Home | About | Team | Marissa Arkus

Marissa Arkus

Speech Language Pathologist

Early Intervention
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Aphasia
Cognitive Communication Disorders
Motor Speech Disorders
Dysphagia
Transgender Voice Therapy
Speech Sound Disorders

District Speech & Language Therapy

4.9

Based on 155 reviews

See all reviews

review us on

Teresa T.

Lee Morra at District Speech and Language is a wonderful and effective speech therapist. He gave me the tools, guidance, and encouragement to speak better. Lee taught me speech exercises so I can practice saying and using words and phrases I commonly use. He taught me techniques to organize my thoughts and talking points for meetings and conversations. He taught me that even though I have a cognitive impairment and problems with memory loss, I can speak coherently.Once I started using these techniques, I started getting better results in meetings, with customer service, and at appointments!The speech improvements I have made using the tools and techniques Lee gave me have given me the confidence to start and join conversations again! Now, I am not as worried about forgetting what I am talking about mid-sentence as I was before speech therapy.The real proof of speech progress came when my primary care physician told me I was more organized, more to the point, and better spoken than I have been in almost a year. I replied "speech therapy!" My doctor and I are happy I have access to resources such as District Speech and Language and Lee to help me. Thank you , Lee!

Becca S.

We have had a phenomenal experience with Ariel and District Speech! She does an incredible job with our toddler and he has grown so much from his sessions with her and adores her. We cannot recommend her enough.

Emily C.

Kate has been the speech therapist for both my daughter (8, working on /l/ sounds) and son (6, working on /s/, /r/ and /l/). She blends expertise and competence with just the best interactional style with kids. She approaches both of my children as though they are peers, making them immediately comfortable. We speak openly about their speech challenges, which normalizes them and makes my kids feel accepted. And there's been much improvement. My daughter 'graduated' and my son has become considerably more confident using his 'new s.' Can't say enough about Kate. She's the best!

E M.

We wanted to extend our gratitude to Kate Stangel and District Speech. We found getting an appointment and the overall process very easy and straightforward. Once we got started, Kate had a great temperament and approach with our son which made all the difference. Given we had started with a previous therapist at another organization, this made our move to District Speech completely worthwhile. Comfort and expertise are what matter most, and we felt completely at ease with both.

Bernice L.

Kate was amazing. She was a great listener which was extremely beneficial in supporting me to recover from vocal cord nodules. Her extensive knowledge on techniques, goal setting skills, and her ability to develop the right treatment plan allowed me to recover and I haven't had any issues since 2023.

J S

I can't say enough about how wonderful our experience has been with Lee Morra at District Speech. We have been to a number of speech therapists and I only wish that we had found him years ago. He is enthusiastic, extremely knowledgeable, and has made incredible progress with my teenager right from the very first session. Highly recommended!

Mary K.

Have had a universally great experience with District Speech. From first contact through evaluation and ongoing therapy, they have been helpful, accommodating and communicative. Ariel does has made such a great job forging a meaningful connection with our son, showing such creativity in finding topics that engage him, and matching his energy with her enthusiasm and patience. So thankful for the whole team!

L L.

District Speech and Language Therapy (DSLT) had a very positive impact on my communication skills. Lee was awesome! He was very supportive, provided guidance, and communication techniques that I found useful in my professional and personal life. During the sessions, I was amazed that even as an adult I was discovering new ways to better communicate and improve my speech. Thanks DSLT and Lee for making my experience beneficial!

Lily T.

Attending speech sessions with Lee Morra has been an absolute game-changer for me. Lee's expertise, passion, and personalized approach make each session incredibly valuable. The sessions are thoughtfully structured, covering everything from vocal projection to body language, and tailored to individual needs. Lee is highly knowledgeable, attentive, and takes the time to listen to concerns, providing thorough explanations and treatment options in which it has greatly improved my confidence and speaking skills. I highly recommend Lee Morra's speech sessions to anyone looking to enhance their communication and speaking abilities.

Nicholas G.

Highly recommend District Speech and Language Therapy! I've been coming here for a couple of weeks, and I've already seen improvement. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful as well!

Mannal H.

I love District Speech! The staff is friendly, helpful and very easy to coordinate with. I've been working with Lee and HIGHLY recommend him to people of all ages and abilities. I've already made significant progress in just a couple of months and look forward to the sessions each week.

Tamica S.

I can honestly say only positive and great things about District Speech and Language Therapy. My son has been getting Speech Therapy there for the past couple of months with Aerial. Ariel is such a breath of fresh air to work with. I truly appreciate her patience and commitment to building a rapport with my son and using fun, interactive, yet structured approaches, in which we’ve seen progress. She also provides resources and materials, which is extremely helpful. Although we may have a long way to go, I’m confident my son will get to where he needs to be with District Speech’s support. In addition, I appreciate that the owner, Jennifer, is very involved in the services that are provided, and I can tell that she is genuinely passionate about the field. I also want to acknowledge Katie, the Office Manager, who has been extremely responsive whenever I reach out for anything related to scheduling/payment/documentation. The sacrifice to commute each week from Northern Virginia for my son to receive therapy there is undeniably worth it.

Caroline S.

Great experience with Lee on accent reduction. First time I can get to work on my speech weaknesses in an efficient way.Lee is very patient and flexible. I'd recommend him.

Michel N

It was great to have our son with Kate Stangel. She was so supportive and dedicated to improve our son's speech, with clear goals. Also she was so flexible adjusting the schedule whenever needed

Kathrine V.

Babette was so incredible at helping me discover my new voice. I had been so anxious about never being able to sound "passable" but Babette made me feel at ease and worked at my pace to help me get comfortable. Could not recommend working with her enough!