Driven by a commitment to advancing clinical practice, Dr. Roca synthesizes research across disciplines to develop integrated models of clinical care that bring assessment, intervention, and data-informed clinical decision-making together within a coordinated system of care. Rather than approaching spoken language, written language, executive control, and academic learning as separate domains, her work emphasizes their interconnected nature and explores how understanding these relationships can lead to more coordinated, individualized, and effective care. Through this work, she seeks to make complex developmental processes visible and clinically actionable, helping clinicians make informed decisions that support meaningful learning and long-term functional outcomes.

This integrated approach is particularly relevant for children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions, including dyslexia and attention and executive function difficulties. By integrating evidence across disciplines, she has developed clinical approaches that recognize the interconnected nature of spoken language, written language, executive control, and academic learning while supporting culturally and linguistically responsive practice for bilingual and linguistically diverse learners.

Dr. Roca holds a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) from Nova Southeastern University, a Master of Science (M.S.) in Speech-Language Pathology, and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology. She is certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), trained in PROMPT, and fluent in English and Spanish.

Throughout her career, Dr. Roca has collaborated with clinicians, educators, researchers, universities, and schools to advance interdisciplinary approaches to language, literacy, and learning. She has presented her work at local, national, and international conferences and has provided consultation and professional development to organizations in the United States and internationally. Through consultation, professional development, clinical program development, and collaborative partnerships, she works to advance evidence-informed practices that improve language, literacy, learning, and educational outcomes for children.

As a speech-language pathologist assistant at BrainTools®, Sam is passionate about helping children develop confidence in their communication, language, and literacy skills through engaging, individualized intervention. She enjoys creating meaningful therapy experiences that support each child’s unique strengths while making learning both effective and enjoyable.

Sam has a special interest in language development, literacy intervention, and the relationship between neurodevelopment and communication. She is committed to providing evidence-based, child-centered care that empowers children and supports families throughout their communication journey.

During her undergraduate studies, Natalie conducted research with the FSU Autism Institute for the FIRST WORDS® Project, serving as a research coder and a part-time videographer for home observations. Her research centered on the precise identification of behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorder.

Natalie’s clinical experience at BrainTools further ignited her dedication to supporting children and adolescents navigating executive functioning challenges and developmental speech and language delays. Her clinical and research interests encompass developmental language delays, dyslexia, the intersection of literacy and oral language, cognitive-communication deficits, and acquired language disorders across the lifespan.

Dedicated to advancing her clinical expertise, Natalie is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders through Florida State University’s Distance-Learning graduate program.