Our Staff

SJ & Associates is proud to have a talented team of individuals ready to provide the best service for you and your child. Our staff is comprised of licensed and certified professionals with a wealth of experience in serving children with a variety of special needs.

 

Partner and Operations Director: Angela Mertens

Partner and Clinical Director: Audra Ludlow

Rockland County Coordinator: Lori Perini

Ongoing Service Coordinators

  • Lyn Gagnon

OSC Supervisor

  • Linda Astacio-Holdampf

  • Erica Delehanty

  • Nelcy Garcia DeLeon

  • Amy Fontana

  • Jennifer Hopkins

  • Chastity Kiely

  • Siy Madera

  • Julie Persaud

  • Janet Vargas Reyes

  • Marcie Salit

  • Karol Saquinaula Perez

  • Erica Scalamandre

  • Kimberly Schulman

  • Aileen Vanderpool

 

Physical Therapists​

  • Victoria Arduini, PT

  • Margaret Caffrey-Neil, PT, MS

  • Susan Chako, PT, MS

  • Kaitlin Rickerd, PT

  • Izabela Roman, PT

 

School Psychologists

  • Monica Azzaro, M.S.

  • Erika Butler, M.S.

  • Heather Doherty, Ph. D

  • Lyza Granata, M.S. Ed.

  • Kathleen Keefe-Cooperman, Ph. D

  • Rebecca Lew, Ph. D, NCSP

  • Julia Montoya, M.A.

              Bilingual - Spanish

  • Wendy Peguero, M.A.

   Bilingual - Spanish

  • Awilda Schofield, M.S.

              Bilingual - Spanish

  • Emily Tedeschi, M.S.

   Bilingual - Spanish

 

Occupational Therapists

  • Jannell Colon, OTR/L

  • Emily Davies, OTR/L

  • Kelli Heater, COTA

  • Christine Krasny, OTR/L

  • Erika Moson, COTA

  • Alexa Petrassi, OTR/L

  • Nataly Quezada, COTA

Bilingual - Spanish

  • Caitlin Sorrentino, OTR/L

  • Laurie Sugarman, M.S. OTR/L

  • Stephanie Zbylut, OTR/L

Special Education Teachers

  • Francine Rykman, M.S. Ed.

SEIT Supervisor

  • Patricia Bauer, M.S. Ed.

  • Claudia Bulacio-Cobo, M.S. Ed.
         Bilingual - Spanish

  • Heather Byrne, M.S. Ed.

​ABA teacher

  • Miguelina Cabrera, M.S. Ed.

Bilingual - Spanish​

  • Carolyn Carsley, M.S. Ed.

  • Laura Cutrona, M.S. Ed.
         ABA Teacher

  • Lydia Delgado, M.S. Ed.
         Bilingual - Spanish

  • Anna Demirer, M.S. Ed.
         ABA Teacher

  • Tara DiRocco, M.S. Ed.

  • Grace Fitzgerald, M.S. Ed.
         ABA Teacher

  • Maribeth Garrity, M.S. Ed.

  • Victoria Johanet, M.S. Ed.

 Bilingual - Spanish

  • Victoria Kamlet, M.S. Ed.

  • Jolene Keegan,  M.S. Ed.

  • Jessica Klausner, M.S. Ed.   
         ABA Teacher

  • Mia Orser, M.S. Ed.

  • Susan Parsons Carsley, M.S. Ed.

 BCBA​

  • Kelly Pluchino, M.S. Ed.

  • Laura Pollard, M.S. Ed.

  • Lisa Quimby, M.S. Ed.

  • Sylvia Ripps, M.S. Ed.

  • Sandra Rodriguez, M.S. Ed.

             Bilingual - Spanish

  • Mary Ann Sacino, M.S. Ed.

  • Alyssa Saladino, M.S. Ed.
         ABA Teacher

  • Sabrina Sandler-Morea, M.S. Ed.

  • Wendy Steckmeister, M.S. Ed.

  • Jeannette Toscano, M.S. Ed.

  • Cheryl Volpe, B.S. Ed. 

