Mealtime Program Coordinator

Sarah is a speech-language pathologist who joined the Peer Projects team in July 2019. Prior to joining the team, she received her master’s degree from MGH Institute of Health Professions Currently, Sarah specializes in feeding therapy, and is an SOS trained provider. She focuses on using family-based, responsive therapy strategies to help families build positive and successful mealtimes. In addition, Sarah has experience in both adult and pediatric centered care, including expressive and receptive language, articulation, fluency, reading intervention and social pragmatic language. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys hiking, running, and playing tennis.

Jil joined Peer Projects-Therapy from the Heart in September 2015. She is a graduate of Emerson College, and has worked as a pediatric speech-language pathologist in clinics, school settings and private practice in Massachusetts for over 20 years. She has extensive experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, receptive and expressive language disorders, social pragmatic deficits, articulation, and motor planning disorders and fluency disorders. You will see Jil at the clinic on Saturdays helping out with groups and working with individual clients. She loves the collaboration here and contact with families. In her free time, Jil likes to ballroom dance and keeps busy with her teenage daughter. We feel lucky to have such a seasoned and enthusiastic clinician on our team!

Tifanny is a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a minor in Sociology from the University of Central Florida. During this time, she gained experience working in preschools, with children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and tutoring. She is currently working full time as an SLPA in the public school system and her areas of interest include articulation, language, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Tifanny enjoys the outdoors, animals, and spending time with her family and friends. She joined Peer Projects - Therapy from the Heart in May 2017 and loves being a part of the team!

Student Coordinator, Voice & Neurogenic Communication Disorders Lead Clinician

Heidi Cope CCC-SLP. After a first career in horticulture, Heidi returned to school in 2015 to obtain a graduate degree in communication sciences and disorders at the University of New Hampshire. She came to PPTFTH as a graduate student in January 2018 and began employment after graduating. Heidi is interested in neurogenic and neurodevelopmental speech and language disorders across the lifespan including voice, resonance/VPI, fluency, motor speech, and pediatric and adult language disorders. She has a certification in LSVT (Lee Silverman Voice Therapy) pediatric and adult. Experience in school and in the field includes acute medical, outpatient medical, skilled nursing with individuals with dementia, and pediatric speech and language in the outpatient and private practice settings. She also has experience in the Massachusetts school system as a speech assistant. Heidi especially enjoys sharing her love of nature, plants, and design, and incorporating these interests into therapy, whenever possible. She lives in Maine with her husband Craig, and their dog Leo.

After spending nearly a decade in advertising, Darya went back to school to study communication sciences and disorders at MGH Institute of Health Professions, where she earned her master’s degree in 2020. She received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Barnard College in 2009. Darya’s clinical experience includes working with individuals across the lifespan and in schools, home health, and outpatient pediatric and adult clinics. She has experience with receptive and expressive language delays, fluency disorders, cognitive impairments, functional communication, social pragmatics, and aphasia. In her free time, Darya enjoys traveling, photography, cooking (and eating!), and listening to music. Darya lives in Somerville with her husband and two children. She joined PPTFTH in March of 2021.

Kris (they/them/theirs) graduated with their Master’s degree from the University of New Hampshire in May 2021. Kris earned their bachelor’s degree in Communications with a concentration on Speech and Hearing Science at Rhode Island College in 2017. Kris has experience working in schools and private practices, and worked for several years as a Speech Language Pathology Assistant. Kris enjoys working with individuals who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication and has several years of experience in this area. Other areas of interest include social skills/pragmatics, fluency, voice, and speech sound disorders. Kris’ interests include writing, nature, Pokémon, animals, exploring outdoors, kayaking, and cooking. They joined the PPTFTH team in October 2017!

Sarah is a speech-language pathologist. She recently joined Peer Projects in 2023, however, she first came to Peer Projects with her daughter to groups on Saturdays in 2017. She has a bachelor's degree in Child Development from Tufts University and a master’s degree in Communication Disorders from Emerson College. Sarah has spent most of her career working in Early Intervention, working with families and teaching them how to help their children access their environments and thrive. In her free time, Sarah loves to foster cats and volunteer with her daughter at an animal sanctuary, spend time outdoors gardening or cross country skiing, and watching YouTube videos with her family.

