Our Montreal team offers services via tele-practice across Quebec and in-person at our clinic in Verdun.
Tamara Paull, M.Sc., Speech-Language Pathologist, Founder and Director
Tamara is a licensed speech-language pathologist and the founder of SpeakAble! She is registered with l’Ordre des Orthophonistes et Audiologistes du Québec (OOAQ) and also with the College of Audiologists and Speech and Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO). She received her Bachelor of Arts in linguistics from Concordia and completed her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of British Columbia in 2012. Prior to becoming a speech therapist, Tamara worked as a behaviour interventionist and as a classroom aid for children with various cognitive and developmental delays. She has supported children with special needs and their families since 2006.
Léa Rafih, M.P.O., Speech-Language Pathologist
Léa is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with l’Ordre des Orthophonistes et Audiologistes du Québec (OOAQ). She graduated with a Bachelor of Science and a Professional Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology from University of Montreal. She works primarily with preschoolers and school-aged children in the areas of articulation and phonology, motor speech, receptive and expressive language, social skills and written language (dyslexia). Léa is passionate and devoted to the children and families she works with!
Wendy (Yun) Chen, M.Sc., Speech-Language Pathologist
Wendy received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from McGill University and completed her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at Dalhousie University. She offers services in both English and Mandarin, and is a member of l’Ordre des Orthophonistes et Audiologistes du Quebec (OOAQ). She has experience working with children with autism spectrum disorder and has ABA training from Montreal’s Gold Learning Centre. Wendy enjoys working with pre-school and school-aged children, as well as adult clients. Her experiences include working with culturally and linguistically diverse clientele. Wendy has a passion for working with people with cognitive and language-based difficulties such as language and literacy disorders (e.g. dyslexia), social communication, and using augmentative and alternative communication systems!
Valerie Kara, M.Sc., Speech-Language Pathologist
From a young age, Valerie dreamed of working in an office full of toys. She is now a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with the Ordre des Orthophonistes du Québec (OOAQ) and a member of Speech-Language Audiology Canada (SAC). She completed her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the University of British Columbia in 2014 and has since been focusing on paediatric therapy. She specializes in early language intervention, speech sound development and literacy, and is passionate about language and kids in general. She enjoys working alongside families towards their goals and celebrating successes big and small, and strives to tailor therapy to the individual needs of the client while making it fun at the same time. Valerie is a strong believer in learning through play and in applying research to her daily practice.
Amanda Pedriks, M.Sc., Speech-Language Pathologist
Amanda is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with l’ordre des orthophonistes et audiologistes du Quebec (OOAQ). She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Concordia University and with a Master of Applied Science in Speech-Language Pathology from McGill University. Amanda has a background in child development research, assessing and following developmental trajectories of clinical populations across the first years of life. She provides treatment to pediatric clients with a variety of speech and language needs, including articulation, phonological disorders, apraxia, and expressive/receptive language disorders. Amanda is passionate about helping children and their families, and is dedicated to providing the highest standard of treatment to her clients.
Rachael Smith, M.Sc.A. SLP
Rachael is a Speech-Language Pathologist who is a member of the Ordre des Orthophonistes et Audiologistes du Québec (OOAQ) and of Speech-Language and Audiology Canada (SAC). She has undergraduate degrees in Arts and Science from the University of New Brunswick, and moved to Montreal in 2012 to obtain her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from McGill University. Rachael has worked with clients ages 2-21 in the areas of articulation, motor speech, receptive and expressive language, social communication, and augmentative and alternative communication. Much of her experience has been in working with children with ASD and developmental disabilities. Outside of work, Rachael enjoys travelling and spending time with her family. Paraskevi
Paraskevi (Paris) Ginakes, M.Sc.A, Speech-Language Pathologist
Paris is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with the Ordre des Orthophonistes et Audiologistes du Québec (OOAQ). She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Advanced, from the University of Manitoba and a Master of Science, Applied, in speech-language pathology from McGill University. Paris works with a diverse clientele ranging from toddlers to older adults. Her areas of clinical expertise include early intervention for toddlers and preschoolers; language difficulties (expression, comprehension, grammar, social communication skills, and more); literacy (reading, writing, and spelling); oro-myofunctional disorders; articulation difficulties; and aphasia. Paris also has extensive experience with communication difficulties related to neuro-developmental conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention DeficitDisorder (with or without Hyperactivity), and Intellectual Disability. In all instances, Paris strives to form a meaningful and supportive connection with her clients to help them reach their unique communicative potential. She believes in fostering self- advocacy, autonomy, and joy in her practice.