  • Kathleen Walsh, M.S. Ed.

  • Miriam Zisman, M.S. Ed.

Bilingual - Yiddish

​

Office Administration

  • Debra Albrecht

Operations Associate

  • Nicole Calvario

Operations Associate

  • Christina Cruz

CPSE Coordinator

  • Siy Madera

Operations Associate

  • Lauren Martorelli

Office Manager

  • Sarah McKiernan

​Operations Associate

  • Anthony Morabito

CPSE Coordinator

  • Kerri Motta

HR/Operations Coordinator

  • Kelly Pluchino​

EI Evaluation Coordinator

  • AnnMarie Scotti

Billing Coordinator

  • Aileen Vanderpool

CPSE Assistant

  • Janice Vincenzo

CPSE Coordinator

Speech Language Pathologists

  • Yelena Ayupov, M.S./CCC-SLP

  • Leah Backenroth, M.S./CCC-SLP, TSSLD

            Bilingual - Spanish/Yiddish

  • Sherrilyn Brador, M.A./CFY

Bilingual - Spanish ​

  • Erin Bullock, M.S./CCC-SLP, TSSLD

  • Rebecca Burden, M.S./CCC-SLP

  • Agnes Caniza, M.S./CCC-SLP

            Bilingual - Spanish

  • Jennifer Carota, M.S./CCC-SLP

  • Brinn Castagna, M.S./CCC-SLP, TSSLD

  • Marina Colon, M.A./CCC-SLP, SLPD 

            Bilingual - Spanish

  • Carmen Cruz, M.S./CCC-SLP
        Bilingual - Spanish

  • Gianna DelleRose, M.S./CFY

  • Anne Dunitz, M.S./CCC-SLP

  • Kelly Ferrara, M.A./CCC-SLP

  • Alyssa Gentile, M.S./CCC-SLP, TSSLD

  • Anna-Grace Gerber, M.A./CFY
  • Amy Kern, M.S./CCC-SLP, TSSLD

  • Nancy Kurlander, M.S./CCC-SLP

  • Rebecca Layman, M.S./CCC-SLP

  • Audra Ludlow, M.S./CCC-SLP

  • Rachel Mann, M.A./CCC-SLP, TSSLD

  • Erin McGrath, M.S./CCC-SLP, TSSLD

  • Janice McGrath, M.A./CCC-SLP

  • Christy Miller, M.A./CCC-SLP, TSHH

  • Kim Moore, M.S./CCC-SLP

  • Lori Neilson, M.A./CCC-SLP, TSSLD 

  • Kellyann O’Connor, M.A./CFY

  • Lori Perini, M.S./CCC-SLP, TSSLD

  • Nicole Peterson, M.S./CCC-SLP, TSSLD

  • Jennifer Shapiro, M.S./CCC-SLP

  • Joann Spina, M.A./CCC-SLP, TSSLD

  • Chani Steinmetz, M.S.E., M.S./CCC-SLP

Bilingual - Yiddish

  • Keila Taveras, M.S./CFY

Bilingual - Spanish​

  • Stacy Van Dam, M.Ed./CCC-SLP

  • Erin Whalen, M.S./CFY

​​

Social Workers

  • Denise Lasky, LCSW

  • Jennifer Lowe, LMSW

  • Teresa Luongo, LCSW

  • Michele Sevigny, LMSW

​

Group Aides

  • Jannelle Ginebra 

  • Melissa Hoffman

  • Jamiee Nigro

  • Ally Rastelli

  • Chelsea Santiago

  • Alexander Slaybaugh

In addition to language delays/disorders and articulation/phonological disorders, many of our therapists are experienced working with oral motor and feeding difficulties and are trained in American Sign Language.

 

SJ & Associates providers have all been thoroughly screened in accordance with New York State personnel guidelines. Along with New York State, the agency requires its providers to pursue continuing education in order to keep up-to-date on the most current and effective therapeutic and teaching techniques.

We are always looking for motivated professionals to join our team - Head over to our Jobs page for details!