Brenna is a passionate, empathetic, clinician who received her Master’s in Speech Language Pathology from Boston University. During her graduate career, she treated clients in a variety of settings, including a preschool, private practice, and an outpatient pediatric hospital. Brenna has experience in a variety of areas and has developed special interests in social communication, early language, working with young adults, and neurodiversity affirming care. Brenna enjoys seeing her clients’ confidence grow as they progress and make connections with others. She values developing a close relationship with her clients and their families, and believes collaboration is the key to success. Outside of work, Brenna enjoys reading, dancing, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Jaime is a Speech Language Pathology Assistant. She received her Bachelor's degree from Worcester State University where she double majored in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Spanish. She gained experience while working in a small, pediatric clinic as a rehab aide while in high school. Jaime has experience working with articulation and language delays/disorders, pragmatic delays/difficulties, and executive functioning difficulties among the pediatric and Autism Spectrum population. Her interests include articulation and language therapy and watching social growth within small group settings. She joined PPTFTH in September 2016.

Dori has been part of our clinic since 2021 where she has been working as a Rehab Aide. She graduated from a private high school in June 2022 with a 4.0 GPA. Dori has had previous experience working in social pragmatics groups and loves being with kids! She looks forward to exploring the path to become a Speech Language Pathologist. Dori enjoys spending time with her pets, Archie, Emery and April, and doing outdoor activities. She also is very creative and has multiple years of experience in music sound design.

April is a social worker. She has experience for over 25 years working with children and families. She has spent the last 20 years supporting children with delays and disabilities and their parents. She has worked in a variety of settings providing direct therapy and consultation. She has a Masters in both education and social work. Her clinical interests are infant mental health, adjustments, anxiety, depression, trauma, and parent support. Her goal is to support children and adults in overall well being.

Lillie is a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services and Rehabilitation Studies with a concentration in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Assumption College. Upon graduation, Lillie spent two years working in a sub-separate middle high school special education classroom as a teaching assistant. During this time she gained experience with intellectual disabilities, Autism, Apraxia of Speech, Hearing Impairment, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, expressive and receptive language, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Her interests include social pragmatics and articulation. Lillie is currently earning her Masters in Speech Language Pathology from Northeastern University. Lillie enjoys all things outdoors and especially loves spending her summers at the beach or working with children ages 5-13 at a local summer camp. Lillie joined Peer Projects ~ Therapy from the Heart in December of 2022.

Larissa Kortis (she/her/hers) is a speech-language pathologist who earned her masters degree from Northeastern University in 2016. She joined Peer Projects in June 2016. During her graduate career she gained experience working with both adults and children with a wide range of needs but has primarily worked with children since graduating. Larissa also began working in the public schools in 2020. She is constantly expanding her knowledge in the field of speech-language pathology through team learning and education opportunities, with a primary focus on supporting the neurodiverse community. Larissa is also PROMPT trained and enjoys working on articulation therapy. Larissa loves being a part of the Peer Projects family! She grew up on Cape Cod and when she's not working she continues to love to spend her free time on the beaches.

Alaina joined Peer Projects in September 2019. She received her master’s degree in speech language pathology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and her bachelor’s degree in speech language pathology with a minor in child development from Texas Christian University. Alaina has experience working with expressive and receptive language disorders, social pragmatics, articulation disorders, feeding disorders, and aphasia. She also has a strong interest in clinical research and evidence-based practice. Alaina is currently earning her PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences from Northeastern University. Her research focuses on sucking and feeding development in special populations of infants (cleft lip/palate, Down syndrome, and rare genetic disorders). Outside of work, Alaina enjoys dancing, doing yoga, reading and traveling.

Amy earned her Masters from Boston University in 2008. She received her Bachelors degree in psychology at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. Amy has 15 years experience working at a local school supporting neurodiverse children and young adults. Additionally, she joined Peer Projects in December, 2014. Amy also worked doing tele-practice seeing children in the Mariana Islands in 2014 and more local clients in 2020/2021. Her interests include social pragmatics, articulation, apraxia, and AAC. Amy enjoys watching the sunrise, spending quality time with her family, and cuddling her two dogs.

