Dawn is a speech-language pathologist at The Carruth Center. Dawn attended Baylor University, where she earned both a BA in Communication Disorders and a MS in Speech Pathology and Audiology.

Dawn was hired by Robbin Parish, the founder of The Parish School, in 1993. She has worked a variety of roles in all three levels of early childhood during her over 30 years with Parish, both as an SLP and in leadership positions. She was most recently an early childhood speech-language pathologist and educator in the Dinosaurs class until her retirement in 2025. She was awarded the Golden Oak Award at The Parish School's 17th Annual "Giving Voice to Children" Luncheon. Dawn has also served as a consultant at UT’s Children’s Learning Institute and has given various lectures at the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA) and Baylor Medical Center, among others.

In addition to language development, Dawn specializes in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Social Thinking® and executive function in pre-school. Dawn is inspired by the progress she sees in her students and the words of appreciation she gets from parents, who continue to contact her long after their children have moved on from The Parish School. She says, “I know I’m making a difference in the children’s lives, as well as their family’s lives.”

In her spare time, Dawn enjoys pilates, reading, traveling and spending time with her family.

Dawn was The Parish School’s “Teacher of the Year” in 2019.

Laurie Stempien, LCSW-S, RPT is a therapist at The Carruth Center. She earned a Master of Science in Social Work, with a concentration in clinical studies, from the University of Houston in 2010. She is a licensed clinical social worker and registered play therapist. Laurie has worked in various settings providing social work and therapy services to children, adolescents and families for 15 years. Laurie uses a combination of various treatments in sessions, including child-centered play therapy, Adlerian play therapy, EMDR, somatic integration, parts work, sand tray, attachment/connection-based therapy and mindfulness. Laurie provides a mindful, kind and genuine environment, where clients are able to express themselves and feel safe. She is confident that every person can discover and access their intrinsic strengths and unique qualities. She is very passionate about providing the time and space for her clients to express and explore their thoughts, feelings and heal.​

​In her free time, Laurie enjoys spending time with her family, friends and dogs, skateboarding, surfing, reading, practicing yoga, watching movies and listening to music. She is passionate about animal welfare as well as social justice.

Mirna was born in Houston and raised in Pasadena, Texas. Before joining Carruth, she worked as an administrative assistant for several years, staying organized and paying attention to details — skills she now uses in an educational setting. While her children were in elementary school, she served as a volunteer coordinator for the PTA – an experience that deepened her commitment to supporting children, families and educators.

Mirna is proud to be a part of a team that’s truly making a real difference in the lives of children. Working for Carruth and The Parish School that supports students with language and learning differences allows her to contribute to an environment where every child is seen, supported and encouraged to reach their full potential.

In her free time, Mirna enjoys cooking, spending quality time with family, friends and soaking up the sunshine whenever she can. She also loves unwinding with a good TV show – especially comedies and real-life crime docuseries.

Virginia is a speech-language pathologist at The Carruth Center. 

She has a Bachelor of Science in Child Studies from Vanderbilt University and earned her Early Childhood – 6th Generalist teaching certification from Houston Baptist University. After completing a Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Houston, Virginia joined The Parish School team in 2020. She is a proud member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), a Hanen certified speech-language pathologist, and a graduate of Rice University’s “Classroom Storytelling” program. 

Virginia has a decade of experience as an early childhood educator. She believes early intervention provides the foundation for young learner’s future success. She is especially passionate about integrating speech-language therapy with the best practices for early literacy development and social-emotional learning. Virginia’s favorite things about working at The Parish School are the opportunity to partner with families and other professionals and the ability to focus on educating and empowering the whole child.   

 When she’s not working, Virginia enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and volunteering at the Houston rodeo. 

Mimi comes to us with more than 30 years of experience as a pediatric speech-language pathologist. She has worked in a variety of settings, including as owner of a private practice, in public education as a clinical supervisor, in hospitals and as a clinical director of a multi-site clinic and home health agency.

Mimi's clinical expertise has focused on early language disorders, feeding disorders and apraxia of speech. She enjoys mentoring staff and clinical problem solving, and values strong collaboration among all team members.  She is a lifelong Houstonian and earned both her master's and undergraduate degrees in Communication Disorders from the University of Houston.

Rachel Czar is an occupational therapist at The Carruth Center. She holds both a BS and MS from the University of Texas Health Science Center and is Sensory Integration Praxis Test (SIPT) Certified. Prior to joining The Carruth Center, Rachel worked as a lead in a DIRFloortime® preschool group in Dallas. She also has experience working with children in outpatient clinics, as well as in their home and school settings. Rachel is passionate about helping children with autism and sensory processing disorder. She is experienced helping children with feeding issues and has Handwriting Without Tears® training.

