Meet the Team
Ashley Mattes
Ashley is a passionate and playful Certified Occupational Therapy practitoner who believes every child deserves the chance to thrive in their own unique way. As a mom of two, Ashley created Blossoming Beginnings to serve families with the same care and compassion she would want for her own daughters. She is dedicated to helping children build independence through fun, meaningful activities that celebrate their individuality. With a strong foundation in a wide range of pediatric specialties, Ashley brings creativity, empathy, and a whole lot of heart to every session. Whether it’s through play, movement, or skill-building, she meets each child where they are—and cheers them on every step of the way.
Owner of Blossoming Beginnings, Occupational Therapy
Stephanie Farmer
Stephanie is deeply passionate about helping children reach their fullest potential. With over a decade of experience in pediatric occupational therapy, Stephanie has worked with children of all ages and abilities, supporting them in developing the skills they need to thrive in their daily lives. Stephanie has experience in many pediatric conditions/disorders and also specializes in feeding therapy and mealtime issues, and is certified in the Beckman Oral Motor Protocol to provide skilled intervention for feeding and oral motor challenges. Stephanie also holds a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) certification, with an additional certification in special needs car seats.
Occupational Therapy 
Occupational Therapy Sharon Payne
Sharon is a seasoned occupational therapist with over 25 years of experience in the field of pediatrics. Throughout her career, she has had the privilege of working with children of all ages and developmental abilities across a variety of settings. Sharon is passionate about helping children achieve their full potential through a strength-based approach that focuses on building confidence, independence, and meaningful skills for everyday life. She believes every child learns and grows in their own unique way, and she strives to create supportive, engaging, and individualized therapy experiences that meet each child where they are.
Rachel Snider
Rachel is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist who has experience evaluating and treating children with a variety of communication needs, including articulation and phonological disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder, language disorders, voice disorders, fluency disorders, and Down syndrome. She is also trained in both low- and high-tech Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), including PRC systems such as LAMP, Unity, and TouchChat, as well as GRID and TD Snap. Rachel is especially passionate about early intervention and supporting families during critical stages of development. She uses a child-led, play-based approach and values all forms of communication, including gestures, sign language, and AAC. Her goal is to help every child find their voice while empowering families to support communication at home.
Speech Therapy
Courtney Privette
Occupational Therapy
Courtney is a passionate Pediatric Occupational Therapy practitioner with several years of experience supporting children and their families. Her passion lies in helping each child grow, develop, and gain confidence in their everyday skills through fun, engaging, and individualized therapy.
She believes that meaningful progress begins with strong relationships, so she prioritizes building trust and connection with both my patients and their families. She takes a family-centered approach, working closely with caregivers to provide tools, education, and support that carry over into daily life.
Her goal is to create a positive and encouraging environment where children feel safe to explore, learn, and succeed. She believes it is truly an honor to serve families in our community and be a part of each child’s journey toward greater independence and confidence.
Cara Peroni
Speech Therapy
Cara is a dedicated Speech-Language Pathologist who thrives to help children build the communication skills they need in their everyday lives. With several years of experience working in pediatric settings, Cara has supported children with a variety of speech, language, and developmental needs while partnering closely with families to help each child reach their fullest potential. As a new mother herself, Cara understands the importance of family involvement and values building strong relationships with parents and caregivers. She enjoys working alongside families to provide practical strategies that can be incorporated into daily routines to support communication growth beyond therapy sessions.
Cara is committed to creating positive experiences for both children and their families and takes pride in helping children gain confidence as they develop new communication skills. She loves watching children make progress and celebrating every milestone along the way.
Kaylee Byrd
Occupational Therapy
Kaylee is a caring and down-to-earth Occupational Therapy Practitioner who truly enjoys working with children and being part of their growth. She takes a fun, play-based approach to therapy and loves finding activities that make children feel comfortable, confident, and excited to participate.
She is passionate about helping children become more independent with everyday skills while supporting areas such as fine motor skills, coordination, sensory needs, self-care, and play. She believes in meeting each child where they are, celebrating the little wins, and making therapy a positive experience.
Kaylee looks forward to getting to know each child and family she works with!