At TLC, we believe that building strong relationships is the key to success. Our team is here to support your child every step of the way, celebrating their achievements and guiding them through any obstacles they may encounter.
Jackie and Risa have personally touched the lives of countless children and adults throughout their careers. With their extensive knowledge and expertise, they have created a nurturing environment where each child receives the highest level of personalized care. Our team of extensively trained professionals brings many decades of combined experience and innovative techniques to our practice. Each member of the TLC team is carefully selected for their expertise, professionalism, and dedication to providing top-notch services. We invite you to get better acquainted with our team by reviewing our profiles below.
Jacqueline Klein, co-founder and director of Tools for Language and Communication, is certified by the American Speech and Hearing Association and licensed in the state of New York. She has been practicing speech/language pathology for over 30 years, in various school, clinical, and hospital settings. She received a Master of Science degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Columbia University. Previous to this, Ms. Klein received a Master of Arts degree in Special Education from Columbia University and worked as a special educator and learning specialist in New York City private schools.
As an expert in identifying and treating dyslexia, she provides high quality implementation of Orton Gillingham methodology and instruction. In addition to reading disorders, Ms.Klein specializes in language delays and disorders, auditory processing disorders, comprehensive speech and language evaluations, and educational planning and advocacy. She also treats children and adults with articulation disorders, pragmatic language disorders, autism, and apraxia.
She is trained in oral motor therapies, PROMPT technique, Lindamood-Bell Visualizing and Verbalizing , The Writing Revolution, and Orton Gillingham reading methodology. Ms. Klein is uniquely qualified to evaluate and treat children with broad-based speech, language, and written language difficulties with enthusiasm, expertise, and understanding. Over the course of her career, Ms. Klein has attended hundreds of CSE meetings, spoken to parent groups, been a guest speaker at New York Medical College, and delivered in-service presentations to teachers, speech pathologists, and other professionals in the Westchester area.
Risa Kirsh, co-founder and director of Tools for Language and Communication, brings more than 35 years of experience in speech-language pathology to the New York metropolitan area. She holds certifications from the American Speech and Hearing Association and is licensed in both New York and New Jersey.
Before relocating to Westchester County, Risa led the speech team at Lenox Hill Hospital while expanding her thriving private practice on the Upper East Side of New York City. Additionally, she served as senior speech pathologist both at North Shore University Hospital and Beth Israel Hospital.
Risa earned her master’s degree from the University of Michigan, where she developed a passion for pediatric language and aphasia/apraxia. After moving to Westchester with her family, she joined the Sara Johnson clinic and received comprehensive training in motor speech and feeding disorders.
In her practice, Risa specializes in treating children and adults with motor, speech and articulation disorders. She also has expertise in language disorders, with a focus on Lindamood Bell Visualizing and Verbalizing, The Writing Revolution, auditory processing disorders, and pragmatic language. Risa enjoys sharing her knowledge and expertise with educators, families, fellow speech pathologists, and healthcare professionals in the community. Risa is also PROMPT trained, with extensive experience in orofacial myofunctional therapy.
Risa approaches each client with compassion, care, and dedication, recognizing that effective communication is the cornerstone of future success.
With over two decades of experience at TLC, Robyn Weindel is a seasoned speech-language pathologist. She holds a BS in Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities and an MS in Speech-Language Pathology, both from Ithaca College. Robyn’s impressive career spans institutions like St. Agnes Children’s Rehabilitation Center and Blythedale Children’s Hospital, where she honed her skills in various therapeutic techniques.
Robyn has extensive training in the treatment of childhood apraxia of speech, participating in continuing education courses, the Apraxia Kids National Convention, and consulting with top experts in the field.
Additional training includes PROMPT, Sounds In Motion, The Affect-Based Language Curriculum, Cycles for Phonology, Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing, and Social Thinking.
Robyn brings her impressive knowledge and warm, playful style to her sessions with our youngest clients.
With over three decades of experience, Joyce is a distinguished professional in the field of speech and language pathology. Her journey began with a B.S. in Speech Pathology from SUNY Albany, followed by an M.S. from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Joyce’s expertise covers a wide range of areas, including articulation therapy, language disorders, social communication disorders, auditory processing, and adolescent language development. She has received additional training in programs such as Acoustic Pioneer, Lindamood Bell V+V, and The Writing Revolution, among others, to further benefit her clients.
Throughout her career, Joyce has been dedicated to helping children overcome communication challenges and improve their lives.
Danielle Fluger-Cohen, MS, CCC-SLP is a New York State licensed and certified speech-language pathologist specializing in pediatrics. Danielle received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech and Hearing Science at The George Washington University and a Master of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Long Island University-Brooklyn. She maintains professional certification from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) as well as credentials as a New York State Early Intervention Provider.
Prior to joining Tools for Language and Communication, Danielle has worked in a variety of pediatric settings, providing private, home, and school-based therapy.
She also ran Play Beyond the Sandbox, a children’s social skills group in Rockland County for many years. Danielle has extensive pediatric experience working with children diagnosed with various neurodevelopmental and rare genetic disorders, PDD/autism, expressive/receptive/pragmatic language delays, childhood apraxia of speech, as well as oral motor and feeding difficulties. Danielle is also PROMPT trained to better assist her clients with motor speech challenges. She has taken a variety of additional coursework in oral motor and orofacial myofunctional therapy techniques. Additionally, Danielle is currently working on her CLC certification to be a Certified Lactation Counselor to further support her youngest clients’ feeding skills.
Danielle enjoys spending time with her husband, three children and greater swiss mountain dog, hiking, boating and on the baseball field.
