Leslie Bigwood, M.S., CCC-SLP, Owner
Leslie attended the University of Central Florida and received her masters degree from Florida State University. She previously worked in pediatrics in the public school system serving pre-k-12th grade and in pediatric private practice focusing on early intervention and childhood apraxia of speech. Prior to partnering with Ashley, she owned a comprehensive outpatient private practice in Georgia. She is excited to bring her passion of practice management to the Low Country.
Ashley Cubbage, MSP, CCC-SLP, Owner
Ashley was born in St. Louis Missouri, but grew up in both Tampa, Florida and Washington DC. She attended Clemson University (Go Tigers!) for her undergraduate degree. She went on to receive her masters degree in speech pathology from the University of South Carolina. While studying at the University of South Carolina she applied for and was accepted to a specialized track within the program focusing on neurogenic and medically compromised patients. Ashley completed her graduate externship at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She has lived and worked in the Lowcountry area since 2014. Prior to partnering with Leslie, Ashley provided therapy services for the birth to three population and school-age children. Her passion for this community and the families that are within it drove her to partner and start Now We’re Talking Therapy Services with her friend Leslie Bigwood. Ashley lives on Hilton Head Island and enjoys taking advantage of everything the Lowcountry has to offer with her husband, two sons, and dog, Bear.
Stephanie Verba, M.A., CCC-SLP
Stephanie grew up in the small town of St. Clairsville, Ohio. She graduated from Ohio University, where she obtained both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Go Bobcats! She moved to Hilton Head Island in 2016 to begin her career as a speech-language pathologist. Stephanie has worked in both private practice and school settings. Stephanie enjoys working in pediatrics because she gets to be a part of children’s’ growth from day one and form relationships with each child and their family. Stephanie appreciates the youthful spirit experienced daily when working with children.
In her spare time, Stephanie stays active and is always on the go! Some of her favorite hobbies include running, paddle boarding, and teaching Pure Barre. She ran four half marathons over the past two years and believes that the excitement of crossing the finish line never gets old! She explores the Lowcountry by paddle boarding in new areas throughout Beaufort County. Stephanie also teaches Pure Barre in Hilton Head on the weekends and loves connecting with those in the community!
Alexandra Acheson, M.S., CCC-SLP
Alex received her Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Georgia and her Masters of Science in Communication Disorders from Armstrong State University. She has worked in pediatric private practice for her entire career. Alex is passionate about providing bilingual therapy to the Spanish speaking community in the area. She loves developing connections with her kiddos and their families through engagement to provide the best level of therapy she can.
In her free time, she is often spending time with her family, enjoying movies and television shows, playing a game of Mario Kart or Dungeons & Dragons, showering her dog, Kona, with love and attention, or cramming in as many attractions as possible at a theme park.
Allison Thatcher, M.S., CCC-SLP
Allison was born and raised in Easton, Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Pennsylvania State University and her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Baylor University. Allison has a passion for helping kids develop their communication skills while having fun doing it. She is new to the Lowcountry and loves spending time walking on the beach with her puppy, Cassie.
Madison Vicendese, M.S., CCC-SLP
Madison was born and raised in Ellicott City, MD and recently moved to the Lowcountry. She was a student-athlete at East Stroudsburg University where she received her bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders and played softball. She stayed at East Stroudsburg University to receive her master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders while working as a graduate assistant coach for the softball team. She has worked with children in school-based and telehealth settings as well as adults in clinical settings. She found her passion for working with pediatrics from being surrounded by her 5 younger siblings growing up and working camps with youth baseball and softball players. Madison enjoys running, hiking, exploring new cities on the weekends with her friends, playing pickleball, catching up with her family when they are in town, and spending time with her cat, Vanellope.
Ashley Johnson, MSP, CCC-SLP
Ashley grew up in the small town of Lewisburg, West Virginia. She graduated from Marshall University in 2016, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in communication science and disorders, and a minor in psychology. She went on to receive her master’s degree in speech pathology from the University of South Carolina and graduated in 2023. Ashley has experience working in the schools and enjoys working with young children. She has a passion for providing early intervention services and diagnosing and treating articulation and language disorders. Ashley’s objective is to collaborate with children, families, and other professionals to best cater to each client’s needs. Ashley believes in celebrating the small victories with patients and families as they are what leads to big success! Ashley has lived in the Lowcountry since 2019 with her husband. She enjoys being active, taking their chocolate lab, Koa, to the beach and on walks, going to the gym, and traveling! She enjoys watching sports such as Marshall Thundering Herd, Jacksonville Jaguar’s, and the Atlanta Braves, reading, and organizing.
Sierra Pool, MA, CCC-SLP
Sierra grew up in Canton, Ohio; home of the Pro football Hall of fame. She received her Bachelor’s degree from The University of Akron in Early Childhood Education (P-3rd) and Early Childhood Intervention Specialist (P-3rd). After obtaining her teaching license and working as a 3rd grade teacher, Sierra decided she wanted to work with children on more of an individual basis and help children reach their goals by providing therapy services at their specific level of need. Sierra obtained her Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Ohio University where she gained experience in the school setting and pediatric/adult private practice. Sierra enjoys exploring different local coffee shops, indulging in new culinary experiences, and venturing out to discover new places.
