Allison King
MS CCC-SLP
CLINIC DIRECTOR
PRONOUNS: SHE/HER
Allison came to Social Thinking-Stevens Creek (STSC) from Tucson, AZ after a nomadic childhood that included living in South Africa, the United Kingdom, the West Indies, and Canada. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Anthropology, and a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Arizona. During that time, Allison was introduced to Social Thinking® by Dr. Pam Crooke. After graduation, she worked for a residential transition program for young adults focusing on independent living and social communication skills, and the Tucson Alliance for Autism, where she facilitated the Life Skills and Social Communication program for adolescents and young adults. In 2012 Allison had the opportunity to move to San Jose and work with the team at STSC. During her time at STSC she has helped to expand programs for young adults and assisted in the development of new clinic programs. As Clinic Director, Allison enjoys supervising volunteers and new clinicians, as well as presenting to parents and professionals in the community. She is able to use her knowledge and experience with life skills and transition programs to develop functional, individualized strategies for the real world. When not at the clinic, Allison spends her time outside enjoying the hiking trails, lakes, and beaches of the Bay Area.
Ryan Hendrix
MS CCC-SLP
SENIOR SOCIAL COGNITIVE SPECIALIST
PRONOUNS: SHE/HER
Ryan received her bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in art therapy and master's degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Arizona. While at the U of A, Ryan met Dr. Pam Crooke, who introduced her to the unpredictable, quirky world of social thinking. Having grown up with a close family friend with social learning differences, the lessons resonated strongly with her. Ryan led social cognitive groups throughout graduate school, and together with Pam, authored a published journal article discussing results of a pilot study examining the efficacy of social thinking therapy. Following graduation, Ryan continued implementing social thinking principles in the Tucson community with preschoolers through adolescents. When opportunity knocked, she followed Pam west to the Center for Social Thinking in December of 2007. Ryan's artistic and creative talents allow her to present lessons in a visual, fun, and engaging manner. She spends her free time reading, thinking about practicing yoga, and exploring the Bay Area and has an unexplainable affinity for elephants, especially pink ones!
Sogol Shafiei
MS CCC-SLP
PRONOUNS: SHE/HER
Sogol completed her Bachelor's in Speech Pathology and Audiology and Master's in Speech Pathology at California State University East Bay. During graduate school and post-graduation, while working with early intervention and elementary students, Sogol found her passion for working with children with social communication differences. From 2013 through 2023, Sogol worked at Neighborhood Charter Schools in New York City. During her time there, she worked as a speech-language pathologist, the network's first Supervising Speech-Language Pathologist, and eventually the network's first Related Services Program Director, helping to grow the school’s special education program and implementation of the Social Thinking® Methodology. Sogol joined Social Thinking-Stevens Creek in 2021 remotely and after moving back home to California in 2023, she joined the team in Stevens Creek full-time. She is so thankful to be a part of the team at Social Thinking-Stevens Creek and has felt so fulfilled working with clients and families of the clinic. In her spare time, Sogol enjoys traveling, dining out, and spending time with friends and family.
Farah Syed
OTR/L
PRONOUNS: SHE/HER
Farah received her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Houston and a Master’s in Occupational Therapy from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Farah has previous work experience in outpatient pediatrics, early intervention, and in a school setting. She was born in Pakistan and has lived in various parts of the US, including Massachusetts, Texas, and the District of Columbia. She has experience abroad in her hometown, where she pursued a bachelor’s in Occupational Therapy and interned in various clinical settings. She developed a passion for working with the Autism community in 2017 when she worked for Social Motion Skills as a teacher aide. During OT school, she researched and presented a scoping review on “Developmental Trends of Postural Control with Autism Spectrum Disorder” at the Texas Occupational Therapy Conference of 2019. Her desire to work at Social Thinking-Stevens Creek came from her experience in schools where she saw the need and benefits of using the Social Thinking Methodology in classrooms. Outside of work, she is a cat mom to two vivacious Tuxie sisters. She also enjoys hiking and nature to ground herself.
Eve Schwartz
MS CF-SLP
PRONOUNS: SHE/HER
Eve received her Bachelors in Communicative Sciences from The George Washington University in DC, and a Masters in Communicative Sciences and Disorders from San Jose State University. During her time earning her Masters Degree, Eve became particularly interested in social pragmatics. Eve has had previous experience with providing SLP services in elementary schools, child-led early intervention, and educational therapy settings, where she enjoyed problem solving with her clients and their families to better attain their educational and communication goals. After volunteering at Social Thinking Stevens Creek, she became interested in the Social Thinking® Methodology. Eve is motivated to continue to help her clients reach their full potential and love who they are as unique individuals. Outside of work, Eve takes every spare moment to work on her art, which you can see hanging in various businesses in the South Bay Area.
