About Speech Language Play NYC

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We are speech-language pathologists, but we also have knowledge of many other areas of child development from our work experience, training, and ongoing learning experiences. We are dedicated to treating the whole child. Our speech therapy sessions are guided by our speech, language, and social goals, while also incorporating the motor, sensory, social, and emotional needs of our clients. We regularly consult with other related service providers to ensure we are able to meet our client’s needs in the most holistic way possible.

Our Team

Our speech therapists are licensed in New York, Colorado, and Texas and trained to provide evidence and play-based therapy sessions. If you are interested in working with a particular therapist, reach out and let us know!

Meghan O'Grady

Speech Therapist

Abby Long

Speech Therapist

Andrea Vargas

Speech Therapist

Marybeth Toerpe

Speech Therapist

Mary Charlotte Poe

Speech Therapist

Melissa Hankash

Speech Therapist

More about Our Team

Meghan O'Grady

Speech Therapist

Please note: Meghan is currently on maternity leave

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Muhlenberg College
Master of Education - Wilmington University
Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology - CUNY- Hunter College

Licenses and Experience

NY State licensed speech therapist
CO State licensed speech therapist
Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA)
Former Clinical Supervisor, Hunter College Communication Sciences and Disorders
Former speech therapist at The Quad Preparatory School
Former early childhood educator
Teach for America alumna

Trainings

Meaningful Speech Trained Clinician- Gestalt Language Processors
Dynamic Tactile and Temporal Cueing (DTTC) trained
PROMPT trained
Social Thinking trained therapist

Area of Experience and Expertise

Gestalt Language Processors
Late talkers
Early language development
Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Articulation, Speech Sound Disorders, Phonological Patterns
Play development and social groups
Expressive and Receptive language development

More about Meghan

Meghan founded Speech Language Play NYC out of a passion for supporting children and their families in better understanding their child’s speech and language needs. After working as a Pre-Kindergarten teacher in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Meghan was intrigued by the role of language and speech in social dynamics and behavior. Through her experience in the classroom, Meghan grew to see the importance of providing every child with what they individually need to succeed and reach their potential. For many of her students, speech and language supports were the key to their success in the classroom. After finishing graduate school for speech-language pathology, Meghan worked in the Financial District at The Quad Preparatory School, a program for twice exceptional students. At Quad Prep, Meghan learned what it truly meant to support the whole child, collaborating on a regular basis with mental health professionals, occupational therapists, music therapists, teachers, and medical doctors. She learned that a child’s speech and language challenges are best met when their other needs are also being supported. Meghan has the experience and expertise to recognize when a child may benefit from other services and/or support and will provide this guidance to families as needed, as well as incorporate elements of other supports into her sessions. Meghan is a nationally certified speech-language pathologist and former early childhood teacher. She works with toddlers and school-aged children to provide evidence-based intervention to meet each child's goals. Meghan is trained in a number of specialized treatment methods, including PROMPT, Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC), Meaningful Speech- Natural Language Acquisition Trained, and Social Thinking. Meghan's approach to working with clients is building strong rapport from the onset, communicating with the client and caregiver about progress, working from a strengths-based approach, and incorporating play into all sessions.

Abby Long

Speech Therapist

Education

Bachelor of Science in Communicative Disorders- SUNY Geneseo
Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology- SUNY Buffalo

Licenses and Experience

NY State Licensed speech therapist
Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA)
Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD)

Area of Experience and Expertise

Articulation and Phonological Patterns
Expressive/Receptive Language
Apraxia
Fluency
Literacy - Orton Gillingham trained
Phonological Awareness
Social Pragmatics
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Gestalt Language Processors

More about Abby

Abby has a special interest in these preschool speech and language disorders as well as Gestalt Language Processors.

Abby is a neurodiversity affirming therapist with a strength-based, child-centered focus. She believes strongly in utilizing clients’ interests when planning her therapy, and often employs a play-based approach in her therapy sessions to combine evidence-based approaches with real-life strategies to help children reach their individualized goals (and have fun!). She is passionate about creating open communication in order to better connect and collaborate with families, caregivers, teachers, and other service providers because success goes far beyond the therapy session.

In her free time, Abby creates research based hands-on materials for other speech therapists to use in their sessions in order to help empower busy SLPs around the globe. She also enjoys exploring coffee shops in Brooklyn with her husband and French Bulldog and always has a new book to read or recommend!

Andrea Vargas

Speech Therapist

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders-Louisiana State University
Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology -University of Texas at Dallas

Licenses and Experience

NY State Licensed speech therapist
TX State Licensed speech therapist
CO State Licensed speech therapist
Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by The American Speech-Language Hearing Association ( ASHA)
Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD)

Area of Experience and Expertise

Articulation and phonological patterns
Expressive/Receptive Language
Pragmatic Language

More about Andrea

Andrea brings an impressive depth of knowledge in language and articulation therapy, with a specialty in correcting the /r/ sounds using evidence-based specialized resources. Her creative approach, often incorporating literacy-based therapy and carefully selected books, engages her students while fostering measurable progress. Andrea believes that connection is the foundation of progress. She is committed to building trust and rapport with her clients and families to establish an environment where all feel safe, comfortable, respected, and free to have fun.

