Alli Platter, M.S., CCC-SLP
Alli Platter is a speech-language pathologist with 14 years of experience and the mom of two young daughters. Her experience as a mother has profoundly shaped her practice, giving her insight into the needs of children and families. Alli provides therapy in English and Spanish and creates sessions that are engaging and enjoyable, resulting in higher child participation and meaningful progress toward communication goals. She is passionate about empowering all individuals to communicate effectively.
Clinical Approach
Alli takes a trauma-informed, whole-body approach to feeding and communication therapy. Her sessions focus on neurological functioning to support neuroplasticity and optimize muscle function, helping children achieve safer, more efficient chewing and swallowing skills. She provides functional solutions tailored to each child, including consideration of cultural norms around food and eating.
Alli specializes in early language development, particularly for children who do not yet have a functional mode of communication. She supports children and families in developing skills to self-regulate and decrease frustration.
Working with children on the Autism Spectrum, Alli identifies each child’s passions and interests to foster motivation and develop functional communication skills. She is also skilled in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, tailoring devices and strategies to each individual’s strengths and needs.
Through her coaching-based approach, Alli empowers caregivers to actively engage with their children during daily routines, creating continuity between therapy sessions and home life. Families consistently report meaningful successes and strengthened parent-child connection.
Certifications & Licenses
Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders, University of Kansas
Licensed by the North Carolina Board of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
Certificate of Clinical Competency (CCC) – American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialist
Certified neurological approaches for self-regulation specialist
Pediatric feeding specialist
Certified master clinical instructor and mentors graduate students from surrounding universities on a regular basis.
Tawnya Coates, M.S., CCC-SLP
Tawnya Coates is a speech-language pathologist and the mom of two young boys. Her experience as a mother has profoundly shaped her practice, giving her insight into the needs of children and families. Tawnya creates therapy sessions that are fun, engaging, and motivating, resulting in higher child participation and meaningful progress toward communication goals. She is passionate and energetic about empowering all individuals to communicate effectively.
Clinical Approach
Tawnya specializes in articulation therapy, tailoring interventions to each child’s unique strengths and needs. She also has extensive experience with early pre-verbal language delays, using each child’s passions and interests to foster functional communication skills.
She is highly skilled in the use of sign language, both to support verbal language development and as a primary communication mode for non-verbal children.
Through her coaching-based approach, Tawnya empowers caregivers to actively engage with their children during daily routines, extending strategies practiced in therapy into home life. Families consistently report meaningful progress and strengthened communication.
Certifications & Licenses
Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders, Brigham Young University
Licensed by the North Carolina Board of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
Certificate of Clinical Competency (CCC) – American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Peyton Whitaker, M.S., CCC-SLP
Peyton Whitaker is a Speech-Language Pathologist with extensive pediatric experience. She provides therapy in English, some Spanish, and often incorporates sign language to expand communication opportunities. Peyton’s sessions are tailored to each child’s needs and designed to be fun and engaging. She is enthusiastic, energetic, and passionate about helping every child achieve optimal communication outcomes.
Clinical Approach
Peyton has significant experience supporting children with autism, targeting each child’s unique needs while using strategies to reduce frustration and increase communication skills. She emphasizes relationship-building, getting to know each child’s interests and therapy goals to foster motivation and engagement.
She is also passionate about supporting children who are dysfluent, with a proven track record of helping clients manage stuttering and communication fluency.
Peyton’s approach is coaching-based, empowering caregivers with strategies to reinforce communication outside of therapy, promoting faster progress across settings. She incorporates play-based therapy in functional environments, allowing children to have fun while building practical communication skills.
In addition, Peyton has experience helping children achieve safer and more efficient chewing and swallowing skills, integrating feeding therapy when appropriate.
Certifications & Licenses
Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders, North Carolina Central University
Licensed by the North Carolina Board of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) – American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Ana Polanco Bachman, M.A., ITFS, CBRS
Ana Polanco Bachman is a speech and developmental specialist with extensive pediatric experience, both personally and professionally. As a mother of two young boys, she brings empathy, insight, and passion to her work with children and families. Ana’s love for helping children began early in her academic journey, when she formed a meaningful friendship with a teenager on the Autism spectrum—an experience that profoundly shaped her understanding and approach to developmental differences.
She began her professional career as a service coordinator in Wake County’s Early Intervention Program, gaining extensive knowledge of developmental delays and disabilities while guiding families in finding the best care and services for their children. Ana is known for being a strong advocate for the families she supports and is dedicated to empowering caregivers to help their children reach their full potential.
Although case management is a key part of her skill set, Ana thrives in one-on-one and small-group work with young children, bringing her calm, centered energy as well as her fun, energetic personality to each session. She is described as warm, approachable, and someone who easily forms enriching, therapeutic relationships with children and families.
Clinical Approach
Ana specializes in working with children on the Autism Spectrum and ensures that each child’s unique strengths and needs are directly addressed in every session. She focuses on:
Reducing frustration and building confidence through strength-based strategies
Relationship-building with both the child and family by understanding their interests and goals
Caregiver coaching, teaching strategies to extend learning and communication skills beyond therapy
Functional, play-based therapy in real-life environments to make sessions engaging and meaningful
Maintaining a balance of calm, centered guidance and fun, energetic engagement, helping children stay motivated while feeling relaxed and regulated
Certifications & Licenses
Associate of Arts, Bronx Community College
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, North Carolina State University
Certification of Infant and Toddler Family Specialist (ITFS)
Certified Developmental Therapist (CBRS)