KAREM DALISAY CHAVEZ, MS CCC-SLP
Founder & Director
Karem (pronounced as “Keh-rum”) is a certified bilingual (English/Tagalog) Speech Language Pathologist and the founder and director of SpeakABLE Speech Therapy Svcs. She received a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from California State University East Bay (formerly Hayward) and a Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology from the University of the Philippines, Manila.
Karem is licensed by the California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. She is a multiple ASHA ACE Awardee.
Karem started SpeakABLE Speech Therapy Svcs with the vision to provide home, clinic, and school-based speech services to individuals across the bay area and provide enrichment and parent education classes to clients and parents.
Karem provides direct therapy and manages a team of dedicated therapists to help more families in the Bay Area and across California. Her areas of speech interest include early intervention, autism, articulation and phonological disorders, Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), expressive/ receptive language delays, and orofacial myology.
Karem is an avid learner and received trainings in PROMPT therapy, Inside Out Sensory Certification, DIR Floortime, and the Learn Play Thrive Approach to Autism. She is a Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) Trained Clinician and completed the introductory orofacial myofunctional course. Karem is certified in multiple Hanen® programs and is deeply passionate about group parent training programs focusing on language delays, late talkers, and childhood autism.
When she is not working, Karem spends time with her husband and two young children. She enjoys trying different cuisines, traveling, watching movies, and listening to audiobooks.
JESSICA FERNANDEZ
Executive Assistant
Jessica is our Certified Healthcare Virtual Assistant who is always ready to answer your calls and attend to your questions so our SLPs can entirely focus on providing the best speech therapy sessions for your children. Jessica is passionate about helping others and diligently promotes a positive working environment with her teammates and our clients. She works with integrity and honesty and takes responsibility for providing excellent customer service. Jessica also manages our insurance billing and ensures that all patient needs have been met.
In her free time, she enjoys baking with her baby girl and going on road trips with her family.
Ana Mae Andrin
Administrative Assistant
Ana is a healthcare virtual assistant who is here to assist you with your schedule, concerns, and onboarding processes. She is ready to answer your calls, text messages, and emails, especially in the early hours of the day. Ana is dedicated to providing excellent service and always strives to do her best in everything she does.
She has a laid-back personality and a genuine passion for exploring new experiences. Ana is quite adventurous and possesses a strong desire for continuous learning. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her dog, watching anime, and playing the ukulele.
Emman Dela Cruz
Billing & Credentialing Specialist
Emman is a reliable healthcare virtual assistant who provides essential support in administrative work, client messaging, and call handling. He also assists with insurance coordination and billing tasks, ensuring that processes run smoothly and efficiently for both families and the team.
A true team player, Emman collaborates closely with staff and therapists to keep everything organized and on track. He also manages content posting across SpeakABLE’s social media platforms, helping the team stay connected with the community.
Known for his integrity, honesty, and strong sense of responsibility, Emman communicates clearly and takes pride in delivering excellent service. He is always looking for ways to grow, contribute more, and support the mission of providing quality care to children and families.
KATHYE CASTANEDA, M.S. CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Kathye finished her bachelor’s degree at the University of Massachusetts and her Master’s degree at California State University East Bay. She had the opportunity to work in California, Massachusetts, and Texas in public schools, private clinics, and home health settings. She also mentored speech-language pathology assistants and graduate clinical fellows.
Kathye is licensed by the California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. Her areas of interest include bilingualism, early intervention language development, articulation, phonology, fluency, alternative augmentative communication, developmental delays, social pragmatics, and sensory issues.
In her spare time, Kathye enjoys listening to music, dancing, painting, and spending time with her family exploring mountains and beaches in California.
MAHALA EVELYNN BERRY, M.S. CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Mahala is a certified trilingual (English/Spanish/Italian) speech-language pathologist. She has been practicing since 2018 in school settings and pediatric clinics. Mahala enjoys working with toddlers, preschool, school-age and young adults. She has experience working with a variety of speech and language disorders, as well as accent modification training. Mahala specializes in working with bilingual/multilingual children from a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. She has had the opportunity to practice in multiple countries, including the United States, Germany, and Guatemala.
Mahala was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and has lived in many places worldwide. She enjoys hiking, diving, reading, and traveling. She is often learning new languages to help communicate with more people around the world.
SAMANTHA MERLO, MS CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Samantha is a pediatric speech-language pathologist primarily serving the early intervention and preschool population. She received her Master of Science in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from New York University in January 2020.
She is bilingual, Spanish-English, and likes being able to bridge the language gap for Spanish-speaking families. She enjoys providing teletherapy services and challenges herself to create individualized sessions and empower parents to create language-rich environments for their kids.
Angela Massachi, MS CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
Angela is a compassionate and dedicated Trilingual (Persian/English/Spanish) speech-language pathologist. She is passionate about working with the pediatric population and their families. Angela has acquired much skill in treating and evaluating kids throughout her education and clinical experience.
Angela’s areas of interest include early intervention language development, Floortime, parent
education and coaching, Autism, Gestalt Language processing, Executive function, social
pragmatics and sensory processing.
She enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, and listening to podcasts in her spare time.
JUANCHO "JAY" SAN PEDRO, BS SLPA
Lead Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
Jay is a bilingual (English/Tagalog) speaker with 4 years of pediatric experience as a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant. He graduated Cum Laude from California State University East Bay in 2021 and has experience in school and private practice settings working with a variety of populations, from early intervention to geriatric patients. His areas of interests include Early Intervention, Expressive & Receptive Language, Articulation, Fluency, and Pragmatics.
A native of San Diego, CA, he likes to explore the waters along the Pacific Ocean. In his spare time, he likes to go on hikes, play video games, and spend time with his family.
Irma Velez Morales
Infant Development Specialist
Irma brings a wealth of experience in early childhood development and family support. Irma holds a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development with a minor in Psychology and has dedicated the past 11 years to working with young children in both daycare and developmental support settings.
Irma is bilingual in Spanish and English and is passionate about working with diverse families and cultures. Her professional expertise includes early intervention, speech and language development, and supporting children’s growth across all developmental domains with a holistic and compassionate approach.
In addition to her professional work, Irma enjoys hiking, attending concerts, traveling, and spending quality time with friends and family, which reflects her warm, energetic, and well-rounded personality.
Ivana Liang
Infant Development Specialist
Ivana Liang is an Infant Development Specialist with over five years of experience supporting young children in their growth and learning. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development from San Francisco State University in 2021 and has since worked as a university preschool teacher and child development specialist.
Ivana has a strong understanding of the importance of early intervention and its vital role in building a solid foundation for a child’s future. She is passionate about helping each child achieve their individualized goals and reach their fullest potential.
She deeply values collaboration with families, creating activities that are engaging, meaningful, and tailored to each child’s needs. Outside of work, Ivana enjoys listening to music, baking, and spending time with her loved ones.
About Our Philosophy
CORE VALUES
Collaboration, Contribution, Compassion
MISSION
We at SpeakABLE aim to provide the best intervention for our clients and equip our families with tools and strategies to promote their child’s optimal language development. We believe communication is integral to our lives and should be accessible to everyone! We are a culturally competent staff and hope to break language barriers that impede service access.
Get Started Today
You know your child's challenges better than anyone! We'd love to partner up with you in helping your child grow!
Fill out this inquiry form, and let’s get the process started.
Email Address
info@speakablespeechtherapy.com
Call Us
(510) 877-0686
Address
39675 Cedar Blvd. Suite 260, Newark, CA 94560