Meet the Team:
Rebecca McDaniels MS, CCC-SLP, TSSLD
Rebecca McDaniels is the founder and a co-director of bklyn speech. She is a neurodiversity-affirming therapist who believes that above all else, therapy should be child-centered and individualized to meet the needs of every child and family. She aims to create a comfortable, compassionate and therapeutic atmosphere for children and families where everyone plays a unique role on the child’s team. Rebecca strives to make sessions fun, engaging and functional so that children develop their speech and language skills as quickly and naturally as possible while doing what they do best, PLAY.
Rebecca works with a wide range of populations however she specializes in the treatment of complex speech disorders such as childhood apraxia of speech, dysarthria, cleft palate, velopharyngeal insufficiency and other severe articulation/ phonological disorders. Rebecca is recognized by “Apraxia Kids” (CASANA) as a specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood apraxia of speech (CAS). She is highly trained in a variety of techniques such as PROMPT, Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC), Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment (ReST) and Ayres Sensory Integration.
Rebecca is ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) Certified and holds a TSSLD (Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities) certification. She has served as an adjunct instructor with TC, Columbia University’s graduate school program and has also provided therapy abroad as a clinical supervisor with the same program. Rebecca received her Bachelor of Science degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences with minors in Special Education and Human Development from the University of Maryland. She received her Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from TC, Columbia University.
Lauren Alpert MS, CCC-SLP, TSSLD
Lauren is the co-director of bklyn speech. She brings experience in early intervention and feeding therapy to her practice, specializing in working with the parent-child dyad to support communication development and sensory-motor feeding skills in young children.
Lauren's in-depth training in reflective work with infants, toddlers, and their families profoundly shapes her approach to therapy. Lauren values partnering with families to foster an environment of open communication, thoughtful reflection, and shared learning. Lauren prioritizes relationship building and play-based learning in her sessions.
To support her work with children and families, Lauren is trained in the Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding, the Solid Starts curriculum, PROMPT, and principles of sensory integration.
Lauren is a New York State licensed and ASHA certified speech-language pathologist. She received her bachelor’s degree in Child Development and Community Health from Tufts University. She earned her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Teachers College, Columbia University.
Rachel Oakford MS, CCC-SLP
Rachel is a New York State licensed and ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Linguistics and Linguistic Anthropology from the University of Michigan (go blue!) and her Masters degree in Communication Disorders from Emerson College in Boston. She has experience working with individuals across the lifespan in private practice, public and specialized schools, and outpatient rehabilitation.
Rachel is passionate about working with the pediatric population and is particularly interested in autism spectrum disorder and gestalt language processing, motor-speech disorders, augmented and alternative communication, and early speech and language delays. She practices a neurodiversity-affirming, play-based approach to therapy to allow children to learn skills in the most meaningful, fun way possible!
Rachel is trained in PROMPT, Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing, the Kaufman SLP approach, and Oral Placement Therapy. She is recognized as a Natural Language Acquisition practitioner for gestalt language processing, and is a recommended provider on Apraxia Kids.
Lauren Sher MS, CCC-SLP, TSSLD
Lauren is a bilingual (Spanish) New York State licensed and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certified speech-language pathologist. Lauren received her bachelor’s degree from New York University with a dual concentration in Linguistics and Spanish as well as her master's of science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Long Island University.
Lauren has worked predominantly as a school and clinic-based pediatric clinician providing therapeutic interventions to individuals with diagnoses including autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, executive dysfunction, specific language impairment, developmental delays, articulation/phonological disorders, and motor speech disorders.
Lauren is a passionate disability rights advocate and activist who channels that zeal into her sessions with techniques that embrace and affirm her neurodivergent clients. She dedicates herself to creating a supportive, non-judgmental therapeutic space. Lauren is a fierce supporter of dual language acquisition. She works to cultivate an environment that promotes consistent, meaningful progress across languages for her clients.
Chelsea Wertheim MS, CCC-SLP, TSSLD
Chelsea, of “Speech with Chelsea”, is a New York State licensed Speech Language Pathologist and holds her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). She is certified as a Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD). Chelsea earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. She is trained in PROMPT therapy, Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding, Ayres Sensory Integration and the Social Thinking Curriculum.
Chelsea is a passionate and dedicated neurodiversity-affirming therapist who has sought out a wide variety of experiences with children of all ages and abilities. She has provided individual and group therapy to clients with a range of diagnoses including autism spectrum disorders, developmental delays, articulation/phonological disorders, motor speech disorders, executive functioning/ attention difficulties, and genetic syndromes. By incorporating each child’s unique interests, Chelsea motivates her clients to achieve speech, language and feeding goals in a fun and natural environment.
Chelsea is an advocate for the clients and families that she works with, and works diligently to ensure that her clients are given every opportunity to achieve their potential.
Kacey Yahnke MS, CCC-SLP, TSSLD
Kacey is a New York State licensed Speech Language Pathologist and holds her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). She is certified as a Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disability (TSSLD). Kacey earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and her master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Kacey has worked with infants, toddlers, school-aged children, and adolescents. She has experience working with children across a variety of settings, including clinic, home, and school-based settings. Kacey has a passion for working with kids with complex communication needs using neurodiversity-affirming practices. Having completed the Meaningful Speech ™ course, Kacey is trained in the Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) framework and gestalt language processing. Kacey’s goal is to enable all of her students to realize their potential!