Michaelann Gabriele OTD, OTR/L received a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Before pursuing her Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Doctorate at the University of Southern California, she spent nearly 5 years teaching English to learners of all ages in Italy. Michaelann is certified in sensory integration and has specialized in supporting children and their families in clinic and school based settings. She has spent more than a decade collaborating with local and state organizations on policy and advocacy to increase access to services for children in California and has developed expertise around documentation in pediatric occupational therapy settings. Michaelann is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy and member of the Sensory Processing and Autism Network (SPAN) at the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Southern California. Selected publications can be found by following the links above.

On a personal note, Michaelann and her husband are raising their three children in a bicultural/bilingual home. To relax, she enjoys hiking with her family, cooking, travelling, and an occasional good book.

AnjaLi Carrasco Koester, OTD, OTR/L received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. She first became passionate about meaningful activities for children when working in a pediatric residential home. After working there for a few years in San Francisco, she earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts and her Occupational Therapy Doctorate from the University of Southern California.  There she specialized in sensory integration in children with hearing loss and/or cochlear implants. AnjaLi enjoys teaching professionals to use the Ayres Sensory Integration approach in their work both domestically and internationally and is motivated to disseminate resources and research findings on best practices. She enjoys working with children with Tourette’s syndrome and provides Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics. Additionally AnjaLi is passionate about collaborating to provide identity affirming and inclusive services. 

In her personal time, AnjaLi enjoys gardening, sewing, and spending time with her partner and children.

Tammy Mitchell, MA, OTR/L graduated from The University of Southern California with a Masters in Occupational Therapy.  She has over 20 years of experience working in Pediatrics. At Center for Developing Kids, Tammy is involved in department coordination and program coordination and development, including the Good to Grow Program.  She is certified in administration and interpretation of the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT), has completed USC’s certification program in Sensory Integration, and has significant experience using Sensory Integration in her treatments. Tammy grew up in a suburb of Chicago, but loves living in warm and sunny Southern California.  In her free time, she enjoys sewing, traveling, game nights with friends and family, and snuggling with her dogs.

Shelley An, MS, OTR/L received her Bachelor of Science degree at Purdue University and her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis.  She has completed USC’s certification program in Sensory Integration. She loves working with children of all ages and feels privileged to play a part in a child’s journey to reach their potential.

Michelle Knight, MS, OTR/L graduated from Pomona College in 1999 with a BA in psychology, and received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Puget Sound in 2003. Michelle was born and raised in the Pasadena area, but has also lived in Scotland and Washington state. She joined the Center for Developing Kids family in 2006. In addition to working with clients and families, Michelle organizes CDK’s volunteer and occupational therapy fieldwork programs. Michelle’s practice interests include sensory integration, feeding, and educating future occupational therapists. She is certified in the Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT), and holds an advanced practice certification in feeding and swallowing. She has taught as a thesis advisor at Stanbridge University.

Michelle has played the double bass for over 35 years, and has been part of several local community orchestras and musical theater productions. She loves cooking, traveling, and exploring hiking trails, community gardens, zoos, aquariums, and children’s museums with her daughter.

Shela Ma MS, OTR/L graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from UCLA and her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from University of Wisconsin-Madison. She had her first exposure to pediatric occupational therapy while volunteering at CDK, and she is excited to be back as a therapist! She values building positive relationships with children and their families, and she loves seeing children grow in their self-confidence. Her previous employment and fieldwork experiences include early intervention, outpatient pediatric clinic, orthopedic, and psychiatric settings. In her free time, she enjoys cuddling with her cats, visiting coffee shops, spending time in nature, and dabbling in creative projects such as painting, punch needling, and ceramics.

Zoë Miller MS, OTR/L graduated from The College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and she received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2016. Zoë has worked as a pediatric occupational therapist since graduating and has experience working with children of all ages in outpatient clinic, school-based, and home-based settings. She has completed the USC certification program in Sensory Integration. Zoë’s favorite part of being an OT is the opportunity to get to know the child’s unique interests and strengths, and to help them grow toward their full potential. In her free time, Zoë enjoys arts and crafts, hiking, camping, gardening, and playing with her dog.

Juhi Vora, MA, OTR/L was born in India and came to Southern California when she was 3 years old. She completed her undergraduate and graduate education at the University of Southern California, completing a progressive B.S. to M.A. program in Occupational Therapy in 2018. Juhi has also completed USC’s continuing education certification program in Sensory Integration. Juhi chose to pursue the profession of occupational therapy because she values the creative, person-centered, and holistic care that the field embodies. Juhi completed her second Level II internship at Center for Developing Kids in August 2018 where she fell in love with the interdisciplinary care provided by the dedicated therapists to the wonderful families of CDK and transitioned into employment following the completion of her internship. Juhi loves spending time with family and friends, snuggling with her cats, and collecting vintage!

Maria Caballero, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, COTA/L, graduated from Stanbridge University in 2022 with Associate of Occupational Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant.  Her diverse background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications/Marketing from CSUSB, obtained in 2004. After moving to Los Angeles, Maria gained valuable experience working with fashion labels and marketing for an international home goods company.

