History of Developmental Therapy Services of Sacramento
Carolyn Ecker started Developmental Therapy Services of Sacramento in 2003. It started as a small private practice with just Carolyn, to adding more occupational therapists and growing into Developmental Occupational Therapy, PC in 2020. In 2021, the company continued to expand by adding on speech and feeding therapy services and changing their name to Developmental Therapy Services of Sacramento (DTS of Sac). Now DTS of Sac is a company with 25 clinicians ready to provide occupational, speech, and feeding services to the greater Sacramento area!
Meet Your Occupational Therapists
Carolyn Ecker
MOT OTR/L CEO Occupational Therapist
Carolyn graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA with a Bachelor in Biology. She then earned her Master of Occupational Therapy from Samuel Merritt College in Oakland, CA. Since graduating in 1997, Carolyn has had experience in multiple settings including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, schools and home-based services. Her primary area of practice has been pediatrics for the last +16 years.
Sarah McMills
MOT OTR/L Occupational Therapist
Sarah graduated from Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY. She received both her Bachelor of Occupational Science and Master of Occupational Therapy. She moved to Sacramento from Athens, OH and Sarah started as an intern with Developmental Therapy Services of Sacramento. Sarah is now a full-time therapist and she loves working with children and their families. She takes pride in providing personalized services to her clients.
Gaby Corona
MOT OTR/L Occupational Therapist
Gaby graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She then completed her Master’s in Occupational Therapy at San Jose State University. Gaby is enthusiastic and passionate about helping each child reach their fullest potential through fun, engaging, child-centered therapy. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, and being outdoors. She looks forward to working with children and their families at Developmental Therapy Services of Sacramento!
Markayla Cozzoli
MOT OTR/L Occupational Therapist
Markayla graduated from San Jose State University in 2022 with her Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy. Previously she attended UC Irvine where she earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in Public Health Policy in 2018. Her lifelong passion of working with children through coaching youth sports, volunteering in horse therapy clinics and previous experience as a behavior technician has played a part in her journey to becoming a pediatric OTR. She is excited to work with kiddos and their families in the school, clinic, and home settings through DTS of Sacramento.
Madisson Walker
MOT OTR/L Occupational Therapist
Maddie graduated from Dominican University of California with her Bachelors of Health Science and Masters of Occupational Therapy. She enjoys painting and spending time with friends and family on weekends. She is creative and energetic and has always strived to work in a pediatric setting to help children reach their goals and gain more independence in life. She is excited to start working with children and their families at Developmental Therapy Services!
Lisa Smith
COTA/L Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
Lisa began her career as an educator, with a Bachelor in Elementary Education from Concordia University, Nebraska, and a Masters in Special Education from CSU Sacramento. After 15 years as a classroom teacher, she returned to school and completed the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Sacramento City College. Since then she has enjoyed providing occupational therapy to children in school-based settings.
Heather Perez
COTA Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
Heather graduated from Sacramento City College with an Associate of Science degree to become an Occupational Therapy Assistant. Heather has always enjoyed working with children, whether teaching Kindergarten Sunday School or being a caregiver for preschool children. She aspires to provide child centered therapy to promote each child’s full potential. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking and exploring the outdoors!
Lillian Ricchuito
COTA Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant
Lillian graduated from PIMA Medical Institute in 2017 with her associates in Occupational Studies. Lillian started her career as an Occupational Therapy Assistant in schools but has also spent time in skilled nursing, pediatric outpatient clinics, and pediatric home health. Lillian currently spends her time in schools and in home early intervention. In her free time she spends her days outdoors hiking, camping, and exploring with her husband and three dogs.
Meet Your Speech Therapists
Kelly Louney
MS, CCC-SLP Speech and Language Pathologist, Director of Speech Therapy
Kelly graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology and Audiology 2000. In 2003, she received her Master of Speech Pathology from California State University, Sacramento. Kelly has experience working with clients of all ages from early intervention to adulthood. She has a passion for clients on the autism spectrum, clients with challenging behaviors and supervision within her field.
