Meet Our Staff
Patti Hamaguchi, M.A, CCC-SLP, Founder
Patti Hamaguchi is the founder and Executive Director of Hamaguchi & Associates. With nearly 40 years of experience working with children, she trains and mentors staff, in addition to the research she does developing tests (RESCA-E, TAPS-4) and the 15 apps she has created on the iTunes Store for Hamaguchi Apps for Speech, Language & Auditory Development. Currently, she is working on the RESCA-ELD (Receptive-Expressive-Social Communication & Play Assessment for Early Language Development) and the ELCI (Early Language & Communication Instrument) for Academic Therapy Publications, which are scheduled for release in 2023, as well as the RESCA-A (Adolescent version of the RESCA) and the Hamaguchi Comprehensive Screening Tests. Patti has also written several books for parents (Childhood Speech, Language & Listening Problems: What Every Parent Should Know: Wily & Sons) as well as speech/audiological professionals (A Metacognitive Approach to Treating Auditory Processing Problems, Pro-Edinc.com ) and classroom teachers (It's Time to Listen). She has been awarded the honor of "Fellow" by the California Speech-Language Hearing Association for outstanding clinical work.
Patti has also participated in research, with the 2022 publication of an article in the Infant & Child Development Journal that examines the use of terminology around the world to discuss and assess social pragmatic disorders in the toddler/preschool population: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/icd.2368
Before becoming a speech pathologist, Patti was a reading teacher, and a classroom teacher in NJ and CT, as well as a Selectman in the town of Brookfield, CT. She is very proud of the amazing, dedicated staff at our practice!
Our Director of Clinical Services
Kristen White, M.A., CCC-SLP, ASDCS
As Director of Clinical Services, Kristen mentors our speech therapy staff, as well as participates in the intake/assessment and review process, and writes assessment reports. She consults with parents and staff speech pathologists as an integral member of each child's therapy team.
Kristen has extensive experience working with children on the autism spectrum, having worked as an ABA therapist prior to starting her career as a speech pathologist, and having recently become a Certified Autism Spectrum Clinical Specialist (ASDCS). She enjoys working with families and professionals to motivate and engage even the most reluctant learners. She also has extensive training in the area of apraxia (PROMPT) and oral-motor speech disorders, using Talktools and other methods to make progress where traditional articulation methods have failed. Kristen has a passion for working with social/play groups, and continues to lead several popular afternoon groups.
Kristen has been an integral part of our diagnostics program, including assisting in the field testing, pilot research and normative studies for several standardized tests (RESCA-E, TAPS4, RESCA-ELD, RESCA-A) which are used around the country or in the final stages of development. In addition, she is the co-author of The Hamaguchi-White Phonemic Awareness Screening & Polysyllabic Word Probe.
Kristen joined our practice in 2008. She and her husband Matt are the proud parents of a little girl, Lucy, and twins Adam and Dylan.
Fiona Poon, M.A., CCC-SLP
Richard Monari, M.S., CCC-SLP
Richard Monari, M.S., CCC-SLP
Fiona graduated from San Jose State University with a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She was the recipient of the Hamaguchi Scholarship at SJSU while a student, due to her outstanding academic and clinical work, as well as rave reviews from her clinical supervisors. So it is with great enthusiasm that we recruited Fiona to
Fiona graduated from San Jose State University with a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She was the recipient of the Hamaguchi Scholarship at SJSU while a student, due to her outstanding academic and clinical work, as well as rave reviews from her clinical supervisors. So it is with great enthusiasm that we recruited Fiona to join our practice in 2016!
Fiona is a cheerful and passionate clinician who enjoys working with children of all ages. Prior to starting her career as a speech-language pathologist, Fiona worked as an ABA therapist for over two years in Los Angeles. She has a special interest and experience in working with children who are on the autism spectrum, Down syndrome, and also those who have auditory deficits (hearing/listening), having worked with children at the Weingarten Children's Center in Redwood City through the Project Aural Impact grant. Fiona is trained in PROMPT, a specialized approach for children with apraxia. She is multilingual and speaks fluent Cantonese, conversational Mandarin, and English. She believes in working closely with parents and families as a team, in order to help their children reach their maximum potential. Fiona loves live music, watching sports, and trying out new restaurants with her friends and family.
