Tara Ferrara, M.S., CCC-SLP
Co-Founder & Co-Director
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Tara received her Bachelor of Arts, with a major in speech and hearing sciences, and a minor in psychology from Indiana University in 2008. Additionally, she received her Master of Science in speech-language pathology from Adelphi University in 2010.
Tara holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from American Speech-Language-Hearing Association as well as a New York State License to practice Speech Pathology. Additionally, she is TSSLD Certified (Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities) in New York State.
Tara began her career at the Reece School in New York City, where she worked as a speech and language pathologist for 4 years. At Reece, she gained a great deal of experience working with children who have varying levels of learning differences, such as speech and language delays, sensory and auditory processing disorders, and social-emotional behavior challenges. Working at a special education school and providing private speech and language therapy, Tara realized that many children were in need of additional social skills support.
Tara’s knowledge, experience and deep compassion led her to join a partnership and create Social City.
Alexandra Spira, M.A., CCC-SLP
Co-Founder & Co-Director
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Aly holds a Bachelor of Science in speech-language pathology from New York University, and a Master of Arts in speech-language pathology from the City University of New York at Queens College. Aly began her career at the Reece School, a special education elementary school in Manhattan where she interacted one-on-one with children with a wide variety of language, learning, emotional and developmental disabilities.
As a founding partner of Social City, Aly works closely with parents and professionals to target areas of need and develop specific skills for each child. She specializes in helping students internalize strategies that allow them to pursue their individual goals and ambitions.
Aly has dedicated her career to helping children build confidence and achieve success. Aly’s passion and excitement for working with children, and her creative and innovative teaching style, enable her to connect with her students and maximize their potential to succeed both in and out of the classroom.
Jaclyn Zimmel, M.A., CCC-SLP
Program Director
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Jackie holds a Bachelor of Science in speech-language pathology from SUNY Geneseo, and a Master of Arts in speech-language pathology from St. John’s University. She holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech and Hearing Association and is a licensed Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities. While pursuing her master's degree, Jackie began her career as a teacher of students with speech and language disabilities in a preschool setting. Upon completion of her masters, she continued on to work with students in elementary and middle school, providing individual and group therapy. These experiences allowed Jackie to realize that she loves working with children and young adults of all ages!
Jackie has dedicated her career to helping children build their overall language and communication skills. She has a passion for working with children and collaborating with their families to ensure generalization of skills into every setting. Jackie’s therapeutic approach consists of creating a fun and engaging environment for children to learn and grow. She embraces each child as a unique individual and meets them at their current level to ensure they feel respected and successful.
Lori Gross, M.A., CCC-SLP
Group Leader
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Lori received her Bachelors of Arts in Communicative Disorders from the University of Wisconsin- Madison in 1992 and her Masters in Speech Language Pathology from New York University in 1994. Lori holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech- Language- Hearing Association with dual licensure as a Speech Language Pathologist in both NY and NJ. With over 30 years of experience as a Speech Language Pathologist, Lori has dedicated her career to helping children develop essential communication skills.
Lori developed the Speech/Language program at Banyan Elementary School in Fairfield, NJ where the focus was on enhancing social skills through collaborative efforts with parents and an interdisciplinary team. In recognition of her commitment to the field, she was honored with the nomination of the Related Service Provider of the Year Award in NJ from ASAH in 2023. She is passionate about working with children, creating engaging and fun learning experiences that foster growth and confidence.
Maeve Shine, M.S., CCC-SLP
Group Leader
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Maeve received her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Language and Hearing Sciences from Loyola University Maryland in 2020 and her Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Emerson College in 2022. Maeve holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and is licensed to practice in both Massachusetts and New York State.
With experience in private practices, Maeve specializes in expressive, receptive, and pragmatic language development, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), articulation, and myofunctional therapy. She has worked with clients ranging from toddlers to young adults, focusing especially on social pragmatics and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Maeve’s therapeutic approach is child-led and naturalistic, emphasizing the importance of creating a supportive environment where individuals can thrive. She values collaboration with other professionals and actively empowers parents and caregivers with the tools and knowledge they need to support their children’s growth. Maeve is committed to fostering communication skills that not only improve her clients’ daily lives but also strengthen their confidence and ability to connect with others authentically.
Gail DeLeon, M.A., CCC-SLP
Group Leader
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Gail received her Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from New York University in 2001. She holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed to practice Speech-Language Pathology in New York State.
