Meet the Playworks Team

Our director, Patti Wilson, earned a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Arizona State University with a focus on early intervention. Before that, she earned a Bachelor of Arts from James Madison University in 1994. She is also trained in PROMPT therapy (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic targets), Beckman Oral Motor Therapy, the Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson Approach, and the Floortime model.  Before Playworks, Patti practiced Early Intervention for 6 years in the private sector and 2 years in the Virginia public school system.

Becca is an Occupational Therapist who loves finding moments of connection and joy in her work with families and children of all ages. She is a DMV native who studied Early Childhood Education and Business at Skidmore College and received a Masters in Occupational Therapy from the University of Pittsburgh in 2012.   She has worked in a variety of pediatric settings including private clinics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, public and charter schools, and 0-3 early intervention services. She has training in Sensory Integration, the SOS approach to feeding, Interactive Metronome, reflex integration, infant massage, self-regulation, vision, Torticollis, and Kinesio taping.  She has experience working with children with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Anxiety, Developmental Delays, Brachial Plexus Injuries, feeding challenges, and NICU grads. Becca believes strongly in the power of play and relationships to help children build on their strengths and thrive in their daily lives.  In her spare time Becca enjoys exploring new parks with her 1-year-old daughter and cooking from her CSA. 

Katie is a DC area native and has over 30 years of experience as a pediatric physical therapist. She received a Masters of Science in PT from Sargent College of Allied Health Professions at Boston University. Katie has worked in acute care, outpatient therapy and early intervention. Katie has been certified in Neuro-Developmental Treatment and has been a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialists. She has taken many continuing education courses in the management of cerebral palsy, kinesiotaping, casting/splinting, orthotics and the importance of play in development. She continues to have very close relationships with doctors and orthotists from her many years practicing at Children’s National Hospital in DC. She has experience treating children with torticollis, plagiocephaly, developmental delay, genetic syndromes, cerebral palsy, orthopedic injuries/conditions and NICU graduates. In her free time, she enjoys visiting the Virginia shores of the Chesapeake Bay and sailing, boating and eating crabs!

Emily grew up in Weston, Connecticut. She earned her Master’s degree in Speech-
Language Pathology from George Washington University, and received her Bachelor’s degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences from the University of Maryland. Emily started graduate school virtually due to the pandemic, so she is experienced in providing therapy through virtual platforms as well as in-person! Emily is passionate about working with children of all ages, and her enthusiasm makes sessions fun and exciting for her clients. She believes that it’s important to capitalize on a child’s strengths, and that every child deserves to learn the foundational tools to
communicate! Her love for working with kids was enhanced when she worked as a
Teacher’s Aide at a preschool while pursuing her Bachelor’s degree. She gained clinical experience through her graduate externships, where she worked in a public school as well as at a school for individuals with developmental disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and Down’s syndrome. She especially loves providing therapy for clients with expressive / receptive language disorders, social communication disorders, and articulation disorders. In her free time, Emily enjoys traveling, cooking, and playing with her dogs.

Kendis has been practicing speech language pathology since 1995 when she earned her Master of Arts degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. She has extensive experience with articulation and language therapy with the preschool and school aged populations. Kendis has additional training in PROMPT (Propts for Restructuring Oral Motor Targets), Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program, and Therapeutic Strategies to, Help Children with Asperger Syndrome. Prior to returning to the States this summer, Kendis had been working in international schools where she gained experience working with diverse populations and teaming with physical and occupational therapists to provide maximum support to severely impaired clients. Kendis returned to Playworks after a 5 year tour overseas.  Her last three years were spent in New Zealand working for an innovative program that addressed the needs of high-risk preschoolers with speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, music therapy and early intervention teaching all under one roof.  This experience of co-treating across disciplines was an amazing learning opportunity and a valuable contribution to her twenty five years of experience in pediatric speech therapy.

Elizabeth is born and raised in Northern Virginia and currently resides in Arlington with her husband and their two children. She earned her Undergraduate Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Vermont and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Special Education from the University of Virginia. Her teaching career began in New York City at The Blue School, a progressive independent school, then as a Special Educator at the former Kingsbury School in Washington D.C., and most recently, a teacher at Burgundy Farm Country Day School. 
Elizabeth is passionate about supporting children as they develop confidence in themselves and their abilities in all areas of their lives. She believes that just as academic skills are explicitly taught, social skills should be as well. Through a strengths-based approach, Elizabeth will provide opportunities for children in a play-based setting to build authentic connections with others. She will guide them in developing strategies to confidently engage in play, develop their interpersonal skills and navigate challenging or frustrating situations in various settings. Elizabeth is also trained in the Orton-Gillingham Approach, a method that provides a direct and multi-sensory approach to teaching literacy when reading, writing and spelling.
Elizabeth enjoys exploring new places, being in nature with her family and spending time in New Hampshire every summer.