Richard Monari, M.S., CCC-SLP
Richard Monari, M.S., CCC-SLP
Richard Monari, M.S., CCC-SLP
Richard joined Hamaguchi & Associates after moving from Boston. Prior to becoming an SLP, he worked in public schools as a literacy interventionist and as a special education paraprofessional. Richard is passionate about empowering and encouraging young people, especially those with communication difficulties. He has experience working
Richard joined Hamaguchi & Associates after moving from Boston. Prior to becoming an SLP, he worked in public schools as a literacy interventionist and as a special education paraprofessional. Richard is passionate about empowering and encouraging young people, especially those with communication difficulties. He has experience working with a variety of disorders, including articulation, dyslexia, auditory processing, apraxia, and social/pragmatic communication, He has a special interest in working with children on the autism spectrum. Richard holds a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, MA. Richard has been with our practice since 2021. He firmly believes that healthy, trusting relationships with clients and their families are key to providing quality treatment. In his spare time, Richard loves playing board games, listening to K-Pop, and hanging out with friends!
Dr. Lexie Li, Ph.D, CCC-SLP
Richard Monari, M.S., CCC-SLP
Grace Hedgecock, M.S., CCC-SLP
Lexie (“Miss Lexie” for the children) holds a Ph.D in Linguistics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from San Jose State University. Prior to joining our practice, Lexie worked in school settings and private practice where she saw a variety of clients, such as children with langu
Lexie (“Miss Lexie” for the children) holds a Ph.D in Linguistics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from San Jose State University. Prior to joining our practice, Lexie worked in school settings and private practice where she saw a variety of clients, such as children with language delays, articulation/ phonological disorders, apraxia, as well as children on the autism spectrum, with further training in auditory processing. Lexie has a bubbly, fun and enthusiastic personality that is a perfect fit for working with children. She’s creative, engaging, and finds a way to connect and motivate even the most reluctant learner.
Lexie believes that building a trusting relationship with parents and families is essential to successful therapy. She enjoys collaborating with families to create personalized treatment plans as well as to facilitate generalization in the child's natural environment.
Lexie is a native Mandarin speaker and loves working with culturally and linguistically diverse clients. In addition to her clinical/therapy passion with English speakers, she has a special interest in bilingual (Mandarin/English) assessment and providing therapy in Mandarin to those children whose primary language is Mandarin.
While Lexie was at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she taught introductory courses in linguistics, academic writing, and psycholinguistics. She transitioned to speech-language pathology because it combines two of her passions: working with speech and language and working with children. Lexie has been with our practice since 2021.
In her free time, Lexie enjoys hiking, watching sports, and playing with her corgi "Bucky"!
Grace Hedgecock, M.S., CCC-SLP
Grace Hedgecock, M.S., CCC-SLP
Grace Hedgecock, M.S., CCC-SLP
Grace joins us at Hamaguchi & Associates with experience in the public schools and hospitals, working with children from early intervention to high school. She is a passionate clinician who knows how to have fun and motivate the children she works with, but also understands the importance of collaboration between parents and families to
Grace joins us at Hamaguchi & Associates with experience in the public schools and hospitals, working with children from early intervention to high school. She is a passionate clinician who knows how to have fun and motivate the children she works with, but also understands the importance of collaboration between parents and families to help with the generalization of goals. Grace has had additional training with apraxia (PROMPT-trained) autism, early intervention, articulation disorders, auditory processing, and language development. Prior to becoming a speech-language pathologist, Grace worked with autistic children as a Registered Behavior Technician in ABA for 2 years. Grace graduated from San Jose State University with a master’s degree is Speech Language Pathology and is an ASHA Clinical Fellow. In her free time, she enjoys making boba, playing board/card games, snowboarding, and running. One of her bucket list items is to run a marathon.
Leslie Liu, M.S., CCC-SLP
Grace Hedgecock, M.S., CCC-SLP
Leslie Liu, M.S., CCC-SLP
Leslie joins Hamaguchi & Associates with a strong background in working with children who need help with language, auditory processing, articulation, apraxia (PROMPT-trained), and autism spectrum disorders, including gestalt language processors and AAC (assistive and augmentative communication systems). Leslie has an intermediate grasp
Leslie joins Hamaguchi & Associates with a strong background in working with children who need help with language, auditory processing, articulation, apraxia (PROMPT-trained), and autism spectrum disorders, including gestalt language processors and AAC (assistive and augmentative communication systems). Leslie has an intermediate grasp of Mandarin, having grown up in a bilingual home, thus she is excited to work with speech-delayed Mandarin/English speakers. Leslie also speaks some very basic Japanese and Spanish. Leslie holds a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from San Jose State University and is an ASHA Clinical Fellow. In her free time, Leslie enjoys drinking boba, searching up and trying Hot and New restaurants on Yelp, singing karaoke in Japanese-style karaoke rooms, traveling, and delighting in “doggos” at dog parks (and wherever she goes).