In her spare time, Andrea enjoys walking in Central Park with her husband and dog. She loves venturing to bakeries and coffee shops and is on a mission to try the best pastries in New York City.

Mary Charlotte Poe

Speech Therapist

Education

Bachelor of Science in Special Education - University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Master of Science in Speech- Language Pathology - Samford University

Licenses

NY State Licensed speech therapist
Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by The American Speech-Language Hearing Association ( ASHA)
New York State Department of Education, Certificate for Teaching Students with Speech-Language Disabilities (TSSLD)

Expertise

Articulation
Phonological Awareness
Expressive/Receptive Language
Early Literacy
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Social Pragmatics

More about Mary Charlotte

Mary is a speech-language pathologist who works with school-age children on early literacy, articulation, and language delays. Her sessions blend creativity and structure, but are always child-led - whether that means practicing sounds through a game or diving into a favorite book. She wants each child to leave feeling comfortable, confident, and eager to learn.

She believes therapy should feel fun while helping kids grow as communicators. Her approach is family-centered and focused on celebrating the small wins.

Outside of work, she spends time with her husband, their 6-month-old son, and their golden retriever, Bogey. She enjoys running, Pilates, and exploring the neighborhood - especially walks along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.

Marybeth Toerpe

Speech Therapist

Education

● Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Hearing Science- The Ohio State University ● Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology- Ohio University

Licenses and Experience

● NY State Licensed speech therapist

● CO State Licensed speech therapist

● Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA)

Area of Experience and Expertise

● Early language development

● Articulation, speech sound disorders, and phonological patterns

● Expressive language and receptive language development

● Social Pragmatics

● Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

More about Marybeth

Marybeth is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with over 12 years of experience working in public school settings. Her background also includes work in Early Intervention, where she supported the youngest learners in building foundational communication skills, and valuable service on a Child Find team, helping children and families navigate the transition from early intervention to school-based services.

Marybeth’s approach is neurodiversity-affirming, child-led, and rooted in each child’s interests. She is passionate about helping children become confident, functional communicators and believes in nurturing the whole child—not just their speech and language skills. By creating an engaging, supportive environment, she ensures that therapy sessions are both effective and fun!

A strong believer in open and honest communication, Marybeth prioritizes collaboration with families and other professionals. She knows that teamwork is essential to fostering a child’s growth and celebrates progress alongside the entire support network.

When she’s not working, Marybeth enjoys walking and exploring Prospect Park with her partner and dog, going for a good run, practicing Pilates, and tending to her growing collection of plants.

Melissa Hankash

Speech Therapist

Education

Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communicative Sciences and Disorders- New York University.

Licenses and Experience

NY State licensed speech therapist
NJ State licensed speech therapist
Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by The American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA)
Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities
PROMPT (Level 1 Training)

Area of Experience and Expertise

Early childhood speech and language
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
Gestalt Language Processors
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Early Language Development
Pediatric Articulation/Phonological Disorder
Pediatric Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder

More about Melissa

Melissa is a licensed speech-language pathologist with a strong interest in Gestalt Language Processors, early language development, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), articulation/phonological disorders, and developmental delays. She is a neuro-affirming clinician who believes in meeting each child where they are and celebrating all forms of communication. She has worked across a range of pediatric environments, including in-home services, clinics, preschool programs, and private

specialized schools.

Melissa takes pride in using a whole-child approach to therapy, considering each child’s unique strengths, needs, and differences to support meaningful progress toward their goals. She’s passionate about building strong partnerships with families, teachers, and other interdisciplinary team members to help carry over speech and language goals into all areas of a child’s day. Collaboration and consistency are at the heart of her work.

Outside of work, Melissa enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing in her cornhole league, and trying new workout classes!

We are Neurodiversity Affirming

Neurodiversity is a term used as a way of describing the differing ways in which everyone’s brain develops and how this can impact the way a person behaves, sees the world, thinks and feels.

At Speech Language Play NYC we value and celebrate all the ways our client’s brains develop and the beauty of their individual thinking, feeling, and ways of being. While we celebrate neurodiversity, we also understand that the different ways brains develop and work can lead to challenges in a world that is not always set up to support neurodiversity. We recognize challenges in varying aspects of life may occur and we are committed to supporting our clients and their families in the way in which they hope to receive support. Our goal is never to change a person, encourage them to mask or conform to the ways of other people, but rather to support our neurodiverse clients and their families by affirming their identity.

Services in your home, in our offices, or at your child's school

We provide home and school-based services, as well as sessions in our office space in Brooklyn Heights or at a sensory gym, PlayWell, in Gowanus. We are currently able to see Brooklyn-based families in their homes or school in the following neighborhoods: DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Columbia St. Waterfront, Gowanus, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, and Clinton Hill. We are available to see Manhattan-based families in South Street Seaport, the Financial District and Battery Park City.