WHO WE ARE
Meet
The Team
We are committed to helping children reach for the stars and achieve their full developmental potential. Our families are our #1 priority!
– LuAnn (Founder)
TEAM MEMBERS
LuAnn H. Lower
Speech-Language Pathologist, President
LuAnn H. Lower, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist, President
Blast Off Children’s Therapy Services, Inc.
CA License # 13795
[email protected]
LuAnn realized her dream of opening a pediatric speech and language therapy clinic in July 2012 when she founded Blast Off Children’s Therapy Services. That dream was furthered when she added occupational therapy and physical therapy to the clinic so that the families she served could have the benefit and convenience of multiple therapies at one location. LuAnn loves watching the progress that is made when children, families and therapists all work together toward one goal!
LuAnn has been a certified speech-language pathologist since 1982. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in education in the area of speech and hearing from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and her master’s degree in speech pathology from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Over the years, LuAnn has worked in a variety of environments including hospitals, developmental centers, preschools, and private practice. LuAnn specializes in pediatric speech and language therapy and has significant experience in the diagnosis and treatment of a range of pediatric communication disorders. LuAnn’s experience includes but is not limited to early intervention, Down Syndrome and a wide range of other genetic syndromes, autism spectrum disorder, cleft lip and palate, cerebral palsy, childhood apraxia of speech, articulation disorder, phonology disorder, developmental delays, receptive/expressive/pragmatic language disorders, voice disorder, and fluency disorder. LuAnn has experience in supervision of new speech pathologists and has a commitment to continuing education. She has introductory training in the PROMPT technique and DIR Floortime® and has completed advanced training in SCERTS®, an educational model addressing the key challenges facing children on the autism spectrum. In addition she is certified by The Hanen Program® to teach the It Takes Two To Talk and More Than Words courses for parents. She is a recipient of the ASHA Award for Continuing Education (ACE).
Adelyn Vinuya
Front Office
Manager
Adelyn Vinuya
Front Office Manager
[email protected]
Adelyn (also known as Addie) was born and raised in Palmdale and has lived in Los Angeles and Long Beach before moving to San Diego in 2017. Addie received her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology at California State University of San Marcos and is working towards getting into a Master’s program for Occupational Therapy. Addie began working with adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and developmental delays as a Community Support Facilitator then continued to work in this field as a Job Coach. She then went on to work as an ABA therapist for kids and adolescents for two and a half years before accepting her position here at Blast Off. Addie has always been a big kid at heart and wants to transfer that energy into working with kids as an Occupational Therapist. She enjoys working with kids because of their unique personalities and spunky attitudes!
Meghan Chow
Speech-Language
Pathologist
Meghan Chow, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
CA License # 29126
[email protected]
Meghan is a therapist who is passionate about finding evidence based strategies to meet each child’s strengths and needs. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and minor in educational studies from the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), and her Master of Arts in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at San Diego State University (SDSU). As a former school-based speech language pathologist, Meghan has experience with a variety of ages and speech and language areas including: expressive/receptive language disorders, articulation and phonological disorders, social/pragmatics deficits, and voice and fluency disorders. She is also passionate about little ones under the age of 3! Through the SDSU clinic, she provided assessment and parent and toddler “sign and speak” classes, led parent workshops about early language and literacy strategies, and participated in research studies examining language acquisition. Prior to her dream job as a speech language pathologist, Meghan worked in a 2 and 3-year-old preschool classroom, was an aide for children with autism and developmental disabilities, and worked with for her library’s child literacy programs. Meghan enjoys working closely with family members and caregivers so that their children can grow in their speech and language skills in their everyday lives.
