Improve your
thinking skills
with our evidence-based
cognitive rehabilitation program
Functional Cognitive Rehab is a telehealth-based private practice providing cognitive rehabilitation services to individuals primarily recovering from traumatic brain injuries and/or concussions.
We help our patients regain their cognitive-linguistic abilities so they can return to school, work, and community at their highest level of cognitive functioning and independence.
What is Cognitive Rehabilitation?
Cognitive Rehabilitation is a combination of restorative and compensatory techniques to improve attention, memory, organization, problem solving, planning, and verbal expression skills in individuals who are impaired in these areas.
Our team of Speech Pathologists specialize in the use of evidence-based cognitive strategies and exercises to improve our patients’ cognition (or thinking skills), resulting in increased functional independence and higher quality of life.
We offer services in English and Spanish
Our Services
Common diagnoses we can help with:
Traumatic brain injury
Post-concussion syndrome
Stroke
Mild cognitive impairment
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Long COVID
Our Process
Comprehensive cognitive
assessment to determine needs
Individualized treatment
plan tailored to patients’ goals
Telehealth therapy sessions
1-3 times per week based on need
Improved cognitive functioning and independence
Meet the Team
Tyler King, M.S., CCC-SLP
Founder/Speech Pathologist
Tyler received his Master of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences at Portland State University, where his studies focused on cognitive rehabilitation for patients recovering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). He has since treated patients with cognitive impairment across a variety of medical settings, presented on TBI rehabilitation at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Convention, and founded Functional Cognitive Rehab. Tyler enjoys spending time with his family and friends, traveling, and golfing.
Paula Zappala, M.A., CCC-SLP
Clinical Director/Speech Pathologist
Paula holds a Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Hampton University and brings over 25 years of experience with patient care and with clinical leadership. She has worked with individuals with cognitive impairments and neurological deficits across home health, outpatient, and inpatient rehabilitation settings. Passionate about delivering patient-centered programs, Paula focuses on enhancing recovery and quality of life. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, boating, cooking and traveling.
Kaci Zambelli, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist
Kaci graduated with her Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders at University of Central Florida. She has experience treating traumatic brain injury, aphasia, and other cognitive disorders in both inpatient and outpatient settings including long term acute care, skilled nursing facilities, and a neurologist office. She is passionate about providing functional cognitive therapy individualized to each patients unique needs and lifestyle. Kaci enjoys going to the beach, creating art, and spending time with her friends, family, and pets.
Alyssa Zecca, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist
Alyssa graduated from the University of South Florida with her Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology with a minor in Applied Behavioral Analysis. Her passion includes integrating patient-centered care, evidence-based practice, and caregiver training for neuro rehabilitation. She has experience providing care in the hospital, skilled nursing facilities, in patient and outpatient clinics and home health setting. In her free time she loves spending time with family, friends and her dog Aamaya.
Stephanie Castro, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist
Stephanie is a Spanish bilingual SLP who received her Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Central Florida. She has experience with neuro rehabilitation across a variety of settings - including acute care, skilled nursing, assisted living, and outpatient facilities. She is passionate about the importance of follow-up care to improve mental health outcomes for the TBI population. In her free time, you can find her spending time with family, browsing local farmer’s markets, and watching the latest film or play at the theater.
Darbi Haug, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist
Darbi graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with her Master of Arts degree in Speech Language Pathology and experience with numerous research initiatives related to recovery in traumatic brain injury and aphasia populations. She has worked across rehabilitation settings and previously contributed to concussion management protocols for collegiate athletes at Miami University of Ohio. In her free time she enjoys cooking new recipes, creating macrame art, and spoiling her two Labrador mixes, Jeanie and Leo.
Kristen Salem, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist
Kristen graduated from Arizona State University with a Master of Science degree in Communication Disorders. She has experience treating traumatic brain injury, aphasia, and other acquired cognitive disorders across the age span in both inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient rehabilitation settings. She’s passionate and dedicated to developing an individualized treatment plan for each patient she encounters. In her free time, she loves spending time with family, reading a good book, and hiking the beautiful Arizona mountains.
Natalie Brennan, M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech Pathologist
Natalie graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She brings diverse experience in neurorehabilitation across various settings, including acute care, skilled nursing, and outpatient clinics. As a Certified Brain Injury Specialist, she is passionate about providing individualized, evidence-based rehabilitation services for individuals recovering from traumatic brain injuries. In her free time, Natalie enjoys hiking, reading, and spending quality time with friends and family.
What our patients are saying
"There are people you want on your team when you have to deal with the issues that Tyler specializes in. On that team, Tyler would be your quarterback. I highly recommend him. Easy to use and highly effective solutions that provide immediate and long term results. If you get the chance to work with him, jump at the opportunity.”
-BK
"Tyler is thoughtful and conscientious of his patients. I struggled a lot when it came to my retention and focus in my classes in college and with the help of his treatments, I was able to be much more successful than I had in the past. I am much more confident in my ability to be successful and continue to raise my GPA."
-NR
"This program was very thorough. I appreciated there being a detailed treatment plan and a series of skills and tasks to learn and practice. When recovering from a TBI/concussion this very direct process with clearly laid out goals, tasks and information was very beneficial. Having the materials to review was also very helpful.”
-HA