Valerie Crile, is a registered dietitian, board-certified lactation consultant, certified personal trainer & certified health coach. She been a pediatric dietitian for 35 years as a pediatric/NICU dietitian (12 yrs) and works for Louisiana WIC. She attended the Neonatal Intensive Course in Houston and the Samuel Forman Intensive Pediatric Nutrition Course at the Univ. of Iowa. She can address
Sydnie Cole is a physical therapist who received her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from LSU. She then earned her doctorate in physical therapy at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. She lives in New Orleans where she is an EarlySteps provider and works part-time at an outpatient pediatric therapy clinic. She has 8 years of experience as a pediatric physical therapist treating children with various developmental and orthopedic diagnoses. In her free time, she loves spending time with her husband, their two small children, and friends on the weekends. Sydnie works in the New Orleans area.
Jessica is an Occupational Therapist with a master's degree from the University of St. Augustine. She is working in both outpatient pediatric and EarlySteps settings. Prior to being a therapist, she ran her own in-home daycare and worked with families in that capacity to establish routines and schedules. She is passionate about working with the very young child to create educational and interactive activities and collaborate with families to provide personalized care dependent upon developmental level and individualized needs. Jessica works in the north Tangipahoa Parish area and Washington Parish including Amite, Kentwood, Greensburg, and Wilmar, and Franklinton.
Erica Weary received her bachelor's degree in 2007 from Southeastern Louisiana University in General Studies. She completed her Associate of Applied Science degree as an Occupational Therapy Assistant from Delgado Community College in 2010. Now, she is pursuing her Master of Occupational Therapy from the University of Louisiana Monroe. She is motivated and experienced and shares her passion and strong commitment of enhancing quality of life with the clients and families she serves.
April is a Speech-Language Pathologist and has been treating patients since 2016. She earned her
Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science from Mississippi University for Women and earned her Master's
in Communicative Disorders from Jackson State University. She is trained in Tethered Oral Tissues and
Augmentative-Alternative Communication. She is also certified in Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation
for speech and swallowing disorders. April currently works in Natchez, MS in a pediatric outpatient clinic
where she specializes in pediatric feeding disorders and augmentative and alternative communication.
April works in Catahoula and Concordia Parishes.
Sarah Nasto, COTA/L is a licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant. She graduated from St. Catherine University in Minnesota in 2001 and prior to that received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Hartt School in Connecticut. Sarah spent the beginning of her work career as a certified teacher for young children prior to entering the OT field giving her a wide spectrum of experience both in the classroom and in the healthcare field. Sarah is supervised by Shannon Stevens, OTR/L, ASDCS, CIMC and Katherine Sandoz, MOT, OTR/L.
Kristin Bua, MOT, OTR/L, CBIS is a certified brain injury specialist. She has a strong background in traumatic brain injury tx., pediatrics and sensory integration. She graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2021 with a master's degree in Occupational Therapy. Kristin worked with children at a pediatric clinic on the North Shore before coming to us. She will be serving the Pearl River and Slidell communities of children and families in EarlySteps.
Katherine Sandoz, MOT, OTR/L graduated from Rush University in Chicago in 2005. She has lots of experience in a variety of settings including acute care adults and pediatrics. She will be working with Sprout on the North Shore in Covington, Mandeville, Hammond, Ponchatoula, and Robert. At this time, she is working full time for Tangipahoa Parish Schools and will be supervising Sarah in St. Tammany while helping with make up visits in the Tangipahoa Parish area in the afternoons.
Tracey Smith-Russo, CCC-SLP is a resident of St. Tammany Parish. She received her Master of Science from the University of North Dakota. She has a Certificate of Clinical Competency and is ASHA Certified. Tracey has been working with children for the past 4 years in a school setting and is now finding after hours time to work with EarlySteps clients.
We love to have you be part of our dynamic team!!
Across the State of Louisiana
Visit the Provider Qualifications Page to see if you have what it takes.