Lorin joined Peer Projects as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant in November 2016. She completed her Bachelor's degree at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in Communication Disorders with Minors in both Education and Psychology. In 2020, Lorin earned a Master's of Education in school counseling from Salem State University. Lorin works full time as a school adjustment counselor at a public middle school.

Lorin has experience in social pragmatics, receptive and expressive language disorders, alternative communication, Autism Spectrum Disorder, emotional disabilities and more. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, taking spin classes and walking to her favorite coffee places downtown Salem.

Deirdre brings over 26 years of experience in the field of Pediatric Speech and Language with a focus on feeding and swallowing disorders. She has experience in a variety of settings including home health, rehabilitation hospital, outpatient clinic and school based. Supporting children with complex feeding disorders and their families earned her the Irma Simms Rubenstein Award for Clinical Excellence. As Senior Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, Deirdre provided services to a wide range of children with complex medical needs including preterm infants, tracheostomy and ventilator dependent children. In addition to treating children both on the inpatient unit and outpatient specialty clinics, she performed Modified Barium Swallow Studies. Deirdre has her certification in Neurodevelopmental Treatment supporting children with neuromuscular issues that impact speech, feeding and swallowing disorders. As a clinical specialist, she implemented a feeding and swallowing program and mealtime groups within the Robbins Center at the Communication Sciences & Disorders Undergraduate Program at Emerson College. At the time, the group programs were the first in the Boston area. In addition, as an Adjunct Professor, she participated in the instruction of students in varying college courses on feeding and swallowing. Linda Murphy, director and owner of Peer Projects, was one of Deirdre’s graduate interns. This is how Linda and Deirdre first met! As a highly respected professional, Deirdre is frequently sought after to provide evaluation, consultation and treatment for the complex child with mealtime challenges. Her own continuing education experiences have focused on feeding and swallowing issues and related topics. Families are always at the center of her treatment sessions. Deirdre enjoys the outdoors including gardening, everything to do with the beach, and skiing. Her greatest joy is marveling at her three children and their discoveries!

Founder, Clinic Director

Linda has been working with individuals, ranging from infant to adulthood, for over 25 years. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from Boston College in 1993 but after working for two years with adults with developmental disabilities in supported work and residential settings, she discovered her true passion and pursued a Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology from Emerson College. Linda began her career as an speech language pathologist in Early Intervention. There she gained experience working within a variety of natural environments, working as part of a multidisciplinary team, providing service coordination for families, and acting as senior supervisor to the speech language pathologists on staff. Linda has completed additional graduate courses in infant/toddler development and vision impairment, is a Certified Early Intervention Specialist, is trained in Natural Language Acquisition (NLA/Gestalt Language Processing) and has received formal training in PROMPT.

Consideration of the whole family and thinking about how to make therapy meaningful across settings and across the lifespan have remained priorities for Linda since her beginnings in EI. This led her to Relationship Development Intervention® (RDI), and in 2007 she became an RDI Consultant. She brings this clinical expertise to all sessions and is dedicated to educating others on the powerful ways of thinking and being with others that RDI emphasizes.

Linda wrote Declarative Language Handbook: Using a Thoughtful Language Style to Help Kids with Social Learning Challenges Feel Competent, Connected and Understood, released in March 2020 and Co-Regulation Handbook: Creating Competent, Authentic Roles for Kids with Social Learning Differences, So We All Stay Positively Connected, Through the Ups and Downs of Learning, released in March 2021. Linda continues to expand upon this work, which can be found at declarativelanguage.com . Linda also has published several articles in magazines including Autism Spectrum Quarterly Magazine and Autism Asperger's Digest on these topics, and co-authored the book Social Thinking and Me with Michelle Garcia Winner. All of these resources can be found here.

In addition to providing therapy, Linda regularly provides trainings to parents and professionals on social learning topics near and dear to her such as declarative language, co-regulation, RDI, dynamic communication, social pragmatics, and how to create authentic, sustained peer interactions.

She founded Peer Projects in 2005 upon starting a social pragmatics group for preschoolers at Emerson College. Though initially started out of the back of Linda's car, Peer Projects has grown to offer a range of services provided by highly skilled and dedicated clinicians who have worked closely with Linda over the years. She is thrilled to be partnered with John and Therapy from the Heart, and continues to learn from her team members every day. When she is not working, Linda is kept quite busy at home with her family life and two energetic boys!

