meet our team - therapists

Paula C. Schantz, M.S. Ed., CCC-SLP received her Bachelor of Science degree and her Masters of Science in Education and Speech Language Pathology from Nazareth College of Rochester. Paula is licensed in the state of Virginia and holds her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). Prior to establishing her own practice, Paula worked in the public school system, and was co-director of The Speech and Language Center of Northern Virginia.

Her expertise is in evaluating and treating children with various speech and language disorders including Apraxia, Autism, Down Syndrome, oral motor, feeding, and developmental delays. She has knowledge and experience using PROMPT for children with Apraxia. She also is a Hanen certified instructor allowing her to teach parents communication techniques to use with their children that have expressive language delays and Autism Spectrum Disorder. In addition, Paula is a certified Signing Time instructor, teaching parents and their babies sign language.  Paula has received advanced training in the areas of Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs) and Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs).

A native of Rochester, New York, Paula and her four children enjoy living in the heart of Ashburn, Virginia.

Mary is originally from Long Island, NY. She grew up in East Setauket, NY and received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from Long Island University at the Brookville campus. She has experience working with early intervention, within skilled nursing facilities, public schools, and within private practice. Mary has worked within the field as a licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologist for 11 years. Mary lives with her husband, Andrew, almost four-year-old son named Finnegan, and sweet dog, Maggie. In their spare time, they enjoy going on long walks, going to the park, and they love visiting the beach!

Erin grew up in a Marine Corps family, with deepest roots in Ohio and North Carolina. She completed her undergraduate studies in English and music at East Carolina University, where she went on to receive her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. The journey since has continually reinforced her passion for the field.

Erin is nationally certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and licensed in North Carolina and Virginia. She is a repeat recipient of the ASHA Award for Continuing Education (ACE), for dedication to learning and professional growth. Sensory regulation, autism, and orofacial myofunctional disorders are among her special interests.

Erin loves combining science, creativity, and connection toward helping others. She finds particular joy in working with children, especially preschool ages. Her experience includes pediatric private practice and preschool through early college educational settings. Erin has training in DIR Floortime and extensive background in transdisciplinary play-based assessment. She emphasizes strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming approaches and the power of play.

In her free time, Erin enjoys oil painting, writing, working out, and attending performing arts events with family and friends.

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive, and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” - Maya Angelou

Morghen is an occupational therapist with 9 years of experience working alongside children and their families. Outside of providing family-centered care with Little Communicators, she also teaches research courses, neuroscience, and pediatric rehabilitation at a local University.  Morghen is a neuro affirming therapist with special interests in helping clients and families appreciate the unique abilities of all children. When she's not working, Morghen enjoys spending time with her own child and family, and exploring the outdoors in beautiful northern Virginia.

Anna graduated with her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Vanderbilt University in 2021. Since then, she has worked in a variety of settings including outpatient clinic and public school. Her specialty interests include articulation and phonology, gestalt language processing, voice disorders, and literacy-based language intervention. When not working, Anna enjoys being outdoors, spending time with her friends and family, and reading. Her favorite thing about being an SLP is the opportunity to connect with families and children in all stages of life. 

Favorite Quote: “Being heard is so close to being loved that, for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.”

Allysa is a graduate of Gannon University's five-year accelerated Master's of Science Occupational Therapy (OT) program located in Erie, Pennsylvania. She obtained her National Board Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) in 2015. She currently holds an OT license in the states of Virginia and West Virginia. Allysa is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). 

Allysa moved to Virginia in 2015 and has worked in both public school and private school settings, outpatient pediatrics, home health for both pediatric and adult populations, skilled nursing, acute care, and provided sensory-behavioral support consultation. She loves helping individuals and their families live their lives to their fullest and watching them grow. She has special interest in the preschool population and sensory integration. 

In her free time, she enjoys time with her husband, three dogs, and their new baby girl, whom they welcomed in January. She loves traveling and visiting friends and family, reading, crafting, lyra, and yoga. 

Favorite Quote: "If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try."

Samantha completed her undergraduate studies in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Old Dominion University and received her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at Abilene Christian University.

Before she attended graduate school, she volunteered at the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program where she quickly became enamored with the speech  world. During graduate school, she gained her experience working in a variety of settings including, a voice center, pediatric outpatient clinic, and an acute care hospital. After graduation, she has worked at a Skilled Nursing Facility with the adult population, in private practice, and in a pediatric outpatient clinic working with clients aging from birth-21.

Samantha enjoys the therapeutic process of building rapport with both her patients and their families. She believes that trust and empathy are the key components to every patient’s plan of care. She loves being creative and making her therapy sessions fun and exciting. Outside of the therapy world, Samantha loves spending quality time with her friends and family. She has an 11 month old son, Harrison, who lights up her life. 

Favorite quote: "you never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice"- The Nightingale 

Crystal Barchacky has been a pediatric occupational therapist for 8+ years. She currently is a professor at Shenandoah University. She has a special interest and expertise in infant mental health and neuro-affirming care. Crystal has worked in 3 different states for early intervention and loves working with caregivers in their natural environment. 

Favorite quote is by Albert Einstein "Play is the highest form of research". 

Rachel graduated from James Madison University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology. She previously worked in government contracting before deciding to change careers to become an occupational therapist. She attended Shenandoah University to get her Master's in Occupational Therapy. While getting her Master’s she was chosen for a grant to attend Georgetown University for a Graduate Certificate in Early Intervention. She has a love for pediatrics and working with families to achieve the best outcomes. She is licensed to practice in West Virginia and Virginia. She has experience working with children from the ages of 0-17.

In her personal life she is a wife to a first responder and a mom to a 4 year old girl and 6 year old boy, she understands the chaos of parenting young children and how that can impact parental mental health. She enjoys traveling when she can and reading a good book. 

Favorite Quote: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Eleanor Roosevelt

Rebecca has over 25 years of experience in occupational therapy across public schools (pre-k to 12), special education administration, and non-profit association management. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in occupational therapy from Shenandoah University. She is a certified reinvention practitioner (CRP) and an assistant professor in the OT entry-level doctorate program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.

Rebecca has extensive experience with autism, sensory processing, social-emotional and behavioral needs, feeding, and application of assistive technology to support children’s participation, learning, and growth. She has several publications related to early childhood, assistive technology, program evaluation, and school-based practice, and she has delivered more than 85 presentations at local, state, and national events.

Rebecca is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), an Award of Merit recipient of the Virginia Occupational Therapy Association (VOTA) and received the 2006 Young Alumni Career Award from Shenandoah University. 

Rebecca has a long history of volunteerism with over a dozen elected and appointed positions with AOTA, VOTA including serving two terms as president, and an international project team with the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. Locally, she has supported children during therapeutic riding lessons and served on the board of the Loudoun Therapeutic Riding Foundation, and she currently serves as board chair for Dandelion Meadow, a 501(c)3 offering a therapeutic community for women in substance use recovery. 

Rebecca uses her passion to help children and families design and implement meaningful occupation-based activities to reach shared goals. Embracing empathy as a core value, Rebecca is committed to building strong, collaborative relationships while working with children, families, teachers, and caregivers.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” (Maya Angelou).