Sophia Morton has been a part of the TLC family as a speech therapist and consultant since 2008. Working in Westchester County for the last 20 years, she has provided speech and language therapy to many wonderful children and families. At Tools for Language and Communication, she offers a collaborative, and highly personalized approach with a focus on positive outcomes and your child’s well being. Her area of expertise is with preschool and elementary school aged children with articulation and phonological delays and receptive and expressive language disorders. She enjoys close relationships with her students, parents and teachers in order to assess and provide effective therapy that makes a difference.
Sophia has 3, almost adult children, and has loved watching them grow as individuals. When not practicing sounds and playing dinosaurs with her young friends, you can find her walking in the woods with her two dogs, Prudence and Mo.
Maureen Pasinkoff, is a licensed and certified New York and Connecticut speech-language pathologist, practicing since 1980. She is passionate about what she does and feels privileged to engage in a trusting clinician client relationship with all her students. Maureen has focused on the private and public schools K-through 12th grade for over 30 years, in addition to university clinical supervision, and undergraduate and graduate instruction. Maureen is a champion for early literacy skills, and its significant impact on reading and success into adulthood. She also has extensive experience in treating executive function, working with both individuals and families.
Maureen loves working at TLC both personally and professionally, alongside colleagues who share the same commitment to our families.
Emily is a New York State–licensed speech-language pathologist dedicated to helping children and families find their voices and thrive through communication. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and went on to complete her master’s in Speech-Language Pathology at Mercy University. Since then, she has been passionately serving clients with a wide range of communication needs.
As a DIR®/Floortime™ Certified Provider, Emily brings a play-based, relationship-centered approach to her therapy, with a particular expertise in working with children on the autism spectrum. She has extensive hands-on experience supporting social communication, language development, and articulation.
Warm, creative, and committed, Emily partners closely with families to ensure that progress in therapy extends beyond the session and into everyday life. She believes in meeting every client where they are and celebrating growth at every step!
Alyssa is a licensed speech-language pathologist in both New York and Connecticut. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences from the University of Connecticut and she maintains professional certification through the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). Alyssa has spent the majority of her career working with preschool and school age children, and has extensive experience in evaluating and treating students with a wide range of speech and language needs.
She has a strong background in developing and implementing treatment goals, and collaborating with families and multidisciplinary teams, to ensure that students receive the support that they need to succeed. Her work in both private practice and as a school-based speech and language clinician has targeted articulation, auditory processing, oral motor, and receptive/expressive language. Alyssa is passionate about providing individualized therapy that not only supports communication development but also empowers students to thrive academically and socially. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two young children.
Nina is an ASHA certified, New York state licensed speech-language pathologist with over 15 years of pediatric focused experience, providing therapy in private, school-based and home settings. She holds a BS in Communications from Boston University and MA in Speech-Language Pathology from St. Johns University.
Nina is passionate about working with preschool and elementary school aged children and their families. Her areas of expertise include articulation and phonological delays, auditory processing and receptive and expressive language disorders. Nina has training in PROMPT, myofunctional, and oral motor development and remediation. She enjoys continually expanding her knowledge across different areas of speech pathology. Nina lives in Westchester with her husband and daughters and loves tennis, yoga, and hikes, especially with her new puppy.
Julie Feinsmith Locke, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a New York State-licensed and ASHA-certified Speech-Language Pathologist. She received both her B.S. and M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Syracuse University and Hunter College (CUNY).
Before joining Tools for Language and Communication, Julie worked in a variety of settings and roles, including the Reece School (NPS) providing special education services within the CSE system, Making Milestones, a sensory gym supporting children in EI and CPSE programs, and a private practice on the Upper East Side of Manhattan where she operated as a referral source for several local private schools.
With nearly 20 years of clinical experience, Julie has training in a wide range of therapeutic approaches, including PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets), DIR/Floortime, Wilson Language and Fundations, and Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson Oral-Motor Speech and Feeding techniques.
Julie is dedicated, compassionate, and enthusiastic about her field, the professionals she works with, and of course, the clients and families she serves. She values blending evidence-based practice with relationship-centered care to achieve meaningful, observable outcomes. She believes strongly in multidisciplinary collaboration, caregiver coaching, and individualized treatment planning to support each child in reaching their fullest potential.
Maija graduated from the University of Calgary, Canada, with a Bachelor’s of Education, majoring in Special Education. She has done extensive training in the Orton Gillingham Approach – a direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, and research-based approach to teaching reading, writing, and spelling.
She is an experienced language teacher, spirited advocate, and hard-working academic coach who is passionate about helping students with learning differences. Maija has a great deal of experience with multisensory instruction and a deep understanding of the Science of Reading.
Danielle has dedicated over 20 years towards the therapeutic care and promotion of functional development of children. She has also focused on the education of each child’s family to increase their understanding of development and to educate them on carryover activities to build skills daily. Danielle’s experience, training, and expertise are in sensory integration, neurodevelopmental treatment, reflex integration, myofascial release, fine motor skill development, handwriting, executive functioning skills, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, seizure disorders, and traumatic brain injury.
She received a Master’s Degree in 2001 from Ithaca College in Occupational Therapy. She began her career working in a pediatric rehabilitation hospital and has continued to work in various settings with her students including, therapeutic sensory gyms, preschools, and school settings. In her free time, Danielle enjoys spending time with her family including her husband and three daughters. She also enjoys running marathons and playing with her dogs.
Amy is a former marketing executive and mom of adult triplets who loves organizing and keeping things running smoothly. Her genuine connection with our clients originates from her own children’s experiences, as they received speech/language and occupational therapy services. Welcome to TLC!
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