"Morning Minnows“ A Sensory Motor/Language Group for 2-3yr olds! (10/30-11/20)
Staff Bios
Blair Sliazis – Speech-Language Pathologist
Credentials: M.S.Ed., CCC-SLP
Education: Undergraduate: Stockton University
Graduate: Monmouth University
Experience: 3 years
Blair has been working as a license speech therapist for 3 years and has experience in various settings including our clinic (Shore Kids), school systems, and rehabilitation centers. She specializes in working with children, adolescents, and young adults on their language, articulation, fluency, and pragmatic skills. Her favorite thing about being a therapist is helping individuals find their voice and be confident communicators. Outside work you can find her socializing with family and friends, exercising, or relaxing on the beach!
Elodie Montivero-Santucci – Occupational Therapist
Credentials: MS OTR/L
Education: Touro College in New York City
Certifications SIPT praxis certified and The Therapeutic Listening Program
Experience: 20 years
Elodie has been working with the pediatric population for 20 years in a variety of settings including pediatric hospitals, private sensory clinics, private and public schools, daycares, outpatient facilities, in-home, and community outreach programs. She has a great deal of passion working with children and teaching their families, teachers, and OT students the gift that these children offer. Elodie feels blessed to be able to educate and teach families her knowledge and loves that she is constantly learning something new everyday. She is also fluent in Spanish! When not working you can find Elodie spending time with her husband (who is also an OT!), her two children and their many sports activities, and the family mini labradoodle!
Tara Golding – Occupational Therapist
Credentials: MOT OTR/L
Education: Undergraduate and Graduate: Quinnipiac University
Tara joined the Shore Kids team in March 2022 to work with the pediatric population in addition to her work with adults with brain injuries and her home care experience. Her favorite part of being an OT is getting to know her clients and their families and building a therapeutic relationship with them. Outside of work, Tara enjoys spending time with her friends and family, going to the beach, and playing with her dog!
Tara Patti – Occupational Therapist
Credentials: M.S OTR/L
Education: Undergraduate and Graduate: Seton Hall University
Experience: 4 years
Tara has been working as an occupational therapist for four years now in a variety of settings including pediatric outpatient clinics, schools, pediatric inpatient hospitals, and sub-acute rehabilitation. When she is not working, you can find her walking the beach with her dog, reading the latest books, and spending time with her family and friends!
Tabitha Lees – Physical Therapist
Credentials: DPT, PT
Education: Undergraduate: Florida State University
Graduate: Florida International University
Experience: 1 year
Tabitha is from Fort Myers, Florida and recently made the move to New Jersey. She has explored various physical therapy settings but always knew she wanted to work in pediatrics. She loves challenging her creativity by coming up with fun and exciting ways to incorporate exercises. Nothing makes her happier than seeing her kiddos and families meet their goals while having fun in the process! When not working she enjoys exercising, snowboarding, going to the beach, and traveling!
Patricia DeRosa – Reading Specialist
Credentials: M.S of Science as a Reading Specialist
Education: Graduate- Monmouth University
Certifications Wilson Reading Trained since 2013
Experience: 28 years
Patricia has been working as a reading specialist for 28 years and received her certification in the Wilson Reading program in 2013. Patricia is an avid reader who says her greatest joy is watching the “light bulb” go off when her students begin to understand the mechanics of reading and spelling, and begin to read fluently, accurately, and with understanding. In her free time outside of work Patricia enjoys knitting, refinishing furniture, the wonders of nature, and of course reading for pleasure!
Cassandra Amicucci – Physical Therapist
Credentials: PT, DPT
Education: University of Scranton
Experience: 7 years
Cassandra has been a physical therapist for 7 years working both in our pediatric clinic as well as school for special needs children and per diem in an acute care hospital. She brings her upbeat personality and contagious smile to each session with her kids. Her favorite thing about being a therapist is seeing the joy in her children’s eyes when they achieve a new milestone and how proud their families are of them! She reflects on a favorite memory of a Shore Kids family sending her a picture of their child climbing the Sandy Hook lighthouse after all the hard work she put into physical therapy! When she isn’t working she enjoys simple days at home or the beach with her husband and young children. They enjoy baking, playing on the playground, and going for long walks together!
