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
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 outpatient multidisciplinary clinics. LuAnn specializes in pediatric speech and language pathology and has significant experience in Early Intervention and in the diagnosis and treatment of the range of pediatric communication disorders. LuAnn’s experience includes working with children who have diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Global Developmental Delay, Cleft Lip and Palate, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Articulation Disorder, Phonology Disorder, Receptive and Expressive Language Impairment, Pragmatic Language Impairment, Voice Disorder, and Fluency Disorder. LuAnn also 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).
Mary Torres
Front Office
Manager
Mary Torres
Front Office Manager
[email protected]
Mary was born and raised in San Diego, CA. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at University of California, Santa Cruz, where she lived for 5 years. Mary returned to San Diego in 2018 and started working with children pre-k to fourth grade as a teacher’s aide. She then began working with children aged from 3 to 16 with Autism Spectrum Disorder as a Registered Behavior Technician for two and a half years. She provided ABA therapy in-home, in-school and in clinic before beginning her new position at Blast Off in August 2022. Mary is interested in pursuing a Master’s in Psychology or Speech Language Pathology, but is most excited about working with children in the future. Mary is fluent in English and Spanish and currently learning Korean. She loves learning languages because she values connecting with others in the language they are most comfortable speaking. Mary is hoping to one day be able to learn even more languages!
Dana Cruse
Speech-Language
Pathologist
Dana Cruse, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
CA License # 35036
[email protected]
Dana graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Linguistics from the University of California at Davis, where she also competed as a collegiate athlete. While at Davis, Dana worked at the Center for Child and Family studies, a program funded to research interactions influencing children’s development of self, relationships, social-emotional competence, and cognitive development. Post graduation, Dana worked as a preschool teacher, where she learned more about speech-language delays and augmentative and alternative communication. One student in particular motivated Dana to apply to graduate school in order to better support the student’s communication needs. Dana obtained a Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Northern Colorado and is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Her clinical experience includes outpatient for pediatrics and adults, inpatient rehabilitation for pediatrics and adults, and school-based settings, including early childhood, elementary, and high school. She has treated communication disorders associated with autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Down syndrome, hearing loss, intellectual disability, augmentative and alternative communication for gestalt language processors, executive function, and dynamic and temporal tactile cueing. Dana’s goal as a speech-language pathologist is to promote communication skills, self-confidence, and independence at home and within the community.
Sophie Knox
Speech-Language
Pathologist
Sophie Knox M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
CA License # 36594
Sophie received her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2018 and her Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2021 at the University of Vermont. During her graduate studies, Sophie became involved in research examining a caregiver-delivered intervention designed to support personal narrative development in children with autism. After receiving her Master’s degree, Sophie worked at a school in Vermont supporting children with complex communication needs and various developmental disabilities, where she gained experience implementing augmentative and alternative communication and comprehensive literacy instruction. Sophie has clinical experience working with children with autism, language disorders, speech sound disorders, fluency disorders, intellectual disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, childhood apraxia of speech, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. In addition to her clinical work, Sophie pursued further education in Interprofessional Health Sciences at the university of Vermont and developed a passion for collaborating with other clinical professionals. She participated in research projects focusing on language acquisition and development, supporting autobiographical memory and social connection in autism and supporting research partnerships with autistic individuals and their families. Sophie is passionate about providing family-centered, evidence-based services, and her goal is to provide speech-language services in a way that embraces individual differences and fosters inclusivity and support.
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!
Valerie Moore
Occupational
Therapist
Valerie Moore, M.S., OTR/L
Occupational TherapistCA License #23516
[email protected]
Valerie has been working as an Occupational Therapist since 2021. She received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona. She has practiced in Arizona, California, and Maryland. Valerie’s clinical OT experience has included time spent in a pediatric hospital in Arizona, in-home early intervention, and outpatient pediatrics clinics. She has worked with children ranging from 5 months to 18 years old, with various neurological and physical disabilities. Valerie’s areas of expertise include but are not limited to interventions targeting feeding skills, fine and visual motor skills, sensory integration, and social-emotional development. Her passion is not only to advocate the importance of occupational therapy for children, but to also develop strategies to address the specific needs and goals of her clients and their families.
Valerie’s favorite aspect of working in pediatrics is building personal connections with children and their families. She enjoys using play, crafts and other creative methods to challenge children in meeting their goals!
Gina Gerber
Physical
Therapist
Gina Gerber, PT, DPT, CAFS
Physical TherapistCA License #302069
[email protected]
Gina obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from California State University, San Marcos and then received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in 2022. Prior to working at Blast Off, Gina worked in an outpatient setting with adults, children and infants with a range of orthopedic, developmental and neurological conditions. Gina is also certified in Applied Functional Science, and enjoys coming up with interventions which are both fun and functional for her patients. Gina chose to focus on treating pediatric patients because she loves to be creative and have fun during sessions, and working with children brings her joy. She loves collaborating with families and sharing in the excitement of meeting their children’s therapy goals. Gina is also a certified yoga instructor, and in her free time she enjoys travel, cooking, reading and spending time with her two golden retrievers!