Kaleigh Kim
MA CF-SLP
PRONOUNS: SHE/HER
Kaleigh holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from San Diego State University. She possesses diverse clinical experiences, having worked with patients across the lifespan in an outpatient medical center as well as in public elementary, middle, and high school settings. Her introduction to the Social Thinking® Methodology came through volunteering at Social Thinking Stevens Creek during her undergraduate studies, which ignited her passion for working with students to support their social relationships and social learning challenges. Kaleigh is dedicated to working with individuals of all ages through building relationships with families and bringing laughter into all her sessions. She emphasizes the importance of personalized, functional interventions so that clients can achieve enhanced personal success and improved communication in various aspects of their life. In her free time, Kaleigh loves traveling, reading, playing board games, and sharing sweet treats with friends and family.
Kari Zweber Palmer
MA CCC-SLP
PRONOUNS: SHE/HER
Kari received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri and master’s from the University of Kansas. Her interest in Social Thinking® was first ignited in graduate school when she was encouraged to facilitate a "social skills" group for teens. Finding herself increasingly fascinated with Social Thinking, Kari researched and wrote "The Double Interview: Assessing the Social Communication of Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome" for her master’s thesis. Department faculty at the University of Kansas awarded her the Margaret C. Byrne Saricks Graduate Research Award for demonstrating excellence in master’s thesis research. Kari worked as a full-time therapist at Social Thinking Stevens Creek prior to returning home to Minnesota. She is excited to return to the team to share her knowledge and expertise through online sessions. Kari can usually be found chasing after her kids, thinking about training for another triathlon with her husband, and enjoying the lakes of Minnesota. She loves to travel and considers her experiences with an infant on an airplane the most interesting social experiment.
Laura Buescher
MS CCC-SLP
PRONOUNS: SHE/HER
Laura is originally from Lewes, DE but comes to us from Baltimore, MD. She completed both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Speech-Language Pathology at Loyola University Maryland. Growing up with a brother with autism, Laura’s interest in communication began at a young age. As a child, Laura spent hours playing “school-house” with her little brother, which inspired her to pursue a career in speech-language pathology. Because of her brother, Laura knew early on that her passion within the scope of speech-language pathology was in helping people with social communication differences. After graduating, Laura began her Clinical Fellowship at a school for students with disabilities where she was introduced to the Social Thinking® Methodology. Laura saw great progress in her students' social emotional learning and quickly realized that she wanted to specialize in social cognition. When an opportunity arose to join the Social Thinking Stevens Creek team, Laura moved from Baltimore to the Bay Area. Recently, her husband’s career in the military necessitated a move to Texas. Laura continues to share her fun and engaging sessions with her clients online. During her free time, Laura enjoys hiking, traveling, going to the beach, and spending time with her husband, family, and friends.
Maddie Lopez
MS CCC-SLP
PRONOUNS: SHE/HER
Maddie received her Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Science with minors in Psychology and Disabilities Studies from the University of Delaware. She received her Master of Science in Communication Sciences from Hunter College in New York City. After completing graduate school, Maddie worked as a speech-language pathologist in a special education private school and then at a charter school, both in New York City. She employs evidence-based approaches, innovative techniques, and personalized interventions to create a supportive environment that fosters growth and empowers individuals to reach their full potential. In her free time, Maddie enjoys spending time with her large family - including her husband, parents, five sisters, one brother, two sisters-in-law and nine nieces and nephews. Maddie also enjoys spending time outdoors - hiking, biking, and attending community events focused on environmental sustainability. Maddie is excited to join the Social Thinking team and share her extensive experience through online sessions from New York.
Patty Garza
Office Manager
PRONOUNS: SHE/HER
Patty graduated as a Massage Therapist from Everest College and was Valedictorian of her class. Although she loved what she did, over the years, she gravitated towards administrative roles and grew a passion for customer service and relations. In 2018, she joined the Social Thinking-Stevens Creek team and has grown an immense respect for Social Thinking®'s teaching strategies. Growing up, Patty always loved to care for kids and is excited to be able to interact with children and families today. Outside of the office, Patty loves photography, traveling, spending time with friends and family, and enjoying great music.
May Chen
Controller
PRONOUNS: SHE/HER
May (Maofen) received her Master of Science in Accountancy from Cal State University, San Bernardino, and passed her CPA exams. She and her family moved to the bay area in 2016. She worked in the accounting department of a large construction company in San Jose. She also has working experience from a non-for-profit organization. Recently, she joined the Social Thinking Stevens Creek as Chief Accountant. She loves the working environment at STSC, everyone feels like family. She takes care of STSC’s billing, AP, GL and Payroll and resolves payment issues with vendors and customers. When not working, May enjoys reading, watching movies, hiking, and traveling.