Melissa Seiter
MS, CCC-SLP Speech and Language Pathologist & Feeding Therapist
Melissa received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree at CSU, Chico. Since, she has worked with the pediatric population in the clinical and public school settings. She enjoys providing quality intervention that focuses on the whole child as well as providing parent education to families. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking, reading, and taking cycling classes. She looks forward to working with the families at Developmental Therapy Services of Sacramento!
Marcella Mojibi
MS, CCC-SLP Speech and Language Pathologist
Marcella graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology and Audiology in 2007 and a Master of Science in Speech Pathology in 2009. Marcella specializes in Augmentative and Alternative Communication and has experience with clients of all ages from early intervention to adulthood.
Jennifer Brickley
MA, CCC-SLP Speech and Language Pathologist
Jennifer graduated from California State University, Chico with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology in 2000. In 2004, she received her Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders from California State, Chico. Jennifer has experience working with children in multiple settings including school, home and clinic, as well as adults in the medical setting. She has a passion for assessing and treating preschool children and supervision within the field.
Hannah Smith
MS, CF-SLP Speech and Language Pathologist
Hannah received both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from California State University, Sacramento. She completed internships specializing in pediatric service delivery in public schools and at UC Davis Medical Center. She has a deep-rooted passion for pediatric feeding and play-based, holistic speech and language intervention for families and clients. She loves outdoor adventures, photography, and relaxing with a good book. She looks forward to joining the team and serving the families at Developmental Therapy Services of Sacramento!
Alyssa Hammit
MS, CF-SLP Speech and Language Pathologist
Alyssa graduated with her master’s degree from California State University of Sacramento. She completed a medical internship at Sutter Health of Sacramento in the NICU/PICU working with children diagnosed with a variety of disorders. She enjoys sensory-based therapy activities and creating a naturalistic environment for all age ranges of children. Some of her hobbies include baking, getting her hands dirty with gardening, and trying new food places.
Tyler Henderson
MS, CF-SLP Speech and Language Pathologist
Tyler graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor of Science in Speech- Language Pathology and Audiology in 2014. In 2023, she received a Master’s of Science from New York University, Steinhardt in Communicative Sciences and Disorders. Tyler strives to meet her clients where they are developmentally and support families in their understanding of their child’s plan of care. Tyler has experience working with neurodiverse and neurotypical children of all ages in a variety of settings. She is proud to provide neurodiversity affirming care, and has a particular interest in early intervention and preschool therapy. She utilizes play-based child-led therapy that actively integrates the child’s interests and promotes meaningful connections to the world and those around them. Tyler looks forward to the ongoing collaboration with other disciplines to better understand and support her kids’ sensory needs. Outside of DTS, you can find Tyler enjoying the California sunshine with her husband Charles, spending time with friends and family, paddleboarding, and following a new recipe in her kitchen.
Kathleen “Katie” Abendroth
Ph.D, CCC-SLP BCS-CL Speech and Language Pathologist
Kathleen “Katie” Abendroth is originally from Virginia and has been an SLP since 2007. She earned her Ph.D. in Applied Language and Speech Science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Dr. Abendroth has lived in the Sacramento, CA area since 2022. She works at California State University, Sacramento and part-time with Developmental Therapy Services (DTS). She has worked with children and adults as a speech-language pathologist, and really enjoys working with middle- and high-school students. Her research interests include developmental language disorders, neurodiverse-affirming practices, and how family members respond to communication differences. Outside of work, Katie enjoys spending time with her kids and dog, yoga, reading, traveling, and skiing.
Katie Garcia
SLPA Speech and Language Pathologist Assistant
Katie graduated from MiraCosta Community College in Oceanside, CA with an Early Childhood Education degree and continued her education in Sacramento graduating from California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2022. She completed the SLPA program with CSU, Sacramento in the summer of 2022. Katie began her SLPA journey as an intern with Developmental Therapy Services and is currently working with clients of all ages in the school setting and in the clinic. Katie is passionate about helping her clients be successful with their goals through play based therapy. In her free time, Katie loves going on adventures with her family.
Katie Barbao
SLPA Speech and Language Pathologist Assistant
Katie graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor in Communication Sciences and Disorders while also teaching at a preschool. She graduated from a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant program at Loma Linda University in California where she gained experience working with elementary and middle school children. Katie’s passion is working with infants and young children and she is excited to take part in helping families with Developmental Therapy Services of Sacramento.