Flora Marciano, MA., CCC-SLP
Flora is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with l’ordre des orthophonistes et audiologistes du Quebec (OOAQ) and is a certified member of the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy and Cell Biology from McGill University and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from University of Montreal. She received her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh in 2016 and has been focusing on paediatric intervention. Flora’s areas of expertise include receptive and expressive language delays, articulation disorders, and phonological disorders. She also has experience working with children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, helping them develop appropriate pragmatic language skills while supporting their emotional and cognitive needs. Flora is committed to finding innovative, client-centered solutions using evidence-based therapy, to assist in developing successful communication strategies.
Fayth Star, M.Sc., Speech-Language Pathologist
Fayth is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist with l’Ordre des orthophonistes et audiologistes du Québec (OOAQ) and a member of Speech-Language Audiology Canada (SAC). She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology with a concentration in Psychology from Carleton University and a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Alberta. Fayth has experience working with children of various ages, ranging from preschool to adolescence. She has expertise in several areas, including receptive and expressive language, childhood apraxia of speech, articulation, and phonological disorders. She also received specialized training in fluency disorders (stuttering). Fayth is passionate about helping others reach their communication goals and achieve their full potential. In her free time, she enjoys reading, skiing, biking and spending time with friends and family.
Catherine Dam, M.Sc. SLP
Catherine is a speech-language pathologist registered with the Ordre des Orthophonistes du Québec (OOAQ). She is passionate about working with both children and adults. She received her Honours Bachelors of Health Sciences degree at the University of Ottawa and her Master’s of Applied Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from McGill University. She focuses primarily on expressive and receptive language difficulties, speech sound disorders (articulation, phonology), literacy, voice disorders, aphasia, dysarthria, and neurodegenerative disorders.
Rania Maamir, Msc. Orthophoniste
Rania est une orthophoniste agréée par l’Ordre des orthophonistes et audiologistes du Québec (OOAQ). Elle est titulaire d’un baccalauréat en psychologie et d’une mineure en linguistique de l’université d’Ottawa. Elle a également obtenu sa maîtrise en orthophonie à l’université d’Ottawa. Elle se concentre sur l’intervention pédiatrique. Son expérience est variée et mise sur les troubles développementaux du langage, les troubles d’accès lexical et les troubles d’articulation. Rania est trilingue et demeure sensible aux diverses cultures de sa clientèle. Ses approches d’interventions sont centrées sur le client et sur les besoins favorisant la communication.
Cassie Didical, Language Stimulation Assistant
Cassie is passionate about supporting children’s growth and development! Her background as an integration aide and behavioural therapist has equipped her with hands-on strategies to help children with cognitive and developmental delays thrive. She believes in using play as a way to connect with children, fostering an environment where they feel safe and motivated to learn. Her work in psycholinguistic research also complements her practical experience, giving her insights into how language and cognitive processes function, which she brings into her work to help children and families achieve meaningful progress.
Natalia Solari, Language Stimulation Assistant
Natalia is from Lima, Peru, where she obtained a degree in Speech Language Pathology. She has a diploma in Early Childhood Education from Montreal, QC. Since 2017, Natalia has been working with individuals who face speech, communication and cognitive difficulties. She is passionate about creating individualized experiences for her clients that help promote learning, improve communication and form the basis for a holistic and healthy development. Natalia has experience with articulation, expressive and receptive language and social skills. She believes that the best way to connect with a child is through play and exploration and always tries to adapt her environment with that in mind. Natalia practices in Spanish and English.
Melissa Veerasammy, Art Therapist and Counsellor
Navigating life’s challenges can feel overwhelming, and asking for help is a brave first step. Melissa can offer a caring, creative, and supportive space for children and their families. As an art therapist and counselor, she approaches each session with understanding and compassion, recognizing how the world around us shapes our experiences. Melissa uses gentle, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive methods to help children explore their emotions, build coping skills, and see challenges from new perspectives. Sessions can include art-making, play, or conversation—no prior experience with art is needed. Melissa’s background includes supporting kids with ADHD, anxiety, grief, big life changes, and more. Every child is unique, and she tailors her approach to their needs, helping them feel safe, heard, and empowered.
Rachel Curran, Clinic Manager & Intake Coordinator
Rachel is SpeakAble’s Clinic Manager & Intake Coordinator. She is the friendly voice who will help answer all your questions and inquiries about services as you embark on your child’s communication journey. Rachel’s strong organizational skills, empathy and welcoming demeanour help allow our practice to run smoothy and efficiently with day to day tasks. Rachel has worked with children and their families for over 15 years, including children with Autism Spectrum Disorder as an Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) therapist. Her commitment to the overall development of each child’s emotional, physical and social well being is her absolute passion.