About Brain Builders Speech, Feeding, and Occupational Therapist

ABOUT BRAIN BUILDERS
HERE TO SERVE YOU

OWNER

Founder, Speech-Language Pathologist

Sara Burley M.S., CCC-SLP
Sara is an ASHA-certified and Maryland-licensed speech-language pathologist. Since completing her Masters of Science in Speech-Language Pathology at MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, she has worked in an outpatient clinic (Kennedy Krieger Institute), Harford County Public Schools (HCPS), rehabilitation (Mt. Washington Pediatric Community Rehabilitation Services), and private practice settings with clients from birth to 25 years of age. Sara specializes in feeding and orofacial myology. Sara is an experienced, robust, and flexible therapist passionate about tailoring treatment to the patient and family's unique needs, preferences, and goals.

Occupational Therapist

Jennifer Jarest, DrOT, OTR/L
Jennifer has been an occupational therapist since May of 2015 when she graduated with her Master's degree from the University of New England. She received her post professional doctorate in occupational therapy from the University of Puget Sound in May of 2020, and has specialized in pediatric therapy. She is a Certified Autism Specialist and enjoys learning as much from the children she works with as they learn from her. She has worked in several settings across the country including outpatient clinics and schools. She is a military wife, and mom to a toddler boy and 2 small pups. She enjoys reading, being outside, exploring new places, and cooking/baking in her free time.

Speech-Language Pathologist

Rishma Rahman M.S., CCC-SLP
Rishma is an ASHA certified and Maryland State licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Speech, Language and Hearing Science from Temple University and Master of Science in Speech and Language Pathology from Loyola University Maryland. She has worked in several settings across schools and early intervention programs. Since 2018, Rishma has worked with infants and toddlers through Philadelphia’s Early Intervention program with children birth through three years old in the areas of expressive and receptive language, social-emotional development, ASD, and feeding. Rishma is a neurodiversity affirming clinician with a strengths-based approach. She believes in providing culturally sensitive and individualized therapy to best fit a child and their family’s needs. She is passionate about working with families to reinforce learned strategies to ensure their child’s success and progress beyond speech therapy sessions.

Occupational Therapist

Brooke Hare, OTD, OTR/L
Brooke is an AOTA and Maryland State Licensed Occupational Therapist. Brooke graduated with her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Towson University. Brooke is currently a member of the Maryland Occupational Therapy Association and will be presenting her research this upcoming November! She completed her doctoral capstone by implementing Educational Materials to Support Caregivers’ Adherence to At-Home Programming at an outpatient pediatric practice. Brooke has training in sensory-based feeding strategies. She has a passion for working with children and watching them grow and become more independent. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, being on the beach, and spending time with her friends and family.

Speech Language Pathologist

Danielle Santucci M.S., CCC-SLP
Danielle is an ASHA certified and Maryland State licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. She graduated from Seton Hall University in 2019 with her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She has worked in a variety of settings, including outpatient clinics and the Baltimore County school system, giving her the opportunity to support children of all ages and abilities. Danielle is passionate about helping her clients grow in their communication skills, whether through language development, strengthening executive functioning, improving speech sound production, or addressing orofacial myofunctional needs such as tongue ties. She strives to create engaging, supportive environments where every child can build confidence and reach their fullest potential. When she’s not working, Danielle enjoys spending time with her puppy, family, and friends, getting lost in a good book, and planning her next travel adventure.

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Lindsey Yost, COTA/L
Lindsey is a Maryland State licensed and NBCOT certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. She has previous experience as a school-based occupational therapy practitioner, focusing on promoting meaningful participation within the school setting through goal-driven interventions and collaboration with educational teams. Lindsey strives to provide compassionate and comprehensive care through (fun!) purposeful and meaningful activities and is passionate about supporting children to explore and thrive in their daily occupations.

Speech-Language Pathologist

Kelly Rothermel M.S., CCC-SLP
Kelly is an ASHA certified and Maryland State Licensed Speech-Language Pathologist. She earned her bachelor's degree in Hearing and Speech Sciences from University of Maryland, College Park, and her master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Towson University. Kelly has clinical experience in hospital, early intervention, and pediatric private practice settings. She is passionate about building strong relationships with children and their families to support them beyond the therapy session. She believes collaborating with families is essential for helping children generalize their skills across everyday routines and natural environments. Her speech therapy sessions are child-led and play-based, using evidence-based strategies to create an engaging and motivating environment. In her free time, Kelly enjoys traveling, taking workout classes, and spending time with her friends and family.

Physical Therapist

Sarah Kerestesy, DPT
Sarah is a Maryland-licensed Physical Therapist. She graduated with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Maryland Baltimore, and received her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Maryland College Park. Sarah has experience working with infants and toddlers with gross motor delays in both the inpatient and outpatient setting, and is passionate about teaching caregivers strategies to support their child's motor development. She enjoys working with elementary aged children with a variety of conditions affecting tone, strength, coordination, and functional mobility. She loves to draw from her experience as a youth dance and gymnastics instructor in order to create fun and engaging exercise.

HISTORY & MISSION

Sara Burley founded BRAIN BUILDERS in 2022 with a mission to provide high-quality, family-centered pediatric therapy services to children and families throughout Harford, Baltimore, and Cecil Counties. What began as a pediatric speech and language therapy practice has grown into a comprehensive multidisciplinary clinic providing speech-language therapy, feeding therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and orofacial myofunctional services for children from infancy through the teen years.

Since opening our doors, BRAIN BUILDERS has continued to grow in response to the needs of the families and communities we serve. We are honored to have been recognized as Best of Harford in both 2022 and 2025, a reflection of the trust our families place in our team and our commitment to providing exceptional pediatric care close to home.

Our mission is to provide individualized, evidence-based therapy in an environment where children feel comfortable, confident, and excited to learn. We believe the best outcomes happen when therapy is not only clinically effective, but also engaging, collaborative, and tailored to each child's unique strengths and needs.

Family involvement is an important part of our approach. Our therapists provide education, strategies, and real-time caregiver training to help families carry skills beyond the therapy session and into everyday life. With permission, we also collaborate with caregivers, teachers, therapists, physicians, dentists, and other medical providers to create a coordinated team approach to each child's care.

As BRAIN BUILDERS continues to grow, our goal remains the same: to make high-quality pediatric therapy accessible to local families while providing comprehensive, personalized care in one convenient location.

ABOUT BRAIN BUILDERS HERE TO SERVE YOU

OWNER

HISTORY & MISSION

ABOUT BRAIN BUILDERS
HERE TO SERVE YOU