Wen-Hsin Ku
Speech-Language
Pathologist
Wen-Hsin Ku, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
CA License #3022
[email protected]
Wen-Hsin received her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Psychology and in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at San Diego State University (SDSU). She then received her Master of Arts in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at SDSU, with a certification in bilingual assessment and treatment in Mandarin. Prior to joining Blast Off, Wen-Hsin worked in various settings including public schools, in-home early intervention, as well as private practice. She has experience evaluating and treating a variety of pediatric speech and language needs including articulation and phonological disorders, expressive/receptive language delays and disorders, social/pragmatics deficits, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), fluency disorders, and voice disorders. Wen-Hsin is passionate about addressing functional skills to promote children’s communication independence. She also enjoys building relationships with family members and caregivers to encourage family involvement in therapy and support children’s communication success in their daily environment.
Jessica Uvero
Occupational
Therapist
Jessica Uvero, M.S., OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
CA License #21101
[email protected]
Jessica has been working as an Occupational Therapist since 2018. She has practiced throughout the U.S including Arizona, New York, and California. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from San Francisco State University in San Francisco, California in 2013. She received her Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy from A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona in 2018. Jessica has worked in various pediatric settings including an inpatient behavioral hospital for adolescents 8 to 17 years old, the public school setting for Pre-K to 5th grade, and in-home early intervention for newborns to 3 years of age. Jessica has worked with children with developmental and intellectual delays, Autism, and sensory processing disorders. This includes intervention focused on self-regulation, self-help, visual motor, and fine motor skills to gain independence in daily tasks/routines. Jessica is a member of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). She is interested in obtaining certifications in the future geared toward helping children with feeding challenges related to sensory processing issues.
Jessica’s favorite thing about working in pediatrics is the creativity piece behind therapy. She strongly believes that a collaborative approach with family and other providers is essential to a child’s success in achieving their goals!
Samantha Polak
Occupational
Therapist
Samantha Polak, M.S., OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
CA License #21013
[email protected]
Samantha grew up in a small beach town on the beautiful Jersey Shore. Before relocating to San Diego 2 years ago, Sam received her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science- Kinesiology & Applied Physiology and her minor in Disability Studies from University of Delaware. During her time there, she had the wonderful opportunity to study abroad in South Africa, where she gained countless clinical experiences with diverse populations. After graduation, Sam went on to work as a paraprofessional in an elementary school working with young children with various skills and abilities. There, she fell in love with Occupational Therapy and the distinct value OT can have for children and their families. Sam went on to receive her Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Sam completed her pediatric affiliation with Children’s Specialized Hospital, a renowned children’s hospital in New Jersey. During her time there, she gained clinical experiences working in the pediatric outpatient and long term care settings. In addition, Sam has clinical experience working as an OT for charter schools in the San Diego area. Her areas of expertise include, but are not limited to, the evaluation and treatment of children with gross and fine motor incoordination, sensory processing disorders, prematurity, traumatic brain injuries, autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and developmental delays.
Sam’s passion has always been pediatrics and helping every child reach their full potential through the use of occupation-based treatments that are purposeful and meaningful to each child’s unique needs and preferences. She has a strong desire to enhance independence and quality of life of children and their families through providing the highest quality family-centered care.
Alyssa Kinnear
Physical
Therapist
Alyssa Kinnear, PT, DPT, PCS
Physical Therapist
CA License #34749
[email protected]
Alyssa has been a licensed physical therapist since 2008 and recently became a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy. She graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Dance and went on to obtain her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) at University of Southern California. Alyssa has experience working in private practice with pediatric and orthopedic patients ranging from infants to geriatrics, home care providing Early Intervention services to the 0-3 year population, and school districts with preschool through high school students. She performs gross motor and orthotic evaluations, consultations and treatments and has provided trainings for school staff and parents regarding lifting/handling techniques, equipment, and motor development. Alyssa’s experience includes working with a variety of neurologic, genetic, and orthopedic diagnoses including Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Torticollis, Muscle Diseases, Hypotonia, Traumatic Brain Injuries as well as children with vision and hearing impairments.
Alyssa has received further training including adaptive yoga for children, infant massage, pediatric vestibular rehabilitation, sensory integration, and neurodevelopmental treatments. She is also a professional dancer and dance teacher. Alyssa enjoys working in a team environment and regularly collaborates with Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Behavioral Therapists. She believes families are an integral part of the team to maximize a child’s level of function and independence.
