Our Team

Meet Our Team

Lorelle Ricco MS, CCC-SLP/TSSLD
Lorelle Ricco is the owner/founder of Watch Me Shine SLP. She has attained a Master of Science in Communication Disorders from Adelphi University and is licensed in the state of New York Office for the Professions. In addition, Ms. Ricco retains a Teacher of Speech and Language Disabilities Certificate from The New York State Education Department. Principally, Ms. Ricco is PROMPT Level 1 certified and holds a certificate of clinical competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Furthermore, she is proficient in Orton Gillingham reading program of study. Ms. Ricco fosters an expansive level of proficiency, instructing students in early intervention, preschool, elementary school, high school and therapeutic gym settings. Her areas of expertise is listed as follows; speech sound disorders, phonological awareness, early childhood language development, Autism Spectrum Disorders, peer socialization skills and receptive/expressive/pragmatic language deficits.

Janine Petito OTR/L
Janine Petito is the Director of Occupational Therapy at Watch Me Shine SLP. She attended Seton Hall University, where she received her BA in Social and Behavioral Science with a minor in Psychology and her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. She has over 7 years of experience in pediatrics, working with children from birth through 17 years old. She is experienced working in a school setting, sensory gym and the home environment. She has continued education in Autism Spectrum Disorder, sensory integration, anxiety and reflex integration. She is proficient in programs such as Orten Gillingham, Handwriting Without Tears, and Size Matters. Janine creates treatment plans which include sensory processing, fine motor skills, motor coordination activities and visual motor integration for a holistic, individualized approach for each child.

Melissa Raffaele Registered Behavior Technician
Melissa is an experienced Registered Behavior Technician and important part of our team. When she is not teaching our dance or arts and crafts classes, she works as a full time paraproffessional for District 75. Melissa has always enjoyed working with children, loves to be creative and is constantly thinking of new, fun ways to keep the children engaged. One of her favourite things about working with autistic pre-schoolers is seeing how excited they are to come to school everyday. Knowing that I make them feel safe and excited to learn, especially when they can’t always properly express themselves, is an incredibly rewarding feeling.

Jacqueline Speranza MS, CCC-SLP/TSSLD
Jacqueline received a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology from Touro College in 2018. She is licensed in the state of New York and currently holds a Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD) from the New York State Department of Education. Jacqueline also currently holds a certificate of clinical competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She has worked with students ranging from ages 2-10, in early intervention, preschool and elementary school settings. Jacqueline has experience with a variety of students with diagnosis’ including Receptive and Expressive Language disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders and Speech Sound Disorders. Her expertise is in Early Childhood Language Development.

MariaElena DiStefano OTR/L
MariaElena is an Occupational Therapist at Watch Me Shine. She received her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from Sacred Heart University. Her graduate school clinical experiences included pediatric populations in early childhood and preschool settings, as well as adults in an outpatient hospital setting. Since graduating from Sacred Heart University, MariaElena has been working for the New York City Board of Education. She has been servicing early childhood, preschool, and school-age children in both school and outpatient settings. MariaElena has experience working with children with a variety of diagnoses including, but not limited to: ASD, ADHD, sensory processing delays, Down Syndrome, emotional and behavioral challenges, and learning difficulties. She is passionate about providing child-centered intervention that includes play-based activities in naturalistic settings to increase engagement and generalization of skills.

Jacqueline Soares M.S. CCC-SLP
Jacqueline Soares is a graduate of Adelphi University and a licensed speech language pathologist in New York and New Jersey. She has experience with early childhood speech, language, and cognitive disorders. She is trained in Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC) and has experience with motor speech disorders.

Lauren Parisi MS, CCC-SLP/TSSLD
Lauren Parisi is a graduate from Molloy College. She is currently a licensed speech language pathologist and holds a Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD) as well a certificate of clinician competence (CCC) from ASHA. Lauren has experience working with a wide range of disorders as well as working with ages from 2-15. When I am not at Watch Me Shine, I am treating middle schoolers within the Department of Education.

Alexa Gaglia OTR/L
Alexa Gaglia received her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from Alvernia University. She is licensed in the states New York and New Jersey. She has been servicing school-aged children in both schools and outpatient settings. Alexa has experience working with students with a various of diagnosis including; Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, and sensory processing disorders.