April recently earned her masters in Speech-Language Pathology at Northeastern University in May 2023. She received her bachelor's degree at Loyola University Maryland where she majored in Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, minoring in Special Education. During her graduate career she gained experience working with individuals across the lifespan across a variety of settings including a skilled nursing rehabilitation facility, integrated preschool, public high school, and was a gradutate student at Peer Projects during Spring 2022! April works at a local school gaining experience with intellectual disabilities, Autism, Down Syndrome, Apraxia of Speech, Hearing Impairment, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and social communication. Her specialized interests include motor speech disorders, AAC, early language, working on executive function skills with young adults, and neurodevelopmental speech and language disorders. She is motivated to help clients discover their strengths while creating positive connections! Outside of work, April enjoys spending time outside walking, hiking, or running but also loves discovering cute cafes or bookstores. April joined the PPTFTH team in Fall 2023.

Group Training and Development Coordinator, RDI Consultant

Lizz is our Group Training and Development Coordinator. She holds a B.A., majoring in Psychology and Sociology, from the University of Massachusetts-Boston. She has been supporting families and individuals for almost 10 years. When first entering this field, Lizz was part of a supplemental program to Early Intervention (EI) that supported family and children ages 0-3 diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. During her time there, she held the role of Autism Service Provider and later transitioned into Team Supervisor for the Central Middlesex region of the program. Lizz was able gain experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams while supporting families and children within the home, daycare/preschool and/or community setting. In addition, she gained experience assessing, developing goals and objectives and providing supervision and guidance to her team. Lizz also supported families through the IEP process as their child aged out of the program and transitioned to public school which has been an invaluable skills set she has obtained.

Lizz later transitioned to a private program in Lexington for children with social and emotional learning differences where she co taught Kindergarten, First Grade and led social pragmatics groups. This is where she first gained experience with Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) philosophies and techniques, Zones of Regulation, and Social Thinking curriculum. Lizz continued to see firsthand how invaluable parents/caregivers are to supporting children with social and emotional challenges and RDI was the tool set she was missing! When deciding she wanted to begin the process of becoming an certified RDI consultant, Lizz was determined to collaborate and learn from the only other active consultant in MA, our very own Linda Murphy! Lizz joined our team in August 2016 as she began her training and was an active part of our admin/insurance team and led social pragmatics groups. Just a year later, Lizz became certified as an RDI Consultant and began applying more of what she learned in her training at Peer Projects-Therapy from the Heart. During her time here, Lizz has continued to grow her experience with families and the individuals that she works with, ranging from toddlers to young adults. In her spare time she enjoys volunteering for MA Special Olympic Programs (swimming, boating) for teens and adults where she has applied much of what she's learned from RDI to strengthen her relationship and communication while guiding athletes. Currently, Lizz is our Group Training and Development Coordinator for our social pragmatics groups, provides RDI consultations for families and more recently has collaborated with Linda on her Declarative Language workshops with families all around the world! Lizz looks forward to using her passion for RDI to spread the word on how powerful the methodology and tool set can be!

Laura earned a Bachelor's degree in Speech-Language and Audiology with minors in Early Intervention and Psychology from Northeastern University. During that time, she completed 300 hours of hands-on training in EI, and worked at the on-campus preschool. She currently works as a full-time SLPA in the public school system, and as a part-time Developmental Therapist in EI. Her areas of interest include early language development, receptive language skills, social pragmatics, and articulation. Laura enjoys going for runs, throwing dinner parties, and spending time with family back in South Jersey. ​

Phoebe graduated from Boston University where she gained her Masters in Speech Language Pathology. She received her Bachelor's degree from Loyola University Maryland where she majored in Speech Language Pathology and minored in Special Education. While gaining her masters degree she gained experience in both adult and pediatric settings such as public schools, acute care, outpatient care, and private practice. She has experience working with sensory and motor based feeding disorders, expressive and receptive language disorders, articulation disorders, alternative and augmentative communication use (AAC), Autism Spectrum Disorder, and other rare genetic disorders. Her main areas of interest include all things pediatric involving expressive and receptive language, AAC use, and feeding. Phoebe is a Natural Language Acquisition trained clinician working with Gestalt Language Processors. Outside of work Phoebe enjoys time with her family and friends, reading, running and walking around Boston, and trying new restaurants. Phoebe joined PPTFTH in June 2022.