Rachel believes that a child’s occupation is to play. “I enjoy helping them in a fun and playful way to carry out their occupational roles of a student, family member and most importantly, a play mate,” she says. “My goal is that the children I work with believe they are playing and do not realize they are also working hard in therapy.”

In her free time, Rachel enjoys being a mom to her two sons, going to movies and concerts and spending time with her family.

Courtney is a certified and licensed speech-language pathologist in the State of Texas. She holds a BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders from The University of Texas at Austin and an MS in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of North Texas.

Her work experience includes home health, private practice, and telehealth. She also worked for 6 years as a Lead Speech-Language Pathologist in the Early Childhood Program at The Parish School.

She is basic-level trained in DIRFloortime, completed over 25 hours of professional development related to Social Thinking® by Michelle Garcia Winner, completed More Than Words^®  by  The Hanen Centre^®  Online Workshop.  She is recognized as a Kaufman Speech to Language Practitioner for children with apraxia of speech and other speech sound disorders.

Courtney believes that every child should have the ability to express themselves to others. She feels that every child is unique and brings special gifts to this world and she wants them to be able to share these gifts. Courtney values the “whole child” approach and enjoys the connections she’s able to build with the children.

Outside of Carruth, Courtney likes to work out, travel and enjoy time with friends and family.

Nicole is a certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with eleven years in practice. She received her undergraduate degree from Baylor University in 1997 and graduate degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1999. Her memberships include TSHA and ASHA. Past work settings include: a therapeutic day school for children with social, emotional and behavioral differences; an auditory-oral school for children with hearing impairments; and the Carruth Center. She received certification with the Beckman Oral Motor Techniques and has attended over 100 hours of continuing education courses oriented to pediatric therapy. Areas of focus pertain to the support of language development in the young, non-verbal child; speech development of children presenting with speech coordination and articulation difficulties, and families seeking a comprehensive approach to the individualized development of social/pragmatic skills. Nicole’s therapeutic approach is multi-sensory and frequently incorporates parent participation. Often therapy is designed to utilize the interests and motivations of the child in a format guided and directed by the clinician with the intent of striking a balance between Child-Directed and Clinician-Directed therapy to build confidence, trust, and a drive to work through challenges.

Virginia Dietz grew up in Southern California where all aspects of her family’s life revolved around a thriving family owned business. Through this experience, Virginia developed a true passion for the development of effective and efficient business management. She also understands and promotes the value of excellent customer service. Virginia has years of experience managing a large community swim team and all associated events. While under her management, the team rose to the championship level and was recognized with sportsmanship awards for three consecutive years. She utilizes her skills and passion to coordinate all aspects of business management and quality customer service for The Carruth Center and its clients.

In addition, Virginia brings to The Carruth Center a depth of experience of a parent who has raised a child with a learning difference. From a parent’s perspective, she has appreciation and understanding toward negotiating and advocating for one’s child. Virginia is dedicated to the mission of the Carruth Center and Parish school.

Jenn Guarino is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist through the Texas State Board of Examiners and American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). During college, Jenn worked at The Parish School’s Camp Acorn summer program for three years. She received her undergraduate degree in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences from Texas Tech University’s Health Science Center, and earned a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from Baylor University.

Jenn’s experience includes working in private schools with children who have learning differences, private therapy practice, and a pediatric outpatient clinic for one of the top children’s hospitals in the nation. She has treated and evaluated children who have speech and sound disorders, speech delays, receptive and expressive language delays and disorders, autism, neurological impairments, cleft palate, hearing impairments, stuttering, and motor speech disorders. As an avid problem-solver, she enjoys working as part of a team with parents and other disciplines to help a child succeed.

Susan earned an Associate of Occupational Therapy degree from HCC Coleman University in 2017 and holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Houston. She is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy.

Throughout her professional career, Susan has dedicated herself to providing valuable support to parents and educators in maximizing children's success. Her specialized training and extensive experience in sensory integration and developmental areas, including sensory processing, motor development, behavioral skills, and group therapy, have equipped her with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver effective therapeutic and successful interventions. Susan's work as an occupational therapist assistant has provided information on various topics, including sensory processing, fine-motor development, handwriting development, and life-skills group activities at clinics and schools.

Additionally, she holds continuing education certificates in DIR Floortime, Sensory Integration, Behavioral Intervention, and Handwriting Without Tears. Susan's vast experience has enabled her to guide and inspire children, caregivers, and educators across various settings, including homes, daycares, preschools, and different school systems (public, private, specialized, and cyber). Her unwavering dedication to the growth and development of her patients is driven by her love for what she does.

