Testimonials
Gabby V
I highly recommend Johanna. She started working with my daughter when she was 19 months old who had few words and was clearly frustrated with her lack of ability to communicate. At that age, she still had a lot of separation anxiety and fear of strangers. Johanna is patient, fun and amazing with kids - she really takes the time to understand their individual personality, their strengths and what makes them nervous. My daughter was immediately comfortable with her and we saw significant progress in a matter of weeks. Johanna gave us things to work on and explained the science and philosophy behind her approach so we really understood the what and why. My daughter is thriving, confident and talking in sentences and we are so grateful to know Johanna. We recommend her to everyone! -
Mireille G, NYS Licensed Psychologist
Johanna is one of the most gifted speech-language pathologists I have encountered in my nearly 10 years of experience as a school psychologist. Johanna embodies several traits that consistently distinguish her from other clinicians. She is professional and eloquent in her communication of complicated and sensitive information to parents and colleagues alike. Johanna takes time to develop a strong rapport with the students she serves as well as their families. In doing so, it’s common they seek her out long after graduation.
Johanna is also a lifelong learner who takes inspiration in her continuing education and professional development from the students she supports. For example, after an influx of students with phonological awareness deficits, Johanna attended a week-long Orton Gillingham training and not only put her new skills into practice right away, but eagerly shared her knowledge and resources with colleagues. For any position that requires working with an interdisciplinary team to support a child’s success, communication and collaboration is key. Johanna not only collaborated with other clinically-based team members, but also teachers, who so often find themselves disconnected from clinicians in a large school. Johanna spearheaded a push-in therapy model across classrooms, as well as an annual transition event for ICT students and their families. When COVID upturned life as we knew it, Johanna pivoted with ease and grace. She was the first to purchase tools like a green screen and microphone to improve remote therapy sessions. Thanks to her foresight and expertise, many of her colleagues followed suit and countless children benefited in ways we can only measure by their smiles, engagement, and growth.
To this end, Johanna is a true innovator in the field of speech/language therapy and will be an incredible asset to any team that is lucky enough to have her.
Sarah D
My daughter has articulation issues in large part due to low muscle tone. We never expected a DOE provided speech therapist to actually address those core issues. Johanna jumped in from day one. Not only was she warm, caring and engaging, immediately earning Leah’s trust (and our whole family’s trust) but she was so much more. Johanna worked on speech sounds but she really got to the route of the problem.
Johanna used talk tools to help Leah strengthen her breath support and related muscles. Leah had no idea how hard she was working - she thought the horns and different straws and exercises Johanna would do with her each week were just fun. After each session,
Leah would tell us everything she practiced and everything she did. She looked forward to seeing Johanna. We looked forward to it too - Leah’s speech seemed to improve consistently with each session. The difference Johanna made in Leah’s life in the 1 year they were together is remarkable. Leah’s speech improved tremendously and her self-confidence never faltered. Leah sees Ms. Johanna as her friend and talks about her all the time.
In addition to everything Johanna did for Leah, she did so much for us as a family. Because school was part virtual last year, we were able to observe some of her speech sessions. We learned each time. Johanna taught us how to practice the different sounds with Leah. She taught me how to use the talk tools to help Leah. She was always patient with us, very clear with her direction and always available to help if I had a question. As a family we know how lucky we were to have Johanna in our lives. Needless to say, we were devastated when we learned that Johanna would not be back to work with my daughter this year, and I mean devastated. While Leah’s new speech therapist is great, she is not Johanna and there likely will never be another Johanna for us. Johanna is one of a kind and any family, any student, and any school who gets to work with Johanna will be beyond lucky. We cannot speak more highly of her and there is no
one else who we would recommend more highly than Johanna.
Jessica V. SLP, owner of Speak to Connect PLLC
I've had the privilege of collaborating with Johanna on numerous cases over the years, and she's the kind of colleague every clinician hopes to be paired with. What stands out most is how she translates thorough, evidence-based assessment into plans that are actually usable, by families, by other providers, and by the kids themselves. She listens before she diagnoses, asks the right questions when something doesn't quite fit the picture, and isn't afraid to advocate firmly for a child when it matters.
I've also seen this firsthand as a parent, not just a colleague. When my son started his feeding journey, I consulted with her regarding my concerns, and her guidance turned what had felt like an overwhelming, stressful process into something manageable, with practical strategies that actually fit into our daily routine. That same combination of expertise and reassurance is what she brings to every family she works with.
Beyond the clinical skill, she's just a genuinely generous colleague. She'll talk through a tricky case even when her own caseload is full, share resources without being asked twice, and bring a steadiness to collaborative meetings that makes the whole team better. Any SLP, family, or interdisciplinary team working alongside her is fortunate to have her in their corner.