Meet our Speech Therapy Team
 Claire Burgos, MA, CCC-SLP
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Claire Burgos, MA, CCC-SLP
Claire is an award-winning Licensed Speech Pathologist who joined Kinera Foundation in 2022. She is from Williamsville, NY and a graduate of George Washington University. She has specialty training in the use of Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP) Words for Life (WFL), a therapeutic approach based on neurological and motor learning principles. The goal is to give individuals who are nonverbal or have limited verbal abilities a method of independently and spontaneously expressing themselves in any setting. LAMP Words for Life is designed to meet the communication needs of children with autism. It combines the power of PRC’s Unity® language system and Language Acquisition through Motor Planning (LAMP™), a proven-therapeutic approach that uses consistent motor plans for accessing vocabulary. Claire has also had extensive training in The DIR®/Floortime® Model, which promotes development by encouraging children to interact with parents and others through play. This therapy is designed for autistic children and children with other developmental disorders. It’s recommended that children start this therapy as early as possible. In her free time, Claire enjoys music, travel, reading and time with family. |
Abigail Brannon - Horney
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Abby Brannon-Horney
Speech Language Pathology |
Cathy Kusmin, MA, CCC-SLP
Cathy is a speech-language pathologist with many years of experience in different settings–providing treatment for adults in home care and nursing homes and children in private practice. She also brings 7 years of experience working as a preschool teacher with typically developing 2-year-olds, which informed her belief that, as Ross Greene says, ‘children do well when they can’ and her love of sensory play and play-based therapy.
Cathy has been a Certified Autism Specialist for nearly 10 years through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). She has completed numerous Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) continuing education trainings, including the LAMP Words for Life training program, and works with AAC users both in person and via teletherapy. Cathy has also completed several Hanen certifications (More Than Words, Target Word) and the Meaningful Speech course on Gestalt Language Processing and Natural Language Acquisition. Cathy strongly believes in meeting the child/teen where they are, finding what motivates them, and empowering them and their families to enhance their multimodal communication through a strengths-based neurodiversity affirming approach.
Cathy, who grew up in Delaware, but has lived in Montgomery County, MD, for many years, received her M.A. in speech-language pathology from the University of Maryland at College Park and maintains her certification (CCC-SLP) through ASHA. Cathy joined Kinera in July 2024. She enjoys spending time with her husband, 2 young adult daughters, and 3 cats. Cathy enjoys reading, travel, and nature.
Cathy is a speech-language pathologist with many years of experience in different settings–providing treatment for adults in home care and nursing homes and children in private practice. She also brings 7 years of experience working as a preschool teacher with typically developing 2-year-olds, which informed her belief that, as Ross Greene says, ‘children do well when they can’ and her love of sensory play and play-based therapy.
Cathy has been a Certified Autism Specialist for nearly 10 years through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES). She has completed numerous Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) continuing education trainings, including the LAMP Words for Life training program, and works with AAC users both in person and via teletherapy. Cathy has also completed several Hanen certifications (More Than Words, Target Word) and the Meaningful Speech course on Gestalt Language Processing and Natural Language Acquisition. Cathy strongly believes in meeting the child/teen where they are, finding what motivates them, and empowering them and their families to enhance their multimodal communication through a strengths-based neurodiversity affirming approach.
Cathy, who grew up in Delaware, but has lived in Montgomery County, MD, for many years, received her M.A. in speech-language pathology from the University of Maryland at College Park and maintains her certification (CCC-SLP) through ASHA. Cathy joined Kinera in July 2024. She enjoys spending time with her husband, 2 young adult daughters, and 3 cats. Cathy enjoys reading, travel, and nature.
Visit our main Speech Therapy page to learn more about the pediatric speech services being offered through The Kinera Foundation.