PediaSpeech Clinical Staff
Our experienced Speech-Language Pathologists are committed to helping clients and families by creating and providing the most effective individualized treatment plans. All of our Speech-Language therapists are fully accredited by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) and licensed by Georgia State Professional Licensing Board.
Meet our clinical team!
Our clinical staff includes: Jennifer McCullough, Carly Cumberlander, Kayla Santoro, Lauren Rulon, Sydney Ponce de Leon, Julia Conley, Maria O'Farrell, Joanna Leonardo, Mallory Nathan, and Alasia Hawkins.
Jennifer McCullough, M.S. CCC-SLP
Jennifer received her Bachelor’s degree in Child Psychology at The University of Western Ontario, followed by a Master’s of Science in Communication Disorders from Massachusetts Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA. Jennifer has over 20 years of experience as a pediatric speech and feeding specialist. Prior to starting PediaSpeech, Jennifer worked as a supervising speech therapist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Jennifer is P.R.O.M.P.T., Beckman, Kauffman, SOS (Sequential-Oral-Sensory) and Sara Rosenfield-Johnson trained for Apraxia, feeding and oral motor disorders.
Jennifer also has specialized training in Orton-Gillingham as a reading specialist. She is a trained orofacial myofunctional therapist and works closely with local orthodontists to treat reverse swallow patterns and tongue thrust. Jennifer is married and has two teenagers that keep her busy! Jennifer resides in Decatur and enjoys traveling with her family, Pilates, playing tennis and reading.
Carly Cumberlander, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Carly received her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Disorders from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. She continued her education at Valdosta State University where she obtained a Masters of Education in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Carly joined PediaSpeech as a Speech-Language Pathologist because of her absolute love of children and to help parents in a one-on-one setting get kids to their fullest potential with communication. Before joining the PediaSpeech team, Carly worked in a variety of different settings, including pediatric clinics, preschools, elementary schools, and hospitals.
As a practicing clinician, Carly has treated a variety of speech and language disorders and symptoms including autism, Down Syndrome, childhood apraxia of speech, developmental delay, brain injury, sensory and behavioral feeding disorders and medically-based feeding disorders. Carly is trained in P.R.O.M.P.T., Beckman Oral Motor, and SOS (Sequential-Oral-Sensory) feeding program, and Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy. Carly is specifically passionate about early language development associated with different diagnoses such as apraxia that result in expressive language delays in young children. Carly is also a trained feeding therapist with experience with newborns and young children with oral motor and sensory-based feeding difficulties.
Carly lives in North Atlanta with her husband and baby, DJ. They enjoy spending time together, traveling, and the Atlanta Braves.
Kayla Santoro, M.C.D. CCC-SLP
Kayla received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communicative Disorders at The University of Alabama, followed by a Masters of Communication Disorders in Speech-Language Pathology from Auburn University. During graduate school, Kayla completed her internship at United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham in Birmingham, Alabama, and was able to implement therapy with a wide range of pediatric clients, including those with speech, language, and feeding disorders. Before joining the team at PediaSpeech, Kayla worked in a number of different settings, including outpatient clinics, preschools, and rehabilitation hospitals.
As a practicing clinician at PediaSpeech, Kayla has treated a variety of speech and language disorders and symptoms including expressive and receptive language disorders, Autism, Down Syndrome, childhood apraxia of speech, developmental delays, articulation/phonological disorders, fluency disorders, and language-based reading disorders. Kayla received P.R.O.M.P.T. certification in April of 2019 and has since loved implementing these techniques into many of her therapy sessions. Kayla absolutely loves working with children of all ages and finds joy in in helping them reach their fullest potential.
Kayla enjoys traveling with family and friends, taking barre classes, spending time outdoors, and watching Alabama football. Kayla grew up in Tuscaloosa, AL, but has resided in Atlanta since the summer of 2015 when she joined the PediaSpeech team.
Lauren Rulon, M.A. CCC-SLP
Lauren attended Central Michigan University where she received both her Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders and her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology. Her past experiences include working for elementary and middle schools, as well as a pediatric private practice setting. Lauren has treated a variety of speech and language disorders including, articulation/phonological disorders, language disorders, Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), fluency disorders, and developmental delays. She has a special interest in stuttering/fluency, augmentative communication, CAS, and early language development. Lauren is LAMP certified and an SLP directory member of Apraxia Kids.
Lauren grew up in Michigan. Since graduating college, she's lived in Florida and Georgia. Her family relocated to Pennsylvania in 2021. She continues to provide teletherapy services for Georgia residents. She also works at a pediatric outpatient clinic part-time in PA. In her free time, Lauren enjoys watching sports, being outside, spending time with her children and husband, reading, and playing games.
