“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
- Steve Jobs
ABOUT OUR FOUNDER
Melanie Cap M.S., CCC-SLP is the director and founder of CAP Speech Therapy. Originally from Connecticut, Melanie has been a valued member of the South Florida community since 2006 and now divides her time between Florida and Kauai. She holds licensure in both Florida and Hawaii and is a certified member of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). Additionally, she is Beckman Oral Motor Certified and holds a degree in Deaf studies.
She has been a treating therapist in pediatrics for more than a decade, after receiving a Master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University. Since then, she has worked in a variety of settings such as: outpatient clinics, private schools, Montessori schools, daycares, and home health for birth to age 3. In these settings, she was able to experience first hand how closely communication success and natural environment played a role in determining a child’s rate of progress. By becoming part of a child’s weekly routine, she was able to establish meaningful rapport with caregivers and began to train and tailor ideas to facilitate language in each child’s specific natural environmental setting.
In 2013, Melanie realized that her passion for her career had outgrown her current opportunities. Driven by a desire to make a significant impact on her community, she decided to establish her own practice, and thus, CAP Speech Therapy was born. She invites you to be part of the family and watch the growth of your child’s speech and language blossom!
Jillian Goodman M.S., CCC-SLP
Jillian joined CAP Speech Therapy in 2022. She went to Nova Southeastern University and graduated in 2019. She worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant (SLPA) while she was in graduate school, in order to gain even more experience in the field. She has worked in a variety of different settings such as: NICU, acute care, outpatient clinics, private/public schools and home health. Jillian has worked with a variety of different disorders disorders and specializes in the areas of: Autism, apraxia, articulation/phonological disorders, receptive/expressive language, cognition, voice, fluency, pragmatics, and feeding/swallowing disorders. Jillian is so happy to be a part of the CAP therapy team and bring out the best in each and every child she sees!
Ashely Turner M.S., CCC-SLP
Ashley, born and raised in South Florida, holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the University of North Florida and a master’s in speech-language pathology from Nova Southeastern University. With over 10 years of experience between these fields, she has worked in schools, private clinics, and home health settings, developing a well-rounded skill set. Her background in child development and specialized training in speech pathology enable her to address the diverse needs of children with communication challenges. Ashely provides individualized, evidence-based therapy, collaborates with multidisciplinary teams in schools, and offers personalized home health and clinic sessions. She is dedicated to the holistic development of children, creating comprehensive plans that support their academic, social, and emotional growth while fostering collaboration with families and professionals.
Brittany Benavides M.S.,CCC-SLP
Brittany Benavides is originally a South Texas native, but has resided in Florida since 2018. She attended West Texas A&M University in Amarillo, where she received her Master’s of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. Throughout her career, Brittany has worked in outpatient clinics where she provided speech, feeding, and language services to clients ranging from infancy to the elderly. She also has extensive experience working in Broward County Public Schools as a speech therapist and former elementary teacher. Brittany has worked with a variety of children with diagnoses and delays of all ranges (Autism, Developmental Delay, Apraxia, Feeding Difficulties, and much more). When she is not collaborating with families/caregivers and servicing the needs of children, she enjoys going to the beach, running, spending time with her dog, and doing puzzles.
Katrina Lica M.S., CCC-SLP
Katrina obtained her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in 2015 and her Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Columbia University in 2017. She holds licensure in Florida and is a certified member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
During her career, Katrina has provided adult and pediatric evaluations and treatment in a variety of settings including hospitals, schools, early intervention home health, daycares, outpatient clinics and research labs. She has experience with articulation, voice, fluency, expressive and receptive language, cognitive linguistic and swallowing disorders.
Katrina is excited to join the CAP speech therapy to provide patient and family centered care and caregiver education and training.
Lea DeLosa M.S.Ed, CCC-SLP
Lea joined CAP Speech in 2024. She attended the University of Miami for her undergraduate degree. Before obtaining her masters degree, she taught English as a foreign language in Italy and Japan. She completed her masters degree in communication sciences and disorders at the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY.
Since graduating, Lea has worked in a variety of settings including Palm Beach County Schools, Broward County Schools, private clinic, and a prescribed pediatric extended care (PPEC). She has treated individuals with language impairments, fluency disorders, hearing loss, speech impairment, intellectual disability, and Autism.
Lea is excited to be a part of CAP Speech and looks forward to working with you and your child!
Sharon Hernandez M.S.,CCC-SLP
Sharon Hernandez is a dedicated speech-language pathologist with over five years of experience working with children from birth to 18 years old. She earned her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Florida International University (FIU) and has since been making a significant impact in South Florida. Sharon specializes in diagnosing and treating speech, language, and communication disorders, providing personalized care to help each child reach their full potential. Her commitment to her patients and passion for her field make her a trusted and compassionate professional in the community.
Ahailia Singh M.S.,CCC-SLP
Ahailia Singh obtained her Bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from the University of Central Florida and her Master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Nova Southeastern University. Ahailia has worked in a variety of settings including schools, home health, and private clinics. She specializes in therapeutic services for a wide range of speech and language disorders such as receptive/expressive language, articulation, and AAC. She is dedicated to providing quality care and implementing evidence-based practices with a client-centered approach. Outside of work, Ahailia enjoys going to Disney with her husband and daughter as well as trying new restaurants.
Jessica Palumbo
Jessica Palumbo is our remote administrative assistant. She has been with CAP Speech since October 2016 and lives in Massachusetts with her husband and three young children. Jessica is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. She received her degree from Keiser University in 2009 and primarily worked in outpatient clinics until becoming a mom in 2014. Her specialty and passion is working with children with Sensory Processing Disorders. Jessica’s Occupational Therapy knowledge and experience in the therapy community is an integral part of her position as our administrative assistant.
Dr. Gabriella Bologna, OTD, OTR/L
Hello, my name is Gabriella. I am an Occupational Therapist certified in sensory integration. I graduated from Nova Southeastern University in 2021 and have since gained diverse experience working in mental health clinics, traumatic brain injury units, ER and ICU units, and outpatient pediatric clinics. I completed my residency at North Broward Prepatory School, focusing my capstone on program development.
I am passionate about child development, neuroscience, and sensory integration, and I am dedicated to improving your child’s quality of life. I am excited to collaborate with CAP Speech Therapy to provide comprehensive and integrated services that empower your child to confidently take on the world.
Jennifer Llado, MS, MS, CCC-SLP
Certified Brain Health Professional Coach
Jennifer is the co-founder of Mindful.Ed and has joined forces with CAP Speech Therapy to provide Brain Health Coaching. Jennifer has nearly two decades of experience as a speech-language pathologist working with adult and pediatric clients. She earned a Master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Towson University and a Master’s degree in Leadership from Northeastern University.
In 2014, she began to realize that speech therapy gains were more likely to be realized when combined with evidence-based lifestyle modifications. Looking at the body holistically is the key. Addressing every area that effects the brain including diet, nutritional deficiencies, environmental toxins and even stress can make a profound difference in brain health, leading to better performance in therapy. This inspired Jennifer to become a certified Brain Health Professional Coach through Amen Clinics. Jennifer has also become a subject-matter expert in mindfulness and meditation. Since 2015, she has co-created and instructed several continuing education courses taken by thousands of clinicians nationwide. Jennifer’s expertise in mindfulness and mindful parenting takes her brain health coaching to the next level.
Jennifer is committed to utilizing cutting-edge science and compassionate care to optimize brains of all ages!