Meet Our Team
Kristen DeSena, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist & Owner
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Kristen is the founder and owner of STAR. She received her BA in English and Linguistics from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, followed by her MS in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Emerson College in Boston.
Kristen has professional experience evaluating and treating children ages 0-21 years and presenting with a wide range of
communication and feeding impairments. Kristen has worked with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Delay, Learning Disabilities, Intellectual Disabilities, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Visual/Hearing Impairments, Expressive/Receptive Language Impairments, Feeding/Swallowing Disorders, Fluency Disorders, and Speech Sound Disorders.
Kristen has expertise in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
She has worked at Boston Children’s Hospital’s internationally-acclaimed Augmentative Communication Program, as a graduate instructor in AAC, and as an AAC consultant in private practice. Kristen is especially passionate about following a family-centered approach to therapy and implementing AAC systems and strategies when appropriate to ensure every child is given an equal opportunity to communicate.
Kristen is licensed by the board of North Carolina, has her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association, and is a member of the North Carolina Augmentative Communication Association.
Aside from being an SLP, Kristen enjoys going to the beach, training for marathons, and cheering for Michigan sports. Kristen lives in Durham, NC
with her husband and two kids.
Clare Rahill-Graca, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist &
Clinical Director
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Clare is originally from small town Ohio but is proud to call Durham her new home. She is a speech-language pathologist, receiving both her Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and Speech-Language Pathology and her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. She is licensed by the board of North Carolina and has her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association.
Clare’s professional experience includes evaluating and treating children ages 0-21 years and presenting with a wide range of communication and feeding impairments. She has worked with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Delay, Learning Disabilities, Intellectual Disabilities, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Visual/Hearing Impairments, Expressive/Receptive Language Impairments, Feeding/Swallowing Disorders, Fluency Disorders, and Speech Sound Disorders.
Clare is specially trained in treating echolalia and is registered in the national Meaningful Speech™ registry of Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) trained clinicians. She is also certified and trained as a sensory-based speech-language pathologist and is particularly enthusiastic about incorporating your child’s sensory needs into each and every speech therapy session. Family- and child-centered therapy is a pillar of Clare’s therapy, recognizing the importance of diversity, inclusion, and meeting each family where they are.
Clare lives in Durham with her husband. She enjoys crafting, yoga, and
snuggles with her cat.
Bridget Daoust, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
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Bridget is originally from Western Massachusetts. She attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she earned a BS in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences followed by a MA in
Speech-Language Pathology. Between degrees, Bridget worked as an
SLP-Assistant for 4 years.
Bridget’s clinical experience includes evaluating and treating a wide range of communication and swallowing/feeding impairments in various settings, including public schools, private practice,
home health, and telepractice. She has worked with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Delay, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Rhett Syndrome, Williams Syndrome, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Visual/Hearing Impairments, Expressive/Receptive Language Impairments, Feeding/Swallowing Disorders, Fluency Disorders, and Speech Sound Disorders.
Bridget strives to provide individualized, child-led, and play-based therapy, working collaboratively with the care team to help clients and families succeed. She is passionate about Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and has experience conducting AAC evaluations and providing treatment with various programs, including LAMP Words for Life, Proloquo2Go, and TouchChat. Bridget values collaborating with team members to provide caregiver education and training on evidence-based AAC implementation and support.
Bridget’s spare time is spent reading, enjoying time with friends and family, and exploring her new home state.
Lila Chaffin, MS, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
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Lila is originally from Charlotte, NC and is a proud “double Tarheel” after attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for both her undergraduate and graduate degree. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Linguistics followed by her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology. She is licensed by the board of North Carolina and has her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language Hearing Association.
Lila’s professional experience includes evaluating and treating children in various settings, such as private practices, local
elementary schools, and daycares. She has worked with individuals to help treat a variety of communication difficulties, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Delays, Speech Sound Disorders, Natural Language Acquisition, Fluency Disorders, Expressive/Receptive Language Impairments, Down Syndrome, Hearing Impairments, and Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS).
Lila is especially passionate about providing individualized therapy with a neurodiversity-affirming approach. She enjoys helping all children find their voice, whether through spoken language, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), or both. She has experience conducting AAC evaluations and treatment with various language programs, such as TD Snap, TouchChat, and LAMP Words for Life. Lila’s vision for therapy sessions is to create a fun and collaborative environment. She often does this through child-centered and play-based therapy where the focus is on what the child and parents need. She enjoys finding unique ways to include a child’s interests into therapy and forming a trusting relationship with caregivers.
Lila lives in Durham, NC with her husband and lab rescue, Peanut. When she is not in the clinic, she loves to explore new restaurants, work on puzzles, and spend time with her family and friends.
Danielle Ernest, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
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Danielle is a Chicago-land transplant who is excited to call the triangle-area home. She is a Hawkeye through and through as she obtained both her B.A. and M.A. in Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Iowa: Go Hawks! She is licensed by the board of North Carolina and has her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Danielle spent four years providing culturally responsive, evidenced-based care in Houston, TX, where she worked
with children and young adults with diverse medical and communication needs on the Cleft/Craniofacial/VPI Teams at Texas Children’s Hospital-Medical Center as well as in the community. She has a passion for individualized, interdisciplinary care and her clinical philosophy is rooted in neurodiversity.
Danielle has experience working with individuals across the lifespan with single-gene, multifactorial, chromosomal, neurodevelopmental, structural, and rare disorders including Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome, Spina bifida, Turner syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, and more. She is versed in assessment and intervention of expressive, receptive, pragmatic, fluency, and speech sound disorders as well as touch and eye-gaze augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
Outside of work, you’ll find Danielle spending time outdoors, cheering on Chicago’s sports teams, traveling, and snuggling with her dog.
Caroline Haynes, MS, CF-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
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Caroline is originally from Charlotte, but has called the Triangle home since attending NC State for her undergraduate degree. She received her BS in Elementary Education and taught for 3 years before returning to school to get her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Caroline’s clinical experience includes evaluating and treating children ages 1-21 years presenting with a wide range of communication impairments. She has worked with individuals with
Rett Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Delay, Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), Learning Disabilities, Visual/Hearing Impairments, Expressive/Receptive Language Impairments, and Speech Sound Disorders.
Caroline is deeply committed to delivering personalized therapy through a neurodiversity-affirming lens. She is passionate about helping everyone find their voice no matter what that looks like - communication is a human right! Caroline has experience with various Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices and programs. She collaborates closely with families and other professionals to identify and implement the AAC system that best supports each child’s individual communication needs.
In her spare time, Caroline enjoys finding new dog-friendly places to walk, eat, or shop with her husband and 4 year old pup.
Katy Hall
Billing & Office Manager
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Katy began her healthcare career in phlebotomy, where she spent six years assisting patients of all ages. In 2020, her family was blessed with the birth of their daughter, who was born with Down Syndrome and other heart defects requiring specialized care. This new chapter led Katy to step away from the hospital setting to focus on caring for her daughter. During this time, she discovered a passion for supporting families facing similar challenges in obtaining the necessary care for their children to thrive.
Katy is committed to streamlining processes and providing the highest level of care for both patients and families. As the Billing and Office Manager, she applies her expertise to create efficient and compassionate solutions in healthcare administration.
In her free time, Katy enjoys spending quality time with her husband of eight years and their children, taking walks and playing board games.