Gabrielle (Gabby) is a graduate of the Speech-Language Pathology program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also received her bachelor’s degree. She is originally from Long Island, New York but lived in Charlotte North Carolina for a long time. She has experience working with autistic children. Gabby is skilled at addressing speech / language needs, social and emotional development, and improved executive functioning. She has clinical experience working on articulation, pragmatics, receptive and expressive language, and fluency. She has worked in early intervention, schools, home health, as well as rehabilitation settings. She is experienced with both in-person therapy and telehealth. She also has experience with Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) which she incorporates into functional contexts within play and other forms of therapy. She believes therapy is not “one size fits all” and that each child is an individual with their own strengths, interests, and needs and highly values family integration in therapy.

Riah is a pediatric speech-language pathologist who loves helping individual clients find their own voices by looking at the whole picture for evaluation and treatment. She received her Bachelor of Arts in both Linguistics and Foreign Languages at Scripps College for Women in Claremont, CA, and her Masters of Science in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences from the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. Riah loves working with children and their families to tailor evidence-based treatment strategies to a child’s preferences and family needs to provide functional communication goals. She has more than six years of experience with Autism spectrum disorder, executive function disorders, motor speech disorders, AAC (augmentative and alternative communication), early intervention, and feeding and swallowing. Riah loves using play to connect with client’s and to build relationships for collaborative success. When she’s not in the clinic, Riah is usually found outside enjoying nature with her own family or reading books. She loves camping, hiking, and investigating new playgrounds, National Parks, and trails.

Alyssa “Aly” moved from Northern California to join our team. She received her clinical doctorate from Samuel Merritt University following her Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from CSU Monterey Bay. Aly’s first exposure to occupational therapy was from a camp designed to help kids with varying disorders discover newfound independence and expand their abilities as they learn to adapt to the wilderness. She gained clinical experience during her fieldwork in an outpatient clinic, most commonly treating feeding difficulties, sensory integration, and self-regulation. She believes interventions should be challenging, playful, and achievable to increase self-esteem and integration into the family’s routine. Aly is excited to live in the DC area and spend her spare time traveling, hiking, and eating crab.  

Ms. Kris is originally from Las Vegas, NV but moved to DC to earn her Master of Speech Language Pathology from Gallaudet University.  Kris has experience working with pediatric and adult populations in school, clinical, and hospital settings. She primarily has worked with children with a variety of disorders and needs (e.g., Down’s Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism) while utilizing an interdisciplinary support. She also has worked with the deaf and hard of hearing and children with feeding disorders. She most recently has developed a speciality in working with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) to support children with moderate to severe language-based learning disorders. Kris is certified in the SOS feeding approach.  She enjoys spending time with friends and family while playing games, hiking, and reading.

Tiffany is a native of New Jersey. She received a bachelor's degree from New York University in Speech Language Pathology and graduated with honors with a master's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Kean University.  She is trained in the PROMPT treatment method for those with motor speech disorders like apraxia or dysarthria, as well as certified in Hanen More Than Words which focuses on helping caregivers build functional communication skills with children diagnosed with Autism. Throughout her career, she has gained experience in a variety of settings with populations spanning from infant to adult. Most recently, she has provided services to children severely impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder and utilized an interdisciplinary approach to best serve this population. She has presented on Engagement Through Play at the SHAV (Speech and Hearing Association of Virginia) Convention.  Her areas of interest include language-based learning disabilities, speech sound disorders, and facilitating social-pragmatic development, most specifically with pediatric populations. She practices based on the quote by Lev Vygotsky, " A child's greatest achievements are possible in play." 

Originally from DC, Kristen lived in New Orleans for more than a decade and recently returned to the DMV with her family. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University and her Master of Communication Disorders in Speech-Language Pathology from LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans. Kristen has experience with both pediatric and adult populations in the school, clinical, and hospital settings. She has worked extensively with children in the areas of articulation, phonology, fluency, and receptive/expressive language disorders. Kristen is dedicated to staying up-to-date on current research and earned an ASHA Award for Continuing Education (ACE) in 2021. She thrives on building relationships with children and their families to provide individualized, play-based interventions. In her free time, Kristen enjoys reading, traveling, and playing with her three young children.

Tyler is originally from Sparta, New Jersey. He received his Bachelor’s in Health Sciences and his Master’s in Occupational Therapy both from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. For the past two years, Tyler has worked as a pediatric occupational therapist in Fairfield Connecticut. Tyler has developed a passion and enthusiasm for working with children of all ages and is always excited for any challenge presented to him. Tyler’s practice is focused on an evidence based approach while incorporating an individualized plan of care, all while having fun! He has experience in working with children on the spectrum, cerebral palsy, sensory processing disorder, as well as many others. In his free time, Tyler loves to go for runs, play golf, and try new foods. He’s excited to continue to learn and grow as a therapist and is looking forward to his time at Playworks.