Melissa Grant, OTR/L, Director
Melissa Grant went to James Madison University where she majored in occupational therapy, before it was a Master’s Program. Melissa Grant has been a licensed and registered occupational therapist in the Washington, DC area since 2005. During her time as an OT, Melissa has worked with children with autism, Down Syndrome, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, developmental delay, fine motor delay, visual motor delay, sensory motor dysfunction, fetal alcohol syndrome, hearing loss, and delays in social skills. Melissa is trained in Handwriting Without Tears, The Print Tool, Interactive Metronome, Therapeutic Listening, Zones of Regulation, and the “How Does Your Engine Run?” Program. Melissa has also taken introductory level courses to Floortime and has attended multiple seminars over the years relating to early childhood development, reflex integration, sensory feeding, and sensory integration. Melissa has experience in early intervention, the school setting, and the clinic setting.
Melissa’s passion is spreading the word about OT. So, when she’s not in the clinic you can find her providing “in services” to surrounding schools and enjoying her most recent endeavor, Sensory Storytime, at various libraries in the Fairfax area. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with her family. Currently, Melissa lives in Oakton, VA with her husband Shaun, son Max, and daughter Vivian.
Kristina Stewart, MS OTR/L
Kristina began her journey with the FUNdamentals and Building Blocks team in March 2021. Her career began in skilled nursing homes, but she soon redirected her path towards pediatrics. Although she fondly remembers her time with the geriatric population, she is so excited to work with children!
With a diverse range of experience, Kristina has honed her skills with pediatric individuals from birth to their teenage years. Her expertise spans a diverse spectrum of diagnoses, including autism spectrum disorder, fine motor delay, developmental delay, visual motor delay, sensory-motor dysfunction, and social skills delays. She has honed her skills through comprehensive training in renowned programs such as Learning Without Tears, The Print Tool, and the Zones of Regulation.
Continuously dedicated to her professional growth, Kristina has actively pursued additional education in specialized areas like feeding and oral motor skills. Her passion for helping children shines through her dynamic work across multiple settings within the pediatric realm, including early intervention, clinical environments, homes, and schools.
When she's not at work, Kristina thrives in the great outdoors. Whether it's running, playing sports, conquering mountains, or embarking on adventures to new destinations, Kristina is always finding new ways to experience life.
Stacey Pecar, MOTR/L
Stacey Pecar earned her Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University before receiving her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Pittsburgh in 2008. She has been working with the FUNdamentals and Building Blocks Therapy team since 2009 and has had the privilege of working with children of all ages, from infants through teenagers. Stacey loves helping children build the skills and confidence they need to participate successfully in their everyday lives. She especially enjoys incorporating movement, play, and sensory-based activities into therapy to help children improve self-regulation, fine motor skills, handwriting, and independence. She believes the best therapy happens when children are engaged, families are involved, and every session is fun, meaningful, and individualized to each child’s strengths and needs. Stacey has completed specialized training in Handwriting Without Tears®, the Alert Program®, and introductory DIR/Floortime® techniques. She is committed to continuing her professional growth and staying current with evidence-based practices to provide the highest quality care for the children and families she serves. Outside of work, Stacey enjoys staying active through exercise, baking, and spending time with her husband, their three children, and their dog. Whether she’s creating a new therapy activity or making memories with her family, she loves finding joy in the little moments.
Faith Jennings, MSOTR/L
Faith joined the FUNdamentals and Building Blocks team in June 2024 after earning her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from Mary Baldwin University’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences. Prior to her doctoral studies, she graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology.
Faith has focused her career around the pediatric setting, bringing a passion for supporting children and their families through personalized, evidence-based care. She utilizes a strength-based approach to promote therapeutic intervention, ensuring that client-centered goals remain at the forefront of every session to help kids build confidence and achieve meaningful milestones.
When she is not in the clinic, Faith enjoys cooking, baking, exploring new restaurants, and traveling to new destinations.
Beth Miller
Beth joined the FUNdamentals Building Blocks team in July 2023. However, she has worked as a pediatric occupational therapist in the Washington DC area since 2012. Beth completed her undergraduate work in psychology and special education at the University of Maryland and received her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Towson University. She has experience both in school based and in private practice OT. Beth is trained in Handwriting Without Tears, Interactive Metronome, Social Thinking, Zones of Regulation, and the “How Does Your Engine Run?” program. In addition, she completed the twelve week, Feed the Peds: Foundations of Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing coursework. In her spare time, Beth loves being a new mom to her daughter, Emma. She enjoys trying new restaurants, taking walks with her dog Daisy, and spending time at the beach with her husband and family.