Susan takes pride in her work and is passionate about helping children reach their full potential. She is a native of Houston and currently resides there with her husband and two cats. Susan enjoys traveling, live music, the arts, and spending time with loved ones during her free time.

Taylor Daniel is a Speech-Language Pathologist at The Carruth Center. She received her undergraduate degree from Texas Christian University and her graduate degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Texas at Dallas. Her areas of focus include supporting the language expansion in the young, non-verbal child, speech development of children presenting with speech coordination and articulation difficulties, specifically childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), and the development of social/pragmatic language skills in children for families seeking a more comprehensive approach. Taylor promotes parent participation and approaches targets in a multi-sensory style.

Taylor began her career at The Carruth Center in 2014 and considers it a privilege to work with our children and their parents/caregivers to provide the best therapy in the most motivating, trusting, and challenging environment.

Megan Lenz is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist through the Texas State Board of Examiners and American Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). She received her undergraduate degree and master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from The University of Houston in 2009.

Megan’s experience includes working in the public-schools, private practice, pediatric outpatient clinics, and home health. She has treated and evaluated children who have language delays and disorders, speech and sound disorders, autism, stuttering, neurological impairments, and motor speech disorders. She has attended trainings with Social Thinking, Talk Tools, Prentke Romich (LAMP) and SOS Feeding and is passionate about learning different intervention strategies to help her clients.  Megan enjoys collaborating with the child’s family and teaching team to best serve the child. Megan received the Therapist of the Year award in 2019 from her employer and comes to The Carruth Center with a wide variety of experience treating pediatric clients.

Megan lives in Richmond, TX with her husband and daughter. She loves spending time with her family along the coast, traveling, and watching her daughter navigate the world around her.

Caroline Moreland is a ​Licensed Occupational Therapist with the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners and obtained certification through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Caroline completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science at The University of Texas at Austin and received a Master’s of Occupational Therapy from the University of Texas Medical Branch in 2019. Since becoming an occupational therapist, Caroline has worked in a variety of settings including outpatient neurorehab, outpatient pediatrics, and school-based OT services. She has an extensive history of working with and volunteering with children who have autism spectrum disorders. Caroline has a history with The Carruth Center as she completed her Level 2 Clinical Rotation here during graduate school. Caroline’s areas of interest include sensory integration techniques, play-based intervention, handwriting, and self-regulation. Caroline has completed training to become a certified DIR/Floortime practitioner and is excited to provide Floortime services to her kids at Carruth!

Rachel O’Reilly Tovar is a registered and licensed Occupational Therapist with the Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners and obtained certification through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Rachel is also a licensed DIR/Floortime practitioner.

Rachel received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Quantitative Social Sciences from the University of Houston where she published a thesis about children with learning and emotional difficulties. She received a Master’s of Occupational Therapy from Texas Woman’s University in Houston.

Rachel has a passion for working with children; she has spent the last 10 years volunteering and working with children in many settings. She has volunteered for organizations such a PM Pals and Night to Shine, and she was a Sunday School teacher for River Pointe Church’s iFit ministry for many years. Rachel has experience working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, sensory processing disorders, genetic disorders, and learning differences.

Rachel’s areas of clinical interests include sensory integration techniques, play skill development, handwriting, and self-regulation. Rachel believes that every child is unique and worthy of connection; she strives to help children achieve increased self-esteem and independence.

Wendy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders from The University of Houston and a Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from Texas Woman’s University. She has been working with children and their families for more than 20 years. For 15 years, she has held her certification with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association as well as her Texas state licensure. For many years, Wendy had the opportunity to provide speech and language intervention for elementary and preschool-aged children as a classroom teacher at The Parish School. She also worked as a Speech Language Pathologist for preschool through fifth grade students at elementary schools in the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District. Most recently, she held a position at Cy-Hope Counseling and Speech Therapy Services offering both in person, as well as teletherapy sessions for individual clients. Wendy comes to The Carruth Center with many years of varied experiences and training. She has a passion for engaging with children and their families, serving as a positive influence in their journey through speech, language and learning intervention. Wendy has experience working with children who have: Developmental Delays, Expressive/Receptive Language Disorders, Pragmatic/Social Language Disorders, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Articulation/Phonological Disorders, Autism, Attention, Memory, and Learning Disorders, Fluency (stuttering) Disorders, and other Neurological Impairments. She believes in the importance of connection as well as acceptance, and strives to help others achieve increased self-esteem and their most effective communication skills.