South Huntsville Therapists

Meet Our Therapists

At Child’sPlay in South Huntsville, our therapists are not only trained but also adept in using diverse therapeutic methods. They engage with each child on a one-on-one basis, enhancing their abilities and boosting their self-assurance. In a lively and engaging environment, our Huntsville-based team equips children with essential skills for success.

Alia Shoemaker

Alia Shoemaker is a certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist from Richmond, VA who joined Child’sPlay in June 2022. She is currently the lead therapist of our North and South Huntsville speech therapy eams. She is registered as an NLA Trained Clinician and an AAC+GLP Trained Clinician (www.meaningfulspeechregistry.com).

Alia has a special interest in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and she has undergone training in platforms such as LAMP (Language Acquisition through Motor Planning) and Tobii Dynavox Systems. She is passionate about collaborating with families and other service providers to ensure that all Child’sPlay clients have reliable access to personalized communication supports that allow them to fully express themselves. Alia graduated from the College of William & Mary in 2016 with Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Linguistics, and she earned her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from James Madison University in 2019.

Alia has prior experience working in the public school system, a skilled nursing facility, and a neurorehabilitation center. In her spare time, Alia enjoys playing the violin, being outdoors, and spending time with her husband and two young children.

Alyssa Bailey

Alyssa Bailey was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and recently moved to the Huntsville area in July 2024. She graduated with her Masters in Exceptional Students with a focus in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of West Florida. She is working to finish her clinical hours before sitting for the certification exam within the next year.

Alyssa taught special education for 7 years before making the change to ABA in 2019 by following her passion for helping the children she serves be successful across all environments through naturalistic teaching, making connections, and now with Today’s ABA. She has worked with children from 18 months to 13 years old, with her passion being early intervention. Alyssa is excited to be a part of Child’s Play Therapy Center’s Today’s ABA.

In her free time, Alyssa enjoys trying new restaurants, going to Disney theme parks, spending time with her husband and immediate family, as well as reading.

Anna Cantrell

Anna is originally from Woodland, Alabama and she graduated from the University of Alabama in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and special education. Anna attended graduate school at Vanderbilt University where she had the opportunity to work in research related to teaching strategies for young children with disabilities. Anna graduated in 2022 with my master’s degree in early childhood special education with a specialization in applied behavior analysis. She taught special education in public school before transitioning to the clinic setting to practice ABA.

She loves seeing children grow and learn new skills as well as supporting families and caregivers throughout the journey of their child’s growth! In her free time, Anna enjoys shopping, concerts, traveling, Alabama athletics, and spending time with friends and family.

Carly York

Carly York is a licensed and registered occupational therapist who relocated back to her hometown of Madison, AL from Chattanooga, TN. In September 2024. She is Clinical Supervisor of outpatient services (Occupational, Physical, and Speech Therapy) in both of our Huntsville locations.

Carly received her Occupational Therapy Doctorate from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2021. Prior to her time in Chattanooga, she attended the University of Alabama where she double majored in Dance and Human Development/Family Studies, with a minor in Psychology. Carly has over 3 years of clinical experience in school-based, outpatient, and hospital-based pediatric OT, as well as additional experience in adult inpatient rehabilitation. In addition to her clinical practice, Carly has now served as an adjunct professor at her alma mater of UTC within the OT department for the last 2 years. Carly has a passion for helping students from pre-K to graduate studies maximize their strengths to succeed both in and out of the classroom.

Carly and her husband, Ryan, have one fur baby named River. In her free time, Carly loves traveling, reading a good book, going to the lake, and visiting with friends and family.

Cydia Walker

Cydia is a registered and licensed occupational therapist form Valdosta, Georgia and she joined Child’sPlay in 2024. She graduated from Samford University in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and Emory &Henry University in 2024 with a clinical doctorate in Occupational Therapy. Cydia has been working in some for of childcare for over a decade through nursery care, babysitting/nannying, and summer camps.

For her Capstone project, Cydia spent 14 weeks working alongside a community theatre production of Alice in Wonderland, providing education on sensory-friendly accommodations. Her love of OT started in the 8th grade when she had to receive services to address her handwriting and shoe-tying. In the future, Cydia hopes to receive additional training in sensory integration techniques and get more involved with the Alabama Occupational Therapy Association. With her free time, she enjoys exploring her community and keeping up with the latest news from Broadway.

