giving her a good foundation in the area of child development. She has also been employed at a pediatric residential and school facility as well as a private multi-disciplinary therapy practice. Her experience in different settings allows her to use a true “team” approach to therapy, working with everyone involved in her patient’s care. Kristin has clinical experience treating children with a variety of diagnoses including autism, sensory processing disorder, cerebral palsy, hypotonia, traumatic brain injury, complex medical disorders, Down syndrome and fine motor delay. She has participated in a variety of continuing education courses on many different topics including sensory integration, neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT), autism, relationship development intervention (RDI), and handwriting. She has also been trained in the Wilbarger Therapressure Protocol. Kristin has experience and a special interest in aquatic therapy and plans to begin implementing that here at Skill Builders in upcoming months.
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Torrey W. Templer, B.S. OTR/L
Torrey grew up in Northern Virginia and received her Bachelors degree in Occupational Therapy from James Madison University. She has worked in the public school system and interned at Children’s Hospital. She currently works full time at Skill Builders, LLC in the Annandale and McLean offices, as well as provides therapy at a few private preschools in the area. Torrey has a variety of experiences working with children with various disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders, pervasive developmental delay, sensory processing disorders, Down syndrome, mental retardation, apraxia, fine motor weakness, gross motor difficulties, and visual perceptual issues. Torrey enjoys working alongside speech therapists in a co-treatment model. She also loves administering sensory-motor and social-sensory pediatric groups. Torrey has received training in the Alert Program: “How does your Engine Run?,” (a behavioral approach to sensory needs) and the Wilbarger Therapressure Protocol. She has also attended several continuing education programs in the areas of autism, Relationship Development Intervention (RDI), motor planning, sensory- motor integration and handwriting.
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