Jennifer Schnoor – Teacher/ Tutor
Education: The College of New Jersey
Certifications: Early Childhood Teaching Degree
Experience: 39 years
Jennifer has taught pre-school, pre-k, and kindergarten for the past 39 years at Seashore School in Long Branch. She has since joined our team at Shore Kids to run the pre-k and preschool education pod programs. She also does one on one tutor sessions with some of our young clients. What she loves most about teaching is the look of pride on the faces of the children when they accomplish a task or goal. Just being around their wonderful spirits gives her an amazing sense of joy. She does not just aim to teach, but she wants to inspire. When she isn’t teaching she loves to be with her family, spend time outdoors, and going to her girls sporting activities.
Renee Schneider – Physical Therapist
Credentials: : DPT, MSPT, BS
Education:
Undergraduate: Monmouth University and Fairleigh Dickinson University
Graduate: Mercy College
Doctorate Program: Dominican College
Experience: 26 years
Renee received her BA from Monmouth University in 1990, AS in Physical Therapy in 1995, BS in Science and MS in physical therapy in 1990. She is currently finishing up her Doctorate in Physical therapy at Dominican College. Renee has worked in private, inpatient, school, and home-based settings. She is passionate about her profession and helping children and families. Her greatest satisfaction is watching children succeed and gain confidence. When she is not working Renee spends time with her family and 3 dogs. She loves to surf and travel. One of Renee’s favorite events is Best Day which takes children surfing every summer.
Gabriella DiDomenico – Speech Language Pathologist
Credentials: MA, CCC-SLP
Education:
Undergraduate: The Catholic University of America, Music
Graduate: The University of Memphis, School of Audiology and
Speech-Language Pathology
Experience: 10 years
Gabriella has been working with the early intervention population for much of her experience. Other experience includes adult rehabilitation and school-aged children. She enjoys watching communication strategies become part of a family’s life and routine. It is so special when those “breakthrough” moments happen in the therapy space. You can find Gabriella with her young daughters or singing in her spare time
Susan Evans – Teacher/ Tutor
Credentials: Certified Teacher K-8th Grade
Education: Rutgers University
Certifications: Wilson and Orton Gillingham Trained
Experience: 31 years
Susan has been a Kindergarten teacher for 30 years in the Atlantic Highlands school district and just recently retired. She has joined the clinic to provide tutoring and academic services for our kids. She loves being with the children and watching them grow! She says it is amazing to teach a concept, seeing it stick, and watching their faces light up when they know they have got it! When she is not having fun at the clinic with the kids she enjoys walking on the boardwalk, paddleboarding, and spending time with her family especially on her boat!
Amanda Russo – Speech-Language Pathologist
Credentials: M.S CCC-SLP
Education: Undergraduate and Graduate degrees from Seton Hall University
Certificates: Speech Language Specialist certification from the NJ Department of Education
Experience: 8 years
Amanda has been working as a speech therapist for 8 years in the public schools system and is currently in an Early Childhood Center where she works with preschool and kindergarten students. She has been providing private therapy for 5 years. The most rewarding aspects of being a therapist is watching a child build the skills necessary to help them effectively communicate their wants and needs! When she is not working Amanda enjoys spending time with her family and going to the beach!
Lauren Maher – Occupational Therapist
Credentials: MOT, OTR/L
Education: Undergraduate & Graduate: Quinnipiac University
Experience: 1 year
Lauren works in the clinic at Shore Kids as well as with older adults in a subacute rehab. Lauren also has experience with in-home care. Her favorite part about being an OT is seeing her clients succeed and achieving their goals while having fun and working on what is meaningful to them. Outside of work she enjoys the beach, skiing, her dogs and spending time with family and friends.
Tziporah Silberman – Speech-Language Pathologist
Credentials: M.A, CCC-SLP
Education: Undergraduate – Bachelor of Science from Excelsior College
Graduate – Masters of Arts from University of Cincinnati
Experience: 2 years
Tziporah has been working as a licensed speech therapist for two years and has experience in various settings including our clinic, a specialized school for children with Autism, and in home care for medically fragile children. She specializes in working with children on their language, articulation, feeding, and pragmatic disorders. Her favorite thing about being a therapist is watching her kids progress, connecting with the families, and making a difference in their lives! Outside work you can find her spending time with family and friends cooking, baking, and hosting parties.
