About Us
Our founder, Ailen Lucero, a Speech-Language Pathologist, created Bilingual Therapies of South Florida. After working with children with special needs for several years, she realized that many children engage in negative behaviors due to their inability to communicate appropriately or efficiently; therefore, she pursued her Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology. After helping children with their speech and language difficulties, she learned the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork and incorporated therapies like occupational therapy and behavioral therapy because each child is unique. Our mission is to provide quality therapy services to help children communicate to achieve their best potential.
Our Mission
Provide exceptional pediatric therapy services to our clients. We cater to your child’s therapy needs by creating a unique plan of care that will help your child achieve their true potential.
We know trusting your therapist is essential for your family’s success, so get to know our team!
Ailen Lucero
Our founder, Ailen Lucero, a Speech-Language Pathologist, created Bilingual Therapies of South Florida. After working with children with special needs for several years, she realized that many children engage in negative behaviors due to their inability to communicate appropriately or efficiently; therefore, she pursued her Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology. After helping children with their speech and language difficulties, she learned the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork and incorporated therapies like occupational therapy and behavioral therapy because each child is unique. Our mission is to provide quality therapy services to help children communicate to achieve their best potential.
Melissa Barbieri
Melissa is our Therapy Director and a bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist with a Master's in Speech-Language Pathology and a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She was inspired to become an SLP while learning American Sign Language and is passionate about making language attainable for everyone. Since becoming a therapist, Melissa has worked with both the pediatric and geriatric populations in outpatient and hospital settings. Melissa was born and raised in Miami but is very proud of her Argentinian heritage. In her free time, she loves to make specialty coffees and cuddle with her cat!
Gabriela Jimenez
Gabriela is a bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist with a Master's in Speech-Language Pathology and a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She also has a Bachelor’s in English with a Minor in Education. Before becoming an SLP, Gabriela was a teacher for four years specializing in Spanish, Language Arts, and Intensive Reading at the elementary school, middle school, and high school levels. Gabriela is fluent in Spanish as she is originally from Cuba, an animal lover, and a nature lover. She’s passionate about her career because she enjoys diagnosing, treating, and learning more about speech and language disorders!
Gabriela Toyos
Gabriela is a bilingual Speech-Language Pathology Assistant with a Graduate Certificate in Communication Sciences & Disorders. She has experience in treating children from different age groups, and she loves her career because she can play all day and give children a voice. Gabriela was born in Cuba and migrated to the United States when she was eight years old. She loves outdoor activities, working out, and spending time with loved ones.
Estefany Hernandez
Estefany is a bilingual Speech-Language Pathology Assistant with a Bachelor’s and a Graduate Certificate in Communication Sciences & Disorders. She loves working with children to improve their communication skills. Estefany was born in Honduras, and she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Hira Ahmad
Hira Ahmad is a multilingual Speech-Language Pathologist with a Master’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Since entering her career field, she has worked with pediatric and geriatric populations like skilled nursing facilities, private practices, and public school settings. Hira was born and raised in Miami, but her family is from Pakistan, and she speaks Urdu, Hindi, and English. She likes to craft and create personalized items like cake toppers, banners, shirts, cards, and stickers! She’s passionate about her career because she loves seeing her patients grow and reach their goals.
Kryzia Marrero
Kryzia is a bilingual Occupational Therapist with a Master’s in Occupational Therapy and a Bachelor’s in Psychology. Since entering her career field, she has worked with children in pediatric settings. She loves working with children because it allows her to be creative and because early intervention is critical in helping a child's developmental path and improving their outcomes to prepare them for the rest of their life. Kryzia is fluent in English and Spanish, loves to travel, and spends time at the beach.
Susette Lopez
Susette is a bilingual Occupational Therapy Assistant with an Associate’s in Occupational Therapy Assistant. She loves her field because of the holistic aspect of the profession; she works with children’s limitations as well as their psychosocial barriers. Susette was born and raised in Cuba and moved to the United States when she was 16. She enjoys watching and playing soccer and volleyball, and she's always been a big Marvel and Star Wars fan!
Cristina Morales
Cristina is a bilingual Physical Therapist with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and a Bachelor’s in Special Education. She’s a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy in Florida and a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA)/Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute (ATRI). Cristina has experience working in the outpatient clinic of the Pediatric Hospital of Puerto Rico. She’s always liked working with children, from babysitting to tutoring, teaching, and finally, physical therapy. It makes her truly happy to give families hope while having fun with children to help them reach their goals. she’s from Puerto Rico, and she speaks Spanish and English, and she’s also learning French! Cristina likes to play volleyball, go to the beach, go hiking, and do paddle boarding.