Shawn McFetridge
SLPA Speech and Language Pathologist Assistant
Shawn graduated from Mills College with a Bachelor in Art History. She studied art history and French at La Sorbonne in Paris, France. In 1998 she received a certificate in pastry arts from the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, CA and worked as a pastry chef for twenty years. Most recently, Shawn received an AS in Speech-Language Pathology from American River College. Her passion is speech-language disorders in the elementary population and helping children reach their full communication potential. She is excited to bring her school and clinic-based experience to clients in school based settings. Shawn loves animals, reading, cycling, crossword puzzles, and cooking.
Lizzy Lewis
SLPA Speech and Language Pathologist Assistant
Lizzy began her career as an early intervention educator with a Bachelors in Liberal Arts from Simpson University. She recently graduated from CSU Sacramento with a Bachelors in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She has a passion for providing play-based, sensory-rich and child-led therapy with a focus on caregiver education. Lizzy loves reading, scuba diving, and traveling. She is excited to take part in helping families with Developmental Therapy Services of Sacramento!
Ivonne Ochoa Torres
SLPA Speech and Language Pathologist Assistant
Ivonne graduated from CSUS with a Bachelors in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2021. She is excited to grow in this field and continue to gain experience to provide the best services to clients and families with a wide range of disorders. Her passion is working with children and helping create communication opportunities wherever possible.
Heather Barmby
SLPA Speech and Language Pathologist Assistant
Heather graduated from Pacific University in 2015 with a bachelor’s in Public Health. Before graduating from the Speech-Language Pathology Assistant program at American River College, Heather worked as a Behavior Technician and Behavior Specialist where she gained experience working with elementary aged children. She is excited to grow in this field and to work with clients and their families. Heather loves cats, cooking, and movies.
Tessa Ngo
SLPA Speech and Language Pathologist Assistant
Tessa graduated with a Bachelors in Speech Pathology from Sacramento State. She went on to receive her SLPA certification at San Joaquin Delta College. She has experience working in both the clinical and public school settings. She works with pediatric clients ranging from ages 2 all the way up to 18. Tessa is passionate about helping children expand their communication skills. In her off time, Tessa enjoys spending time with her family (plus her two cats), cooking, working out and watching true crime. She looks forward to growing in her field and joining the team here at Developmental Therapy Services.
Katie Walker
SLPA Speech and Language Pathologist Assistant
Katie graduated from CSU Sacramento with a Bachelor in Communication Sciences and Disorders as well as the Speech Language Pathology Assistant program. Katie has enjoyed working with children of all ages before graduating and she is excited to turn that experience toward providing speech and language services to families and students at DTS. Katie loves baking, music, and spending time outdoors.
Lindsay Graham
SLPA Speech and Language Pathologist Assistant
Lindsay graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor’s of Science in Speech Pathology & Audiology in 2007. She completed the SLPA program at Delta College in Stockton. Throughout the years, Lindsay gained experience working with clients of all ages from early intervention to adulthood. Lindsay has a passion working with school age children and being a part of their communication growth.
Meet your office administrators
Tracey Jule
Office Manager
Tracey graduated from Sacramento State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She has worked as a job coach for adults with developmental disabilities, as office staff in a birth center and in a real estate appraiser office. Tracey enjoys camping, traveling and spending time with her family.
Neli
Front Desk
Neli is a recent graduate from Sacramento State that earned a Bachelors in Psychology. She will be pursuing a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy with an emphasis on children! Neli has two dogs; a husky and a french bulldog. The husky and Neli love the outdoors, a favorite activity to do together is hiking! Neli and her frenchie enjoy paddle boarding as they get to lounge around, enjoy the water and take up the sun!
Support Staff
Carrie Sehon-Sabillon
Administrative Assistant
Carrie graduated from California State University, Chico with a Bachelor of Arts in English with an option in Education in 2001. Carrie has always been passionate about education and has a special interest in Special Education. She loves the energy of being onsite in the school setting and loves her interactions with students.