Sharon Lau, M.S., CCC-SLP
Grace Hedgecock, M.S., CCC-SLP
Leslie Liu, M.S., CCC-SLP
Sharon joins Hamaguchi and Associates after working in a private practice setting for several years. She has experience with a wide, diverse caseload, including children with language delays, articulation/ phonological disorders, apraxia, as well as children on the autism spectrum. A native English speaker, she is multilingual and speaks
Sharon joins Hamaguchi and Associates after working in a private practice setting for several years. She has experience with a wide, diverse caseload, including children with language delays, articulation/ phonological disorders, apraxia, as well as children on the autism spectrum. A native English speaker, she is multilingual and speaks fluent English, Cantonese and conversational Mandarin. As a therapist, Sharon believes in building strong relationships with children and their families and developing individualized treatment approaches that best support the child’s communication strengths and needs. Sharon graduated from CSU East Bay with a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and holds the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Certificate of Clinical Competency. Outside of the office, Sharon likes to spend time with her friends and family over a delicious meal, recreating recipes she learned from Youtube, and travel!
Laurel Cuyle, MA, CF-SLP
Emily Guenin, M.A., CCC-SLP
Emily Guenin, M.A., CCC-SLP
Laurel joins Hamaguchi and Associates after moving from Southern California. As an SLP, she has worked with a wide variety of clients, including children with articulation/phonological disorders, language delays, apraxia, as well as children on the autism spectrum. Her areas of interest include early intervention, gestalt language process
Laurel joins Hamaguchi and Associates after moving from Southern California. As an SLP, she has worked with a wide variety of clients, including children with articulation/phonological disorders, language delays, apraxia, as well as children on the autism spectrum. Her areas of interest include early intervention, gestalt language processing, and AAC (assistive and augmentative communication systems). Laurel is passionate about providing quality care and empowering families to participate in the therapy process. She loves building relationships with her clients/families and making sessions fun! Laurel holds a master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Iowa, and has worked in a private practice before joining us. In her free time, she enjoys singing, spending time with friends and family, visiting new coffee shops, and reading.
Laurel will be taking on most of Lexie’s caseload during her maternity leave, as well as some new children!
Emily Guenin, M.A., CCC-SLP
Emily Guenin, M.A., CCC-SLP
Emily Guenin, M.A., CCC-SLP
Emily lives in Ohio, after working with us in our Cupertino office for four years, but she remains an important part of our team, as she now sees children via teletherapy! Emily has a special interest in articulation/phonological disorders, language delays, social-pragmatic language, hearing loss, and working with children on the autism s
Emily lives in Ohio, after working with us in our Cupertino office for four years, but she remains an important part of our team, as she now sees children via teletherapy! Emily has a special interest in articulation/phonological disorders, language delays, social-pragmatic language, hearing loss, and working with children on the autism spectrum. Emily has received advanced training in working with children with hearing loss using an Auditory-Verbal therapy approach. She is also trained in PROMPT, a specialized approach for children with apraxia. As a therapist, Emily believes in collaborating with parents and families to help develop individualized treatment approaches to ensure that each child’s unique communication needs are met. Emily enjoys spending time with family and friends, running, biking, hiking.
Colleen Diaz, M.S, CCC-SLP
Emily Guenin, M.A., CCC-SLP
Colleen Diaz, M.S, CCC-SLP
Colleen sees children for Saturday morning teletherapy sessions only. Colleen is an energetic and compassionate therapist who prides herself in her ability to build rapport with children and families she works with. She is originally from Virginia (Go Hoos!) and moved to the Bay Area in 2018. Colleen has experience working with childr
Colleen sees children for Saturday morning teletherapy sessions only. Colleen is an energetic and compassionate therapist who prides herself in her ability to build rapport with children and families she works with. She is originally from Virginia (Go Hoos!) and moved to the Bay Area in 2018. Colleen has experience working with children from birth to 11 years of age with various diagnoses such as autism spectrum disorder, speech delay, articulation disorders, Down syndrome, and receptive and expressive language disorders in an outpatient clinic setting and private practice. Colleen has received advanced training in Hanen More Than Words for children on the spectrum and Kaufman Treatment Approach for childhood apraxia of speech. She is also trained in the use of two AAC systems: PECS and LAMP (Language Acquisition through Motor Planning). In therapy, Colleen believes in the value of collaborating among colleagues and parents. Providing families with a “toolkit” full of strategies allows them to feel empowered and helps create a lasting impact on children within their natural home environment. In her free time, Colleen enjoys trying out new cuisines with her fiancé, hiking, and exploring parks with her pet rabbit.
Our Office Manager & Assistant
Candace Carson-Brunt, Office Manager
Since joining Hamaguchi and Associates in 2013, Candace quickly won over the hearts of staff and clients alike. She has exceptional organizational skills and ensures operations run smoothly, all with a smile! Candace has over 15 years of administrative experience and previously taught swim lessons to kids and adults alike. In her spare time, she can primarily be found spending time outdoors with her husband Andrew and son, Silas.