Parker has been part of our clinic since 2019 where he has been working as a Rehab Aid. He graduated Essex North shore Agricultural and Technical School as of June 2022 with a Diploma and a certificate of completion for his studies in Information Technology Services. Parker has been furthering his education at Middlesex Community College in Lowel with plans to continue his journey into the IT Field

Early Childhood Lead Clinician, Beauty and Order / Care of Our Clinic Space Lead

Sue received her Master’s in Communication Disorders from Emerson College and her Bachelor’s in Family Studies from the University of Kentucky. She has been with Peer Projects since 2014. After 10 years of working in health care settings with adults, Sue transitioned to full time work in pediatrics. Her special interests are early childhood language development and speech sound disorders particularly Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Sue has also worked as a preschool music teacher and values music as an important means of communicating and connecting with each other. She and Lizz Ramirez offer Guiding Your Child periodically. The GYC program aims to provide a place for caregivers and children to connect and communicate through music, movement, literature and art. Sue is Hanen certified and particularly enjoys having caregivers join sessions so that hands-on caregiver coaching can occur. Outside of work, Sue enjoys gardening, singing, and cuddling with her dogs! And, you may catch her at the Hamilton Wenham Library leading Baby Bookworms!

Elizabeth is an Emerson College alumna who joined the Peer Projects team in 2018, first as a speech language pathologist-assistant participating in social groups, while finishing her graduate studies. After earning her Masters in 2019, Elizabeth completed her Clinical Fellowship at Peer Projects and continued on as a full-time speech therapist. She has extensive experience with social groups, Autism, early language learning and development, and has a special interest in speech sound disorders. She has enjoyed the growth and transition that came with providing services through telehealth, which is now her favorite way to provide family-centered practice. Elizabeth relocated to Indiana in 2021 and is still a part of our team, servicing families part-time via telehealth. A Massachusetts native, she has a special place in her heart for the North Shore, especially for the Peer Projects family.

Marie (she/her/hers) is a speech-language pathologist who obtained her master's degree in Speech Language Pathology from Northeastern University. She received her bachelor's degree from Boston University in Speech, Language, and Hearing Science with a minor in Spanish. Marie has experience working in elementary schools, home health, and private practices. She enjoys working with children and adults in many areas, including language, alternative/augmentative communication, social communication, executive function, and articulation/phonology. She is continuously expanding her clinical knowledge and skill set by learning and implementing neurodiverse affirming approaches to support autonomous communication, such as declarative language, child-led therapy, and a focus on meaningful communication. Marie joined the Peer Projects team in January 2020.

Katie Vitas M.S., CCC-SLP, CEIS has been practicing as a Speech and Language Pathologist since graduating from Emerson College in 2006. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at James Madison University with minors in Special Education and Spanish.

Katie worked in Early Intervention in Cambridge and Somerville, MA for two years where she met Linda, and they worked closely until Linda left to commit to her private practice, Peer Projects, full time. In 2007, Katie pursued her aspirations to become a Reading Specialist, knowing this would complement her speech and language background. In May 2011, Katie received her Certificate of Advanced Study in Reading from the MGH Institute of Health Professions. As part of her reading studies, Katie received her Wilson Reading Program certification while working in the Wellesley Public Schools at a K-5 elementary school. Throughout her four years working as an SLP in Wellesley, Katie continued her professional development by participating in an eight week training course on Thinking Maps®, training in Project

Read Written Expression: Framing Your Thoughts®, and Visualizing and Verbalizing®, along with workshops and studies in others areas such as Michelle Garcia Winner’s Social curriculum. More recently, Katie has sought out workshops and information to further support neuordivergent kids and their families particularly with writing meaningful, strength based goals and objectives for therapy services.