Maria’s passion for Occupational Therapy ignited when her son received Early Intervention services at the local Regional Center.  She has experience with addressing social and emotional needs after she helped other children at her son’s cooperative preschool and charter school. Maria grew up in Riverside CA in a bilingual household, speaking Spanish and English. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her son and boyfriend, exploring new culinary experiences with friends, crafting, supporting local businesses, cuddling with her orangey cat, and visiting Disneyland.

Cathy Harcke PT, DPT has worked in pediatrics since 1999 and graduated from U.S.C. with a doctorate in Physical Therapy in 1998. She also has a B.S. in Biology from U.C.L.A. (1995). Cathy has worked in several pediatric settings, including outpatient, inpatient, and home health and has been at CDK since 2016. Previous employers include Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, California Children’s Services (CCS/ Santa Clara County), and Every Child Achieves. In addition to clinical experience, Cathy published her first book, Cracking the Motor Mystery, in 2011. She also served as the author of the gross motor cards for NurtureU Activity Cards for Mama and Baby, a developmental product released in 2016. Cathy is the mother of two young adults. She enjoys taking day trips, trying new restaurants, reading, going for walks, exercising, and spending time with her children. Cathy Is excited to be part of the CDK team and work in such an enriching environment with so many skilled co-workers and wonderful families.

Sarena Lu PT, DPT, PCS, received her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise science from California State University, Northridge in May 2014.  In addition to her academics,  she was involved in a lifespan development research study as a data collector to analyze children’s choice in play equipment.  She obtained her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California in 2017 and received her Pediatric Certified Specialist Certification in 2021. Her clinical placements includes outpatient pediatrics, inpatient acute pediatrics, outpatient orthopedic, and inpatient adult rehab.  Sarena has also been involved in several programs at Center for Developing Kids, including the Good to Grow Program and camp director for the Sunkids summer program.  Sarena was born and raised in Southern California.  Sarena’s hobbies include hiking, traveling, camping, tennis, pickleball, and playing with her dog and cats.  Sarena is excited to be a part of CDK’s multidisciplinary team and to work with the wonderful families at CDK.

Tamar Massen (she/her), M.A., CCC-SLP, has over a decade of experience as a pediatric speech-language pathologist. She has worked at Center for Developing Kids since 2018. She is passionate about providing neurodiversity affirming, play-based, child-led therapy while supporting a child’s sensory and emotional regulation needs and empowering their caregivers to create supportive communication environments. Her clinical interests include augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), gestalt language processing, and supervising/mentoring new therapists and speech-language pathologist assistants (SLPAs). 

Raised on Long Island, New York, Tamar completed her undergraduate degree in Communicative Disorders and Sciences from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo and received her Masters of Arts in Speech-Language Pathologist from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Tamar enjoys spending time with her family and friends, finding the best sourdough bread, pilates, nature walks, and taking care of her plants.

Ashley Sohrab, MS, CCC-SLP, holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Educational Studies from the University of California, Irvine, and earned her Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Chapman University. Before becoming a speech-language pathologist, Ashley’s passion for working with children began during her time as a preschool teacher. She later pursued her career as a licensed speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) before entering graduate school. Throughout her professional journey, Ashley has gained extensive experience working with diverse populations and treating a wide range of speech and language disorders across all age groups. Outside of her professional life, Ashley enjoys spending time with her two young children and husband and training in Jiu-Jitsu. Ashley loves being a part of such a great team at CDK!

Veronica Herrera MS, CF-SLP, graduated from California State University, Los Angeles, with a Bachelor of Arts in Communicative Disorders. She spent a year gaining clinical experience in a variety of settings before earning her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from University of St. Augustine. Veronica is a skilled Clinical Fellow with a passion for early childhood speech and language development. Her specific interests include Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), articulation and phonological disorders, language delays, and social communication difficulties. She is passionate about supporting neurodivergent individuals by providing affirming treatment through a client-centered approach, fostering independence and self-expression. In her free time she enjoys reading, baking, and running.

Crystal Guiltinan, BA, Licensed SLPA, was born in Los Angeles and was raised in the San Bernardino Mountains and the surrounding Pasadena region. Crystal first began her journey working as a Behavioral Therapist, which was when she realized she wanted to work with children who had communication impairments. Crystal graduated in 2022 from California State University, Long Beach with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology. There, she completed her fieldwork hours for licensure to become an SLPA, where she treated children in a clinic-based early intervention program, who had a variety of early-onset language delays, articulation difficulties, as well as social communication deficits.

On the side, Crystal is an avid songwriter and musician. She loves to make jewelry, to cook with her family during the holidays, and enjoys swimming in her free time.

Molly Hill, MS, SLP, holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Oklahoma City University and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. After performing with opera houses in the United States, Asia, and Europe, she discovered a desire to expand her impact beyond the realm of performance. Molly continued her education with a Master of Science in Communication Disorders from California State University Northridge. She now leverages her background to help individuals find their unique voice and means of communication whether that means working with speech sound disorders, AAC users, or gestalt language processors. Outside of work she enjoys spending as much time as possible outside with her family, reading, and trialing every ice cream shop in a 30 mile radius.