Carol Cabri, Office Assistant
Carol grew up in San Francisco. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Economics from Principia College in Illinois. She had over 15 years of administrative and product marketing experience in the high tech industry before staying home to raise her two daughters, Cate and Julia, who are now in college. She and her husband Frank live in San Jose with their dog Ollie and their daughters when they are home from school. Carol loves to cook, hike and read.
Our Office/Group Aides
Kimberly Nguyen Group/Office Aide
Sowmya Kumar Group/Office Aide
Sowmya Kumar Group/Office Aide
A San Jose native, Kim has her bachelor's degree in Communicative Disorders and Sciences from San Jose State University. A busy bee at heart, she divides her time between working at our office, working at the Morgan Center with children and adults with autism, and being a social media/community outreach manager at a dance studio speciali
A San Jose native, Kim has her bachelor's degree in Communicative Disorders and Sciences from San Jose State University. A busy bee at heart, she divides her time between working at our office, working at the Morgan Center with children and adults with autism, and being a social media/community outreach manager at a dance studio specializing in urban choreography. In her spare time, she loves going to concerts and spending time with her friends and family
Sowmya Kumar Group/Office Aide
Sowmya Kumar Group/Office Aide
Sowmya Kumar Group/Office Aide
Sowmya (pronounced "SO-myuh") is a Bay Area native. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Santa Clara University along with minors in Anthropology and Japanese. She currently splits her time between working at our office, working with teenagers with autism at the Morgan Autism Center, and assisting her father with runn
Sowmya (pronounced "SO-myuh") is a Bay Area native. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Santa Clara University along with minors in Anthropology and Japanese. She currently splits her time between working at our office, working with teenagers with autism at the Morgan Autism Center, and assisting her father with running his business. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, creative journaling and scoping out new places for vegetarian food!
Leina Pada Group/Office Aide
Sowmya Kumar Group/Office Aide
Dani Douvikas Group/Office Aide
Leina (pronounced "lay-nuh") is a native of San Jose. Her passion for helping others led her to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders. With a heart dedicated to making a positive impact on people's lives, she aspires to become a speech-language pathologist. In her leisure time, she finds solace in being outdoors
Leina (pronounced "lay-nuh") is a native of San Jose. Her passion for helping others led her to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders. With a heart dedicated to making a positive impact on people's lives, she aspires to become a speech-language pathologist. In her leisure time, she finds solace in being outdoors. Whether it's hiking, playing pickle-ball, or simply soaking up the sun, she enjoys the beauty of nature. Equally important to her is the time spent with her friends & family!
Dani Douvikas Group/Office Aide
Dani Douvikas Group/Office Aide
Dani Douvikas Group/Office Aide
Dani has a background in aquatics and education. Recently, she has worked as a speech pathology intern in the high school setting. Currently, she is pursuing her master’s degree while homeschooling her daughter, Kayla. She teaches her daughter reading and English while her husband takes the lead in the STEM subjects. During her leisure ti
Dani has a background in aquatics and education. Recently, she has worked as a speech pathology intern in the high school setting. Currently, she is pursuing her master’s degree while homeschooling her daughter, Kayla. She teaches her daughter reading and English while her husband takes the lead in the STEM subjects. During her leisure time, Dani values spending quality time with her daughter, often through shared reading and participating in Girl Scouts.
Kendyll Owens Group/Office Aide
Dani Douvikas Group/Office Aide
Kendyll Owens Group/Office Aide
As a San Jose native, Kendyll Owens has a background in serving the Bay Area community especially by instructing children with disabilities. Kendyll holds a Bachelor’s in English Writing and a Master of Public Affairs. She will begin a special education teaching credential program in 2024. In her free time, she loves to read, write and travel.
Theresa Khong Group/Office Aide
Dani Douvikas Group/Office Aide
Kendyll Owens Group/Office Aide
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Theresa earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University. She has worked as a Behavior Intervention Therapist for the past 6 years, gaining experience with children aged 2 to 18 with various diagnoses such as autism spectrum disorder and Down Syndrome. Through her work, she ha
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Theresa earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University. She has worked as a Behavior Intervention Therapist for the past 6 years, gaining experience with children aged 2 to 18 with various diagnoses such as autism spectrum disorder and Down Syndrome. Through her work, she has developed a strong passion for making a meaningful impact on people's lives and a desire to empower others to find their voice for self-advocacy. With her sights set on a career as a speech-language pathologist, she is currently pursuing a 2nd Bachelor’s in Communication Disorders and Deaf Education to later pursue a master's degree. In her free time, she enjoys challenging herself with escape rooms, traveling, attending concerts, and spending time with family and friends