Meet Our Team
Melissa Mascio
Clinical Director/Speech-Language Patholigist
Melissa Mascio is the owner of Mountain Speech Language Services and has been working as a Speech-Language Pathologist for over 19 years. Melissa is focused on providing creative, functional, person-centered service with warmth and compassion.
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“My goal is to help you climb to communication success in school, at home, at work and in the community.”
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Melissa is skilled in evaluation and treatment of both children and adult disorders of speech, language, literacy, cognitive-communication and swallowing.
Melissa is a graduate of Brock University with a Bachelor degree in Linguistics-Communication Disorders stream with first class standing and a Master of Health Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Toronto. She is a member of the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO) and Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC).
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Melissa is a lifelong learner taking numerous annual courses. She is trained in PROMPT (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets), Hanen “It Takes Two to Talk”, Lively Letters, an evidenced-based literacy program, Natural Language Acquisition framework for Gestalt Language Processors, Inside Out Sensory Education, Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders, Supported Conversation for Adults with Aphasia (SCATM), and Cognitive-Communication Disorders.
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In her spare time, she enjoys being around family, cheering her children on the soccer and football fields, hiking, cooking and traveling.
Amanda Longo
Virtual Admin Assistant
Amanda is a caring and compassionate person who is an excellent addition to our growing team. She is a graduate of the Medical Office Administration program at Mohawk College in 2013.
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Amanda has over 10 years of experience working as an administrative assistant including at Juravinski’s oncology clinic front desk and in a family medicine practice helping to keep six doctors organized from day to day.
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When Amanda is not working she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, watching her favourite TV shows and spending time outdoors.
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​“From a young age, I have been interested in the medical field. I enjoy being the first contact for patients and clients so I can help to welcome them, coordinate appointments and answer any questions they might have.”
Paul Mascio, B.Ed, OCT
Education Consultant
Paul is a certified Ontario teacher with over 20 years of experience in junior and intermediate grades. He brings a fun and creative energy to support children’s learning. He’s passionate about literacy and helping children climb to reading success in school.
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Paul has consulted on the “Let’s Read” literacy camp curriculum for Mountain Speech Language Services. He is also available for tutoring and consultation to compliment speech and language services for school-aged children.
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“I love to teach! Those ah-ha moments, when you connect with a child and they get it – it is the most rewarding feeling. In my spare time, I love playing and watching sports, especially my boys’ soccer teams. I am a big fan of music, engineering feats and world history.”
Brittannie Jespersen
Speech-Language Pathologist
Brittannie is a graduate of MSc Speech-Language Pathology program at McMaster University. She has clinical experience with children in assessing and treating disorders of articulation, language, literacy, social communication, and alternative/augmentative forms of communication. Her clinical experiences with adults include voice, cognitive communication, and swallowing. She is passionate about providing evidence-based services that are meaningful, Functional, and client-centered.
Brittannie also has a background in singing, and professional vocals, and is excited to bring this extra experience into her therapy sessions when applicable.
Brittannie grew up in Cayuga, and currently resides in Mount Hope with her family and wolf-dog Bailey. She likes to be creative and crafty in her spare time, loves all genres of music and movies, and enjoys many outdoor activities throughout all 4 seasons. She also has a passion for travel and is enthusiastic about always trying new/unique activities and foods on her adventures.
Brittannie is very excited to see clients of all ages in Hamilton and the surrounding areas! Welcome to the MSLS team Brittannie!
Maneetpal (Maneet) Badesha
Speech-Language Pathologist
Maneetpal is a graduate of MSc Speech-Language Pathology program at McMaster University. She has clinical experience with children in assessing and treating disorders of articulation, language, and literacy. Her clinical experience with adults includes speech, language, cognitive-communication, and swallowing. When not at Mountain Speech Language Services, she is a clinical research assistant at the Aging Swallow Research Lab at McMaster University.
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Maneetpal is passionate about providing evidence-based care to individuals across the lifespan that is functional, person-centred, and compassionate.
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Maneetpal resides in the Stoney Creek area with her family and in her spare time likes to be in nature, read, and dabble in hobbies like photography and learning new languages.
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Maneetpal is fluent in both English and Punjabi and can provide services in both languages.
Sanjas Regi
Communication Disorders Assistant
Sanjas earned a bachelor’s degree in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology from Mangalore University in India and spent two years working as both an audiologist and a speech therapist in a clinic. After moving to Canada, Sanjas attended college for Autism, Behavioural Sciences and Concurrent Disorders as well at Mohawk College in Hamilton.
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Sanjas is skilled in treatment, education and counseling in the areas of mental health issues, autism, expressive and receptive language difficulties, hearing impairment, auditory verbal therapy, and other developmental disorders and differences with both children and adults.
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In addition to watching films, she enjoys hanging out with her friends. When Sanjas has free time, her favourite activities include cooking and taking long walks while listening to music.
