Speech and Language Therapy Services at The Center for Connection
Everyone deserves to share their story. We’re here to help you express yours.
Speech and language therapy encompasses all areas of communication development, which facilitate play, problem solving, learning, and the development of strong relationships. From infancy through adulthood, communication skills form a foundation for establishing healthy social and emotional connections, allowing us to navigate ever-changing environments and experiences. At The Center for Connection, we believe all individuals have the capacity to be successful communicators. Our interventions are relationship-based and regulation-driven to support each client’s unique constellation of strengths and vulnerabilities. Our team of Speech-Language Pathologists at The Center for Connection share their expertise through comprehensive assessments and client-centered therapy to help clients meet their communication goals and thrive within their relationships. We offer services focused on developing a client’s ability to understand others, express their thoughts, and establish successful social relationships based on their individual goals and support plans.
We partner with both clients and families to empower positive change. Guided by the notion that all behavior is communication, we seek to chase the why and understand what our clients are expressing through their behaviors. Individuals must feel safe, supported and regulated to successfully communicate, and we welcome clients of all neurotypes, genders, races, colors, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, religions, national origins, migratory statuses, disabilities/abilities, political affiliations, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We honor our clients’ sensory processing needs as interventions are introduced, and our sessions frequently incorporate activities to help clients effectively manage and respond to emotionally-triggering experiences. Additionally, sessions often encompass strategies to develop crucial executive functioning skills.
We look forward to working with you and your family!
““There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” ”
Click on the headings below to learn more about the speech and language therapy services available at The Center for Connection
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Early intervention and preschool services are play-based, child-directed, and regulation-focused. Sessions aim to intervene and support children at the first signs of communication difficulties. Therapy activities create a strong foundation for later speech, language, and social communication skills. Therapeutic and consultative services frequently support:
Language (comprehension difficulties, late talkers/limited expressive vocabulary, challenges combining words)
Speech (articulation/pronunciation difficulties, motor planning and processing challenges, phonological deficits)
Social communication (differences and vulnerabilities in the areas of play, emotional-regulation, and social connection)
To schedule an initial informational consultation for pediatric evaluations, click here.
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As children enter their school years and beyond, communication skills become critical to successful learning and social development. The ability to understand others and effectively express oneself is paramount to feeling secure, seen, and connected. Services for children and adults are focused on supporting clients’ abilities to thrive as learners, develop meaningful relationships, and express their hopes, ideas, needs, and goals. Therapeutic and consultative services frequently support:
Speech and/or language (difficulties understanding and/or expressing sounds, words, sentences, and complex ideas)
Literacy (phonological awareness, decoding, reading comprehension, writing structure)
Social communication (differences and vulnerabilities in the areas of development/maintaining friendships, self- and emotional-regulation, and successful participation in group activities)
Executive functioning (vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the self-regulatory and strategic thinking aspects of executive functioning, including impulse inhibition, expectation sensitivity, transitions, planning, prioritizing, time management, self- and material organization, etc.)
To schedule an initial informational consultation for pediatric evaluations, click here.
Meet Our Speech and Language Therapists
MEET Desiree Misrachi, M.S., CCC-SLP (SLP Division Director)
Desiree Misrachi (formerly Sasunian), M.S., CCC-SLP is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist who holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence through the American Speech-Language-Hearing-Association (ASHA).
Desiree has provided services in a variety of settings including pediatric outpatient, private clinic, in-home, preschool, and elementary school settings, as well as via tele-therapy. Desiree’s treatment focus is on providing child-led, play-based, family-centered, and evidence-based therapy with the goal of making functional overall communication gains. She works closely with family members to provide routines-based interventions so that they can confidently carryover strategies into daily routines with their child.
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SLP specialities
Desiree’s specialties and specific areas of interest include but are not limited to:
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Cerebral Palsy
Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Disorders both in Early Intervention and beyond
Down Syndrome
Expressive and receptive language delay
Speech and Sound Disorders
Various genetic disorders
Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) / Gestalt Language Processing / Delayed Echolalia
Note: Desiree can also support requests for SLP services to be completed in our full-sensory gym at Duarte, CA. Speech-language therapy sessions in a gym-like space is ideal for children who benefit from or seek movement, and allows for the opportunity for back-to-back sessions for families seeking OT and speech services through the CFC.