Marla Volpe- Speech – Language Pathologist
Credentials: M.S CCC-SLP
Education: Both Undergraduate and Graduate- Loyola University
Certificates: PROMPT and Alternative & Augmentative Communication (ACC) trained
Marla works in a variety of settings with the pediatric population including, our Shore Kids clinic, schools, early intervention, and as an independent contractor.
Gina Bisogna– Speech- Language Pathologist
Credentials: M.A CCC-SLP
Education: Kean University
Experience: 9 years
Gina has worked as a speech therapist for 9 years both in the sensory clinic and school systems. Her favorite thing about being a therapist is helping individuals succeed in becoming effective communicators. Her favorite hobby is spending time and playing with her young daughter, hence why she will tell you her life is one long speech session!
Julie Schaeffer– Speech-Language Pathologist
Credentials: M.A, CCC-SLP
Education: Undergraduate– University of Wisconsin Madison
Graduate– Kean University
Certificate: Masters in Communicative Disorders
Experience: 20+ years
Julie has been working with both adults and children for over 20 years. She has extensive involvement in Early Intervention, Preschool, Elementary and Middle school, Acute Care, Long-Term Care, and private practice settings. Her particular areas of interest include articulation, receptive/expressive language and pragmatic language skills, phonological/phonemic awareness, fluency, aphasia, cognitive-linguistic impairments, and swallowing skills. She thoroughly enjoys working with families to help reach their loved one’s communication goals. In her spare time she loves spending time with her husband, their two sons, and two boxers! They can be found on the sport’s fields or relaxing at the beach!
Maria Restaino – Occupational Therapist
Credentials: M.S OTR/L
Education: Undergraduate and Graduate- Seton Hall University
Experience: 6 years
Maria has been working as an OT for 6 years both with the pediatric population in the sensory clinic and schools as well as with adults in a sub-acute rehab setting. Her passion has always been pediatrics and she has solely focused on this population for the past 3 years. She enjoys watching her kids (clients and students) flourish, develop, and improve in various areas while having fun “playing”! The highlight of her day is when a family member sees the difference in the hard work their child is putting in during their therapy sessions. She loves getting the family involved and provides lots of at home activities and suggestions to increase carry over and success! When she isn’t working you can find Maria spending time with her husband, daughter, and family. She loves going to the beach, shopping, and having get-togethers with friends.
Alyssa Woerner – Occupational Therapist
Credentials: M.S OTR/L
Education: University of Scranton
Experience: 3 years
Alyssa has been working as an Occupational Therapist for 3 years and works with both kids at our sensory clinic and with adults with TBI and SCIs in an outpatient day program. Her favorite thing about being a therapist is helping families to function more successfully as a whole unit, through building a more complete understanding of a child and his/her needs and meeting goals! Outside of work you can find Alyssa being a mom and baking!
Lauren Gargiulo – Occupational Therapist
Credentials: M.S OTR/L
Education: Undergraduate and Graduate- Philadelphia University
Experience: 3 years
Lauren works in both the clinic and school settings and has been in these areas for the past 3 years. She truly enjoys collaborating with each child on their interests in bringing that into her treatment sessions. She also likes to work on daily activities through the occupation of play! Ms. Lauren can be found enjoying the beach when she isn’t working.
Get in Touch
tracy@www.shorekidspediatrictherapies.com
Our convenient Oceanport Location services children in Oceanport, Little Silver, Monmouth Beach, Shrewsbury, Rumson, Fairhaven, Deal, Middletown, Red Bank, West Long Branch, as well as other surrounding towns in Monmouth County. We pride ourselves on developing strong relationships with each child and believe that involving the family is just as important. Our goal is to provide each child the necessary skills required to make him/her successful, while working towards the future.
Shore Kids Pediatric Therapies
14 Bridgewaters Drive
Oceanport, NJ 07757