Throughout her career, Katie has worked with clients, 1:1 as well as in peer groups, ranging from toddlers to young adults with a variety of speech and language challenges including, articulation, stuttering, apraxia, receptive and expressive language, executive functioning, auditory processing and social thinking. Katie has particular interests in the areas of receptive and expressive language, related to reading and writing challenges, working with many clientele with language based learning challenges. In addition, collaborating with a child’s family and team is an essential component to any therapy and one that Katie holds in high regard. Katie believes it is essential to consider the whole client and their interests

in order to to follow their lead and guide authentic learning opportunities and activities to address therapeutic goals. Katie has a knowledge of the public school system and IEP process and is always happy to support and advocate alongside a family and collaborate with school-based teams to encourage the best balance of support for each individual. Katie has enjoyed working as a part of the Peer Projects team since September 2013. A more flexible, part time schedule has proven to be the perfect balance of career involvement and spending time raising her two boys, (9.5 and 7.5 years old!) and her fur baby, a 75 lb Burnedoodle (almost 2) along with her husband on the North Shore!

Sean first began working with children 8 years ago, as a teacher’s assistant at an elementary school, while earning a degree in Architectural Engineering. From there he became an after-school program instructor throughout several public and private schools on the north shore, teaching kids (K-6), engineering and physics concepts using LEGO. To better assist some of the children with special needs who joined these programs, he attended The Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders training on the DIR Floortime® model, earning his first certificate. As his passion for helping children grew, he connected up with The FUSE Program and Preschool in Lexington, MA, where he was trained in and applied Relationship Development Intervention® (RDI) and Social Thinking® strategies. There, he gained experience as a camp counselor, 1:1 aide, home provider and eventually a lead classroom teacher. While teaching in the preschool, he earned his second certificate in DIR Foortime® from the ICDL. He also currently co-runs the sports program SCORRE, working as coach. Sean joined Peer Projects Therapy from the Heart in the fall of 2015 and is now with us 20 hours a week running groups (including our LEGO® Enrichment Program during school vacations), seeing individual clients, and helping out in many ways behind the scenes. Look for our weekly quote board under News! This is just one of Sean's many contributions! Sean is thrilled to work and learn from the amazing staff, children and young adults he sees at PPTFTH.

Emily is a speech-language pathologist who joined Peer Projects in October 2023. She earned her Masters in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Emerson College, where she was able to discover her genuine love and interest in the field. During her graduate studies, Emily gained experience working with adult and pediatric populations in a variety of settings— consisting of schools, outpatient clinics, and private practices. Her specialized interests include pediatric feeding, articulation, cognitive communication , and AAC. She is passionate about collaborating with clients and their families to create individualized treatment plans and positive outcomes. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with friends, hiking, and cozying up with her cats to read a book.

Tali received her bachelor’s degree in Child Development from Tufts University and her master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Emerson College. While at Emerson, Tali was trained in counseling families with children who have communication disorders. She has worked as a speech language pathologist for over 20 years in early childhood special education, in the public schools, and in an occupational therapy sensory integration based private clinic. She is passionate about providing family centered services, educating and working with parents, siblings, and grandparents to ensure therapy is as effective as possible. Tali participates in ongoing work in supporting neurodiversity, gender affirming care, and anti-racism. She holds Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington state licensure. Tali has worked extensively with autistic individuals and their families and has training in Gestalt Language Acquisition; she also has training in PROMPT therapy for apraxia. Tali co-leads a parent support group, Root to Rise, to help parents with children with disabilities connect with each other and redefine self-care strategies. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and three children. She enjoys hiking, biking, ceramics and knitting. Tali joined Peer Projects as a Telehealth clinician in January, 2021

Sara has been a Speech-Language Pathologist since she graduated from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in 2006. She was drawn to the field by multiple factors, including her own struggles with speech and learning issues, her study of Linguistics in college and her work at a Lindamood-Bell reading clinic. Sara has always been interested in the connection between spoken and written communication disorders, and pursued a secondary certification in reading during her graduate studies. She has training in social pragmatics and also speaks some Spanish, having studied abroad in Bolivia as part of her Spanish major in college. She has experience working with children and adolescents with autism, learning disabilities, articulation disorders and apraxia in both public schools and private clinics. She is currently working full-time for the Swampscott Public Schools. She was thrilled to join Peer Projects - Therapy from the Heart in September 2015. She is passionate about pursuing pottery in her free time.