MEET Hanna Novak, MS, CCC-SLP
Hanna Novak, M.S., CCC-SLP is a licensed and board certified Speech-Language Pathologist based in Los Angeles, CA. She has a primary focus on pediatric therapies (birth through teens) that support self-regulation, social communication, executive functioning, and speech and language development. She believes in a play-based, child-led, developmental approach to therapy informed by programs such as the SCERTS model and DIR®/Floortime™. In an effort to fully support the whole child, Hanna designs individualized intervention approaches that utilize clients’ strengths and interests to build strong foundational communication skills. Since all communication occurs within social contexts, Hanna considers the many environments and activities where a client’s interactions may take place, and she develops goals that maximize generalized social communication success. Mindfulness activities, sensory-regulation opportunities, emotional-regulation supports, and metacognitive thinking strategies are frequently woven into therapy sessions to facilitate progress in all domains of communication.
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Hanna’s interest in the role of one’s overall regulation on their communicative success led her to co-create The Brain Talk Curriculum, a program designed to teach students about their brains and how to use their executive functioning capacities of the prefrontal cortex to respond, plan, and reflect mindfully rather than react impulsively. In addition to providing individual and group therapy services, Hanna consults and collaborates with school and therapy teams to support greater understanding of self-regulation, executive functioning, mindfulness, and social-cognitive strategies. She has trained PreK-12 teachers, parents, and professionals across the United States. Hanna works with a diverse population of clients, including those diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, language processing disorders, phonological disorders, articulation delays/disorders, and other communication challenges.
SLP specialities
Hanna’s specialties and specific areas of interest include but are not limited to:
Autism
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Early Intervention
Executive Functioning Deficits
Self-Regulation and Emotional-Regulation Difficulties
Preschool Language Delays
Motor Planning and Processing Disorders of Speech
MEET DRISANA MEDINA, M.S., CF-SLP
Drisana Medina, M.S., CF-SLP is a dedicated, bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist with a profound commitment to advocacy and serving culturally and linguistically diverse families. As a participant in the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Minority Student Leadership Program during her graduate studies, Drisana developed a deep passion for equitable and inclusive services.
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Fluent in both Spanish and English, Drisana strives to provide individualized, family-centered, play-based, child-led care to everyone she serves. With over a decade of experience as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant, she has supported diverse populations across the lifespan, including individuals with complex communication needs, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, receptive and expressive language disorders, speech sound disorders, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Aphasia, among others. Disana also has expertise in implementing Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) to enhance communication development for children with complex communication needs.
Drisana enjoys connecting with clients and learning about their unique interests and strengths, using these foundations as pillars for therapy. She finds immense satisfaction in empowering individuals and families, equipping them with routine-based strategies that facilitate skill development.
Drisana completed her undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences at California State University, Los Angeles, and earned her Master of Science in Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Drisana finds joy in the simple pleasures of life – a captivating sunset, the tranquility of being near water, and the companionship of her dog, Luna. She indulges in hiking, cherishes quality time with family and friends, and delights in the adventure of travel.
SLP specialities
Drisana’s expertise and specific areas of interest include but are not limited to:
supporting diverse populations across the lifespan, including individuals with complex communication needs
Autism
Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome
Receptive and expressive language disorders
Speech sound disorders
Traumatic Brain Injury, and Aphasia, among others
Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC)
When it’s time to see a speech-language pathologist:
Below are a few common scenarios that might require the help of a speech-language pathologist:
Your child uses less than 20 words at 18 months; or less than 50 words and is not yet combining words at 2 years old
Familiar and/or unfamiliar people are having a difficult time understanding your child
Your child has trouble saying certain sounds
Your child is having difficulty responding to questions
Your child is having difficulty following directions
Your child is having difficulty sequencing events or telling a story
Your child has difficulty expressing themselves, advocating for their needs, or sharing their ideas in social situations
Your child has social communication differences, challenges or vulnerabilities that cause frustration, confusion or isolation (e.g., difficulties making/keeping friends, challenges recognizing “hidden” social rules, struggles understanding what others might be thinking, feeling or planning)
You child has difficulties with self-regulation and emotional regulation that impact their abilities to connect successfully with others
Your child has difficulties with executive functioning skills
If you’re unsure whether your child may benefit from services, feel free to reach out. We are here to help!
Social Communication Dyads
This unique group is an opportunity for clients to be matched with another client based on age, goals, and interests. These dyads foster connection in a supportive, neurodiversity-affirming environment and will be overseen by our experienced clinicians in our Speech and Language division.
To express interest in joining a dyad, please email our Director of Client Relations at office@thecenterforconnection to indicate that you would like to be prioritized for dyadic services. Current CFC clients will be connected with our Speech and Language division lead to share specifics about dyad needs/goals, and prospective clients will be guided through our referral process with a focus on dyad services.
Contact Us
If you would like to learn more about speech and language therapy, click below and complete the Confidential Consultation Request form. Our Director of Client Relations or a member of our Speech and Language Therapy team will reach out to you shortly.