Sydney Ponce de Leon, M.S., CCC-SLP
Sydney joined the team as a Speech-Language Pathologist because of her passion for helping children of all ages grow and strengthen their communication skills and find their voice. She attended Florida State University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Family and Child Sciences, then continued her studies at the University of South Alabama where she obtained a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. During her graduate studies, Sydney gained experience in a variety of settings, such as outpatient clinics, preschools, elementary schools, adult rehabilitation centers, and hospitals.
Sydney has conducted therapy with a wide range of pediatric clients. She has worked with varying diagnoses, such as autism, Down Syndrome, developmental delay, speech sound disorder, phonological disorder, receptive and expressive language disorder, childhood apraxia of speech, oral-motor difficulties, and pediatric feeding disorder.
Sydney is trained in Kaufman methods for evaluation and treatment of Childhood Apraxia of Speech, SOS (Sequential-Oral-Sensory) feeding program, Beckman Oral Motor, and Feed the Peds Infant and Toddler Feeding and Swallowing program.
In her free time, Sydney loves to spend time with family and friends, travel to new places, and cheer on the Florida State Seminoles! Sydney grew up in South Florida and now lives in Brookhaven with her husband and fur baby, Tally.
Julia Conley, M.S. CCC-SLP
Julia received her bachelor's degree in Early Elementary Education from the University of Louisville, she taught in the Jefferson County Schools in the metro area of Louisville, Kentucky. During this time, she completed a master's degree in Speech Language Pathology from Western Kentucky University. Before working full-time at PediaSpeech, Julia also was a school speech therapist in Dekalb County Schools. Julia enjoys observing the growth of a child and celebrating each win, big or small, that comes with being a Speech Therapist. The best is when a parent comes to a session excited to tell her all the new words their child produced. Julia is trained in Orofacial Myology, sensory motor approach feeding, and Oral Placement Therapy
In her free time, Julia enjoys spending time with her family and her cat, Louie, spending time with family and friends, shopping, traveling, and drinking coffee. On the weekends you can find her on the Beltline or walking around her neighborhood! Julia is originally from Kentucky but recently bought a condo in Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta, where she has lived since 2018.
Maria O'Farrell, M.S., OTR/L
Maria received her Bachelor of Health Science degree from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. After working in customer service, Maria continued her education and received her Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy degree from Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida. Maria joined the PediaSpeech team in the fall of 2017.
Maria has several years of experience working with special needs children from working as a swim coach, a nanny and volunteering with community organizations. She has experience treating children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder, Developmental Coordination Disorder, ADHD, Arthrogryposis, Ataxia, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, emotional regulation challenges, vision disorders, and Developmental Delay. Maria has completed extensive continuing education in sensory integration, reflex integration, Handwriting Without Tears, vision assessment and treatment, trauma informed care, and emotional regulation.
In her free time, Maria enjoys watching college football (go gators!), hiking, reading, traveling and spending time with her daughter, husband and friends.
Joanna Leonardo CCC-SLP
Joanna received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communicative Disorders from the University of Alabama and continued her studies at Baylor University where she obtained a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Joanna joined PediaSpeech as a Speech-Language Pathologist because she believes in the importance of giving children the tools they need to grow, advocate for themselves, and live their best lives. She is passionate about family-centered care and strives to create a positive impact on the life of not only the child, but the entire family.
Joanna has experience in a variety of settings, such as preschools, elementary schools, high schools, pediatric and adult private practices, and pediatric feeding. Joanna had the opportunity to intern at Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta.
She has implemented speech therapy practices with a variety of pediatric clients who present with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, developmental delays, ADHD, articulation/phonological disorders, receptive and expressive language disorders, oral-motor difficulties, and pediatric feeding disorders.
Joanna grew up in Rochester, NY and currently resides in Atlanta. In her free time, Joanna loves exploring Atlanta, traveling with friends, playing pickleball on the weekends, and spending time with her big family.
Mallory Nathan, CF-SLP
Alasia Hawkins, A.A.S.COTA/L
Alasia earned her Associate of Applied Science degree from Chattahoochee Technical College in Canton, Georgia. Throughout her academic journey, she gained valuable experience in various settings, including acute care facilities, pediatric clinics, and autism centers. She also volunteered at a hippotherapy treatment facility, working closely with families exploring nature-centered therapy.
Alasia has a considerable amount of experience working with children who have a range of diagnoses, including Cerebral Palsy (CP), autism, Down syndrome, ADHD, and developmental delays. She joined PediaSpeech as an Occupational Therapy Assistant because of her passion for helping children achieve independence and reach their full potential. Her approach to therapy combines creativity with practicality, ensuring practical and enjoyable sessions. Alasia finds excellent fulfillment in celebrating a child’s progress—whether it’s increased confidence, comfort in their skin, or achieving therapeutic goals.
Fluent in English and Russian, Alasia enjoys spending her free time walking, being with her large family, traveling with her husband, and relaxing at home with her three fur babies.
Also, please meet our Administrative Team Members
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