Experts in communication, partners in care.
Meet Our Team
From scheduling appointments to celebrating progress, our entire team is dedicated to helping clients succeed.
OWNER, CLINICAL DIRECTOR, SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
Melissa Rotsides Bakker, M.A. CCC-SLP
Melissa is the Owner and Clinical Director of American Speech Therapy. She is licensed by the State of New Jersey, nationally certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and holds certification through the New Jersey Department of Education.
Melissa earned her Master of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Montclair State University, where she was awarded a graduate assistantship and participated in research focused on culturally and linguistically diverse populations. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Delaware, earning dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Foreign Languages and Literatures and Psychology. Upon graduation, she was awarded a Degree with Distinction in recognition of her thesis research examining the relationship between children's emotion knowledge and later outcomes related to self-esteem, social functioning, and academic performance.
Melissa is PROMPT-trained for the treatment of pediatric motor speech and articulation disorders and is certified in VitalStim® Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) for the treatment of dysphagia in adults. Throughout her career, she has provided evaluation and treatment services to clients across the lifespan in a variety of settings, including early intervention, public schools, outpatient clinics, subacute rehabilitation hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities.
In 2019, Melissa founded American Speech Therapy with the goal of providing highly individualized, evidence-based services in a warm and supportive environment. She is passionate about helping clients and their families build confidence, develop meaningful communication skills, and reach their fullest potential.
Outside of the clinic, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and children, traveling, reading, writing, and making the most of the many milestones, activities, and adventures that come with raising three young children.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
Caroline Lopes, M.A. CCC-SLP
Caroline Lopez, M.S. Ed., CCC-SLP is an ASHA-certified Speech-Language Pathologist and New Jersey Licensed Speech-Language Specialist with over eight years of clinical experience. She earned her Master of Science in Education in Communication Sciences and Disorders from The College of Saint Rose and has been dedicated to helping individuals reach their full communication potential since 2016.
Throughout her career, Caroline has worked across diverse settings, including adult and pediatric outpatient clinics, early intervention, and the public school system. She possesses specialized expertise in treating articulation and phonological disorders, voice disorders, developmental language delays, social-pragmatic communication challenges, and receptive/expressive language disorders.
Guided by a passion for relationship-centered intervention, Caroline believes that effective therapy is a collaborative process. She focuses on establishing open communication and building trusted relationships with clients and their families to ensure a supportive, motivating, and goal-oriented learning environment. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, exercise, and spending time with her family.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
Brianna Scherrer, M.A. CCC-SLP
Brianna Scherrer, M.A., CCC-SLP is a New Jersey State Licensed and ASHA-certified Speech-Language Pathologist with over five years of experience working with children in school based, private practice, and clinical settings. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Science from the University of Delaware and her Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Montclair State University. Brianna specializes in the evaluation and treatment of articulation and phonological disorders, expressive and receptive language disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, fluency disorders, auditory processing difficulties, pragmatic language impairments, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She is PROMPT Level 1 trained and utilizes evidence-based, individualized therapy approaches that are engaging, functional, and family-centered. Brianna takes pride in creating personalized treatment plans and customized therapy materials tailored to each child's unique strengths, interests, and communication goals. By incorporating motivating activities and functional, meaningful targets, she strives to make therapy both effective and fun while promoting carryover of skills across settings. Brianna has received consecutive nominations for New Jersey Family Magazine's Favorite Kids' Docs in Speech Therapy (2023–2025), recognizing her dedication to providing compassionate, high-quality care and evidence-based intervention. She is passionate about helping children build confidence and achieve meaningful communication success through collaboration with families, educators, and interdisciplinary teams.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
Amy Gold, M.A. CCC-SLP
Amy believes that being understood changes everything. She is a licensed speech-language pathologist with over 10 years of experience working with children and adults in private practices, pediatric therapy centers, hospitals, schools, and corporate settings. Her clinical experience spans a wide range of speech and language needs across the lifespan, providing her with a comprehensive clinical perspective. Amy earned her Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology, cum laude, from Kean University and her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders, with a minor in Psychology, from Emerson College. In addition to her clinical work, Amy has extensive experience working with professionals from around the world on accent modification, public speaking, and professional communication. Her clients have included professionals from the United Nations and Fortune 500 companies. Outside of her clinical work, Amy is most proud of being a mother of two and enjoys spending time with her family. She believes in creating an encouraging environment where clients feel seen and supported, while working closely with families to help communication skills carry over into everyday life.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
Shelby Barbato, M.A. CCC-SLP
Shelby is a Speech-Language Pathologist at American Speech Therapy and has been a member of the team since 2025. She is licensed by the State of New Jersey and nationally certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
Shelby earned her Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Seton Hall University and began her career as a Speech-Language Pathologist in 2014. Throughout her career, she has provided evaluation and treatment services to children across a variety of settings, including early intervention, a private preschool serving children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and K–12 public schools.
Shelby is PROMPT-trained for the treatment of pediatric motor speech and articulation disorders. She is passionate about creating a nurturing and supportive therapeutic environment while establishing clear expectations that help each child achieve meaningful progress. Her approach emphasizes meeting each child at their individual level, building confidence, and providing individualized support to help them reach their fullest potential.
Outside of the clinic, Shelby enjoys spending time with her family and dog, riding her Peloton, and baking sourdough bread.
CLIENT CARE / OFFICE ASSISTANT
Victoria Costello
Victoria has experience managing the healthcare needs of clients and their families from both the outpatient and acute care settings. As Client Care Coordinator of American Speech Therapy, Victoria coordinates with healthcare services, communicates with members of the care team, and provides community resources and referrals to clients in need of continuing care. Her role includes reviewing and advocating for clients’ health needs, managing accounts and records, scheduling evaluation and treatment appointments, and ensuring compliance with professional standards and requirements.
CLIENT CARE COORDINATOR
Emily Shauger
Emily is a Client Care Assistant and Office Assistant at American Speech Therapy while pursuing her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Kean University. She originally joined the team during her undergraduate studies to gain hands-on experience in the field and has developed a passion for supporting both the administrative and clinical sides of the practice.
In her role, Emily assists with a variety of responsibilities including client support, office organization, creating marketing materials, and creating therapy resources to help support both clinicians and families.
Outside of work and school, Emily enjoys spending time outdoors, watching sports, and being with her friends and family.