Emily Myler

Emily is a licensed and ASHA certified speech-language pathologist. She is originally from Decatur, AL and has returned to the north Alabama area. Emily joined the Child’sPlay team in June 2024. She received her bachelor’s degree from Auburn University in 2021. After graduating college, she worked as a speech-language pathologist assistant in Phoenix City, AL where she gained experience in pediatric speech therapy. In 2022, Emily attended the University of Montevall0, where she received her Master of Science in speech-language pathology.

Emily has a passion for working with children and developing their speech and language skills through play! She is dedicated to serving the clients and families of Child’sPlay Therapy Center. In her free time, Emily enjoys exercising, attending concerts, shopping, and watching movies.

Faith Wingo

Faith is originally from Huntsville, AL, and has extensive experience as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Clinical Director in the Tampa area. She has been actively involved in the ABA field since 2013, starting her journey at the ABA clinic at Auburn University during her undergraduate studies (War Eagle!). In 2017, she earned her Master of Science in Psychology with a focus on Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida State University.

Faith’s passion for working with the special needs population was inspired by her mother’s career as a Special Education Teacher in Huntsville City Schools. With over a decade of experience in the field, Faith is enthusiastic about the Today’s ABA movement and is excited to bring this progress to her hometown and Child’sPlay Therapy Center.

In her free time, Faith enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and traveling.

Heather Carlton

Heather is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist who returned to her hometown of Huntsville, AL, from Richmond, VA in 2020. She joined the Child’s Play team in December 2023.Heather received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2002 and earned her master’s degree from Alabama A & M University in 2010. She has been a practicing speech-language pathologist for 13 years and has experience in inpatient rehabilitation, long term care, outpatient, and the public schools. She has special interests in speech sound production disorders, early childhood language, and fluency/stuttering.

Heather enjoys providing therapy that is highly individualized and centered on a strong positive connection between the therapist, the child, and their family. She agrees that “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship” (Dr. James Comer). Heather enjoys reading, practicing yoga, loving on her puppies, and spending time with her family.

Jane Levine Pendleton

Jane graduate from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy and from Texas Tech University, earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. She is a former military spouse and has had the opportunity to live abroad and in several states around the country. She has been in Huntsville since 2019. Jane has worked in many different pediatric settings, including community-based outpatient, hospital-based outpatient, private an public school systems, and home-based early intervention.

Jane has a passion for children and their families and loves being on the journey with them to help improve their motor skills so they can reach their fullest potential. In her free time, she enjoys running, being in nature, attending Huntsville City soccer games, as well as spending time with her family and plethora of pets.

Jenni Boerner

Jenni Boerner is a certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. She has many years of experience providing diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders in the preschool through the middle school-age population. Her areas of specialty include articulation and phonological disorders, fluency, and language delays. She has training in adult foreign accent modification.

Jenni received her undergraduate and Master’s degrees in Communication Science Disorders from the University of Montevallo. Jenni enjoys providing therapy for children of all ages and motivating them to be excellent communicators.

She is committed to engaging the family and other caregivers of her clients to maximize therapy results. She enjoys reading, exercising, and old movies. She and her husband, Bob, have 3 boys.

Kari Knighten

Hello! My name is Kari Knighten and I was so excited to join the Child’s Play Therapy team as a mental health counselor for the Huntsville offices in March 2025. I have lived in North Alabama since I was 10 yrs old. I attended The University of North Alabama where I graduated in 2001 with a Bachelors in Social Work. I practiced for 19 years as a medical social worker during which time I attended Alabama A & M University and obtained my Master’s in Social Work in 2009. I began practicing in the field of child therapy in 2021 and was excited to become a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LiCSW). On a personal note I have a 15 y/o son named Phinley who is the JV quarterback for the Austin High School football team, as well as, outfielder for the AHS baseball team. Phinley is also a 4th Degree Level 3 Black Belt in TaeKwonDo and continues to advance in the ranks. I am obviously a very proud mom and look forward to continuing to work with children in order to meet their mental health needs.