Ellie Stone, MS, CFY-SLP
Ellie grew up in Beaufort, South Carolina. She recently graduated from Auburn University where she obtained both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Speech-Language Pathology. War Eagle!! Ellie recently moved back to the area and has loved being close to family! Ellie has experience working with both adults and children, but her heart lies with pediatrics! When not in the office, she enjoys going to the beach, reading, watching football, cooking, being with family, and visiting friends!
Abby Bishop, MS, CCC-SLP
Jennifer Mendoza, Bilingual Office Administrator
Jennifer Mendoza is the bilingual translator/admin at Now Were Talking! I’m a very ambitious and driven person in the workspace. She is passionate and excited about learning and helping Spanish speaking families understand the therapy needs for their children. Outside of work – being born/raised in the Lowcountry, she loves spending time with her daughter and family outdoors. She enjoys the local parks, beaches, entertainment places and restaurants that Bluffton and Hilton Head have to offer.
Sharon Blackston, OTR/L
Sharon grew up in the small, rural town of Barnesville, Ohio. She graduated from West Virginia University, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology with a minor in Exercise Psychology, Bachelor of Arts in Human Performance and Health, and Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Let’s go, Mountaineers! She started her career working with adults in the home health setting, but has always had a main passion for working with pediatrics. She has pediatric clinical experience in the schools, outpatient, early intervention, and pediatric home health settings and experience with adults in acute care and home health. She moved to Beaufort in May 2023, after 8 years in Morgantown, WV, and loves being closer than 8+ hours to the beach! In her free time, you can usually find her with her nose buried in a book and updating her reading goal on Goodreads, at the dog park with her dog, Pumpkin, or snuggling with her cat, Duchess.
Sara Beresovoy, OTR/L
Melissa Skinner, OTR/L
Hailey Clouse, OTR/L
Hailey grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. She attended Ohio State University (Go Bucks!) where she studied Special Education. She then moved to Pennsylvania to complete her Masters in Occupational Therapy at Chatham University. Prior to joining the NWT team, Hailey was working in an outpatient pediatric clinic in Las Vegas for 3 years. She is passionate about assisting in progressing patients’ overall independence in their everyday meaningful activities. Hailey loves watching sports (especially Ohio teams), working out, reading, traveling and going to the beach.
Camille Chan, OTR/L
Camille grew up in the small town of Palm Harbor, FL, which is a close neighbor of beautiful Tampa, FL! She attended the University of Florida, where she received her bachelor’s degree in health education and behavior. The town of Gainesville is where she discovered her love of working in the world of pediatrics and occupational therapy. Following this, Camille went on to receive her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Her favorite thing about OT is working with children to allow them to refine the skills necessary to successfully participate in meaningful activities in all aspects of life. Camille enjoys the beach, cheering on the Gators, weekend trips back to Florida, and spending time with her fiancée, Nick, and two dogs, Duke and Daisy.
Jocelyn McCauley, OTR/L
Jocelyn grew up in Livingston, New Jersey. She graduated from The University of Scranton in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in health sciences as part of a 5-year occupational therapy master’s program. Jocelyn stayed at The University of Scranton and received her Master’s of Occupational Therapy in 2023. She completed fieldwork in pediatric settings working with a wide variety of diagnoses and conditions. Jocelyn has been living in the Lowcountry for the past 5 years and loves working with kids of all different ages and abilities. She played soccer for the University of Scranton during her undergraduate education and loves to incorporate a variety of sports-exercises into her practice. She enjoys spending her free time outside of work hiking, playing with her dog, reading, baking, going to the beach, and cooking.
Gina DiPaolo , COTA
Allison Johnson, PT, DPT
Alli grew up in New Jersey but moved to South Carolina in 2008 to attend the University of South Carolina for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She received her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science with an emphasis in motor development and her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She has worked as a travel physical therapist, allowing her to explore the country while treating individuals of all ages in a variety of settings. Within the past year, she has moved to the Low Country and decided to make it her permanent home to pursue her main interest of working with children. She has a special interest in early intervention, neurological disorders, torticollis, and sports injuries. She has additional training in TMR teens and tots, a modified positional release concept that can be used to treat postural asymmetries, such as torticollis. She values working with new kiddos and families to educate them on various play techniques that will help their kids hit developmental milestones in a fun and interactive way. She also hopes to become a trained yoga instructor and incorporate this into her treatment styles for her older kids. In her spare time, Alli enjoys spending time on or by the water, reading, exploring new places with her boyfriend and dog, Bandit, and being the “fun” aunt to her nieces.
Alexa McAteer, PTA
Sadie The Therapy Dog, S.D. Gunner Fund Graduate
Sadie is a goldendoodle from Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from the S.D Gunner Fund Therapy Dog training program. Sadie enjoys greeting children in the waiting room, helping nervous kids transition back to therapy, celebrating therapy successes, and comforting kiddos during challenging tasks.