Her therapy focuses on developing communication skills, to enable individuals to express their needs and participate more effectively in social interactions. She teaches students how to manage challenges, self-regulate, and advocate for themselves to become more independent. To foster holistic development, Gail actively collaborates with parents, teachers, and caregivers to ensure that the students’ learned skills are effectively carried over into their everyday environments. Through her years of experience, Gail is dedicated to providing tailored support and strategies that empower individuals to significantly develop and strengthen their social communication skills, enabling them to connect and thrive.
Rachel Crespi, M.S., CCC-SLP
Group Leader
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Rachel received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Pace University in 2019 and her Masters in Speech Language Pathology from Northeastern University in 2021. Rachel holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and a certificate as a Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD) in New York State.
Rachel has experience working in the school setting with students with varying needs, including social-pragmatics, autism (ASD), articulation, expressive and receptive language, and more. Rachel always works with the interdisciplinary team, including the parents and caregivers. Rachel believes that therapy that incorporates the child’s interests, is hands-on, and is in a safe environment will facilitate the child’s strengths and engagement. When Rachel is not working, she can be found reading in Central Park and trying different bakeries.
Amy Hernley, M.A., CCC-SLP
Group Leader
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Amy received a Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology with a minor in Spanish from Ithaca College and a Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from Edinboro University. Amy holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and is licensed to practice in both Pennsylvania and New York State.
Amy has experience as an early intervention therapist providing speech and language services to children ages 3–5 and their families in Philadelphia, PA. Prior to this, she spent three summers as a camp counselor for children ages 6–18, an experience that shaped her joy for working with children across a wide range of ages, abilities, and support needs.
Throughout her career, Amy has worked with children with diverse communication profiles, including those with mild to more significant learning differences. She has dedicated a significant portion of her work to supporting children and families in the Autistic community, while also providing services to children who benefit from targeted language, social communication, and pragmatic skills development. Amy utilizes neurodiversity-affirming practices to foster meaningful connections with every child and to support authentic communication.
Amy specializes in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), receptive and expressive language development, and social skills, including peer interaction, perspective-taking, and functional communication in everyday settings. One of Amy’s favorite parts of her job is encouraging children as they grow in confidence and develop their unique communication strengths. Amy is committed to creating a fun, inclusive, and supportive environment that promotes connection, learning, and growth.
Julianna Sayegh, M.S., CCC-SLP
Group Leader
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Julianna received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology, with a minor in Speech-Language Pathology, from Sacred Heart University. She went on to receive her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from New York Medical College.
Julianna holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed to practice speech-language pathology in New York State. She also holds New York State certification as a Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD).
Julianna specializes in pediatric speech-language pathology, working with children across a wide range of abilities and needs. With experience in special education settings, she has developed expertise in expressive, receptive, and pragmatic language, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), articulation, fluency disorders and feeding therapy. She has worked with clients from toddlerhood through young adulthood, with a particular focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Additionally, Julianna is PROMPT-trained (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets) and has experience treating Childhood Apraxia of Speech and other oral-motor challenges.
She takes a child-led, play-based approach to therapy, striving to create a supportive and engaging environment. Julianna values collaboration with families and interdisciplinary teams to promote progress across settings. She is committed to neurodiversity-affirming practices that support authentic communication and meaningful connections for every child.
Medry Rodriguez
Program Assistant
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Medry brings nearly 15 years of experience supporting students, families, and educators in educational settings. Before joining Social City, Medry worked at Winston Prep School in New York City, a private school specializing in students with learning disabilities. As the assistant to the Director of Admissions, Medry played a vital role in processing hundreds of applications each year, coordinating more than a dozen Open Houses annually, and serving as a key point of contact for parents throughout the admissions process.
In addition to her administrative expertise, Medry demonstrated her commitment to fostering inclusive and engaging environments by leading a Spanish Club for interested students and serving as a Spanish translator for parent-teacher conferences.
Since relocating during the Covid-19 pandemic, Medry has been a valuable part of Social City. She plays a key role in managing administrative tasks for the company, helping families navigate the enrollment process, handle necessary paperwork, and manage payment procedures for social skills classes, camps, and programs. Medry's dedication to supporting families and her organizational skills help ensure smooth and positive experiences for everyone involved.