Makaya O'Grady
Speech-Language Pathologist
Makaya graduated from McMaster University’s Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program. She has clinical experience working with all ages providing speech, language, augmentative and alternative communication, cognitive-communication, and adult swallowing disorder services. She is passionate about providing evidence-based services that are meaningful to clients.
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Makaya also works as a research assistant at the Aging Swallow Research Lab at McMaster University. She is researching dysphagia in older adults, such as how frailty and physical activity impact swallowing.
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Makaya resides in Grimsby with two mischievous cats. In her spare time she enjoys remaining active and trying new activities such as yoga and rock climbing. She also loves a good book.
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She is very excited to see clients of all ages in Niagara and Hamilton! Welcome to the MSLS team Makaya!
Gwen Blackburn
Communication Disorders Assistant
Gwen is a Communicative Disorders Assistant who has been working in the field for over 25 years. Gwen is a graduate of Brock University with a BA in psychology minor in linguistics and she holds a postgraduate diploma as a Communicative Disorders Assistant with honours.
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Gwen has experience working with all age groups and thrives on helping children achieve their fullest potential with fun therapy, encouragement and kindness.
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Gwen resides in Brantford, ON with her husband, youngest daughter and precious dog Howie. She also has two adult children, and three grandbabies.
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Welcome Gwen to the MSLS team!
Allison Fox, B.A, CDA
Communication Disorders Assistant
Allison is a Communication Disorders Assistant, who has been working in the field for nearly 17 years. Allison is a graduate of Brock University with a B.A(Hons) in Linguistics, Communication Disorders Stream and holds a post graduate certificate as a Communication Disorders Assistant.
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For the past 17 years, Allison has worked with neurological injury and differences with a particular interest in language and building Augmentative and Alternative communication devices (AAC) for non-speaking clients.
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​Allison resides in the Niagara Region with her husband, children and puppy. In her spare time, she is an avid singer and performer, particularly in Musical Theatre. She also loves cheering her children on in the arena or on the dance stage.
Rachel Renaud
Speech-Language Pathologist
Rachel received her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from McMaster University in 2021.
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She enjoys working with a variety of individuals, and has clinical experience in the evaluation and treatment of children and adult disorders of speech, language, literacy, cognitive-communication and swallowing.
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To implement evidence to practice, she has completed Sheila MacDonald’s Cognitive-Communication Course for Acquired Brain Injury, and is currently studying Marge Blanc’s Natural Language Acquisition in Autism: Echolalia to Self-Generated Language course and research.
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Rachel focuses on engagement, connection and individuality within her approach to services, and prioritizes developing personalized treatment plans for the people she supports.
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Rachel lives in Hamilton with her husband and cat. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, board games, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Annu Merin Jacob
M.Sc., Speech Language Pathologist, Reg. CASLPO
Annu is a dedicated and experienced Speech-Language Pathologist, registered with the College of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of Ontario (CASLPO) since 2018. She holds both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology from the University of Bangalore and the University of Kerala in India. Her passion for the field drives her to provide the highest quality care to the children and families she serves.
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Annu has extensive clinical experience, particularly in consulting, assessing, and treating pre-school and school-aged children with diverse communication needs. She is certified in the "More Than Words" program from the Hanen Centre, trained in PROMPT and the Fluency Plus program, and is currently learning on Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) through meaningful speech.
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Her clinical interests include working with children with autism spectrum disorder, receptive and expressive language delays, speech sound disorders, social communication disorders, and as well as Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems. Annu has also worked closely with other health care professionals (OT’s and BCBA’s) in the past to provide comprehensive support. She continuously upskills herself with research and therapy practices to achieve her goal for helping children to reach their full communication potential. She is multilingual and can provide speech and language services in English, Malayalam and Tamil languages.
Annu resides in Binbrook, ON with her husband and two boys. Outside of her professional life, Annu enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and singing.
Parnika Kumaraswamy Mukthanba
Communication Disorders Assistant
Parnika is your super-friendly neighborhood communication disorders assistant with a passion for assisting clients in pursuit of improved communication and quality of life. Having several years of clinical experience in treatment centres, hospitals, clinical and academic setups, Parnika strives to make communication accessible and enjoyable through tailored, collaborative care with genuine empathy and a nurturing approach.
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"Let's work together to unlock your communication potential so you can thrive in life."
Parnika's skills include assessment, case management, intervention planning, and documentation of various speech and language disorders across all ages. Advanced interpersonal communication skills with experience developing individualized plans to meet patients' needs. Organized, detail-oriented, and productive professional.
Parnika is a graduate of the University of Mysore, India with a bachelor's degree in Speech & Hearing and a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. She is an internationally trained SLP in the process to register with the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO) and Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC).
Parnika embraces lifelong learning and is pursuing various courses. She is trained in the Natural Language Acquisition framework for Gestalt Language Processors and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems. She recently graduated from Conestoga College with the prestigious President's Honor award for securing high distinction in the Management of Community Services program.
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With a passion for learning new tongues (English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu) and a thirst for adventure, she revels in the splendor of the natural world. Music flows through her veins, and her love for animals is boundless.
