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Lori-Ann Ferraro, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Lori-Ann Ferraro, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Dr. Lori-Ann Ferraro is an ASHA-certified Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) whose entrance into the world of speech-language pathology did not follow the traditional path. Her first child was born with congenital anomalies, and along the way, on her son’s medical journey, she experienced, first-hand, the amazing fields of speech-language pathology and audiology and will forever be grateful to the clinicians who gave her son the gift of communication.
Several years and two daughters later, she decided to go to school to further her education with the goal to support her family while giving back to a field that she loved, speech-language pathology.
In her first professional role, she practiced in the public school system and acted as the Local Assistive Technology Specialist. She then transitioned to UF Health Rehabilitation Center for Kids, a hospital-based outpatient rehabilitation facility affiliated with UF, where she worked for many years, primarily with children with significant medical complexities and high-intensity needs.
She is an advocate for families and clinicians in South Carolina and serves as the SC State Advocate for Reimbursement (STAR) for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
She has taken the skills she has learned in these settings and transferred them to a home health environment where she currently provides family centered care. She is passionate about empowering caregivers as they support their children achieve their goals. Her baby boy, who inspired her career, is in his early thirties now.
Dr. Ferraro recognizes and appreciates the privilege of her role as a speech-language pathologist. It is more than her career; it is her passion. The only roles she enjoys more are being a mother to her three amazing children and being a “Nonna” to her three grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, improvisational comedy, the beach, and everything Disney.
Her areas of clinical specialty are oral and written language disorders including dyslexia, early intervention, craniofacial disorders, speech sound disorders, autism, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
Sarah Davis, M.A., CCC-SLP
Sarah Davis, M.A., CCC-SLP
Sarah Davis is an ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist and Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist. Her exposure to the field began during a gap year of her education. She was unsure of what career she wanted to explore and took time volunteering under Dr. Lori-Ann Ferraro. With her guidance, Sarah made the decision to begin her undergraduate studies at the University of Florida. From there, she was accepted into the University of Florida’s Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate program. Sarah maintained equilibrium of her pediatric and adult clinical skills throughout the program and graduated in 2019.
Following graduation, Sarah began her career as a Speech-Language Pathologist with a focus in cognition and swallowing disorders with adult patients in Ocala, FL. During the Covid pandemic, Sarah discovered she wanted to switch back to pediatrics and moved to Northern Virginia in 2020. There she served as the Director of Speech-Langauge Pathology for a small and growing private practice serving clients with complex medical and communication needs. During her time there, Sarah found a passion working with autistic children, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and training future clinicians. Over the short time she has been a clinician, she has trained students, assistants, and clinical fellows.
In 2023, Sarah decided to expand on her education and obtain her Clinical Doctorate of Speech-Language Pathology. She has focused her research on autistic language development and the use of music to promote verbal language skills. She is expected to graduate December 2025.
Her areas of clinical specialty are early intervention, early language development, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), gestalt language processing, autistic language development, and speech sound disorders.
Alena Joyce, M.S., CF-SLP
Alena Joyce, M.S., CF-SLP
Alena is a bubbly and energetic speech therapist who recently graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina with her masters of science in speech language pathology (SLP). During her time at MUSC, Alena was honored as an inductee into the Alpha Eta Society, a national honor society for allied health professions. Her selection was primarily due to her participation in volunteer services, mentorship, and participation in research projects.
Alena has a special place in her heart for working with kids because before starting her career as an SLP, she was a preschool teacher! In that role, she had her first exposure to a child functionally using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in a classroom. Since then, she has been passionate about student’s participating in a classroom, no matter how they communicate.
Having a background working with children’s families, Alena has a distinct interest in family-centered care. This includes creating shared goals that prioritize your child and their needs. She enjoys making therapy fun for everyone involved, which includes lots of games, talking, and movement! Together with your family, Alena will help your child to build on their strengths and meet their goals!
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