Kirsten Metzger-Gilbert, MA, CCC-SLP, CLC
Kirsten received a Bachelor’s degree from Villanova University and Master’s degree from George Washington University. Kirsten enjoys working with children with dyspraxia, developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, and specializes in infant/toddler feeding and swallowing challenges. Kirsten has received training in PROMPT, TalkTools Oral Placement Therapy, the SOS Approach to Feeding, and Beckman Oral Motor Therapy, and Dynamic & Postural Reflex Pattern Integration course; a foundational course for the MNRI (Musgatova) Method. Kirsten completed her Certification in Lactation Counseling (CLC) in July 2021.
She lives in DC with her husband and 2 kids (ages 11 and 9) and enjoys hiking, running, reading, and traveling!
Robyn Morris, MA., CCC-SLP
Robyn joined the Fundamentals/Building Blocks team in June 2021. She completed her Master's degree in Speech Language Pathology at George Washington University. She previously completed her undergraduate coursework at Biola University and has had placements in Prince William County Schools and a local pediatric private practice. She has served pediatrics between the ages of birth- 18 years, with a variety of needs including articulation, fluency, voice, expressive and receptive language and social communication. She is particularly interested in Autism Spectrum Disorders, developmental delays and literacy. Prior to her graduate degree she spent years working at a respite center focused on providing care and social opportunities for children aged 6-21 with a broad range of intellectual disabilities. In her spare time, Robyn enjoys hiking, reading and exploring the area!
Abby Drabik, M.A., CCC-SLP
Abby Drabik has been with FUNdamentals/Building Blocks since May of 2023. She received her undergraduate degree from James Madison University and Master's degree in Speech Language Pathology from George Washington University. She has had placements in acute care, outpatient settings, and within the local public schools. She has worked with a wide variety of populations and areas including expressive/receptive language, articulation, fluency, voice, motor-speech, dysphagia, cognition, aphasia, and social language. In her spare time, Abby loves playing tennis, traveling, and being outdoors!
Amy Benitez
Amy joined Building Blocks’ Therapy team in 2007. Amy completed her undergraduate and Master’s degrees from Indiana University. Before joining our team, Amy worked in the public school system in Indiana and for the government-funded birth to three program in Indiana, called First Steps. Amy completed the Introduction to PROMPT course in 2009 and the Beckman Oral Motor Assessment and Intervention course in 2011. She enjoys working with early speech & language development as well as school-aged speech and language disorders. Amy supports parental involvement by providing parents with activities to complete at home in order to promote and reinforce the target therapy goals and maximize progress. In her spare time, Amy loves being a Mom to her two children, Reesa and Cruz. and spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys traveling, shopping, running, Orange Theory, and exploring new restaurants with her husband, Greg. If you see Amy, chances are she will be wearing purple (or butterflies) in honor of her mom. Since losing her mom to pancreatic cancer in 2019, she's been an avid proponent of raising awareness and funds to help give others more life.
Felicia M.S.,SLP
Felicia earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Georgia Southern University–Armstrong Campus. During her graduate training, she gained valuable hands-on experience working with children with Autism, Williams syndrome, Down syndrome, speech sound disorders, and language disorders. Throughout her career, Felicia has provided speech-language therapy across a variety of settings, including private practices, schools, daycares, homes, and skilled nursing facilities. These diverse experiences have equipped her to support clients with a wide range of communication needs across the lifespan. Felicia is known for her persistence, creativity, and adaptability. She is passionate about helping children build strong communication skills while fostering meaningful, supportive relationships with each child and their family. She believes that collaboration and individualized care are key to helping every client reach their full potential. Outside of the clinic, Felicia enjoys traveling, nature walks, and spending quality time with her family.
Rachel Lipman Vale, M.A., CCC-SLP
Rachel received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Miami and her Master's degree from George Washington University. She is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist with years of experience working with infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children in home, childcare, and school-based settings. Rachel enjoys working with children with developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, speech and language disorders, and early communication challenges. She has a special interest in caregiver coaching, early language development, and helping children build functional communication skills through everyday routines.
Rachel lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and two daughters (ages 4 and 2). Outside of work, she enjoys exercising, reading, spending time outdoors, and exploring new places with her family.