Bright Start LLC

Our PT team is stronger than ever! Please help us welcome our new PT, Laurel! 🤩

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Hello! My name is Laurel and I am a Pediatric Physical Therapist. I am originally from Michigan, but I moved to New Orleans in 2006 and am so happy to be here! I received my Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University in 2004 and my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from LSU Health Sciences Center in 2009.

I have always worked in pediatrics and have experience in inpatient hospital settings (including NICU), in addition to outpatient clinics, providing traditional weekly PT, as well as therapy intensives. I have worked with children with a large variety of diagnoses, including developmental delay, cerebral palsy, prematurity, hypotonia, torticollis, various genetic disorders, and many other neurological and orthopedic conditions. I truly believe in family-centered care, and I am so excited to be a part of the Bright Start team. I look forward to getting to know you and your child!

Our OT team is growing! Please help us welcome Sarah to our OT Krewe! 🤩

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Hey there! I’m Sarah, an occupational therapist with a passion for helping children learn through play and meaningful everyday activities. I graduated from LSU Health Sciences Center here in New Orleans with my Master of Occupational Therapy and have focused my clinical experience in pediatrics. I have had the opportunity to work with children of all ages with a variety of developmental differences, including autism, sensory processing challenges, and areas of motor growth.

I enjoy supporting skills such as play, attention, sensory regulation, motor development, and caregiver coaching to help families feel confident carrying strategies into daily routines. My approach is child-led, relationship-based, and centered around making therapy fun and functional.

When I am not working, I enjoy thrifting, lifting weights, and spending time with my husband and our 3 cats! I’m excited to work alongside you and your child to help them learn, play, and thrive!

Please help us welcome one of our new SLPs, Becca! 🤩 We are so glad you’re here!

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Hi! My name is Becca, and I am a Speech-Language Pathologist! I received my bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and my master’s degree from Southeastern Louisiana University. For the last 3 years, I worked at a pediatric outpatient clinic in the greater New Orleans area. While there, I treated children of all ages with a range of communication and swallowing disorders including expressive/receptive language delays, speech sound disorders, voice and fluency disorders, cognitive-communication challenges, feeding/swallowing disorders, social communication, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). I enjoy building strong relationships with the children and families I work with and creating a positive and encouraging environment where communication can grow. I believe in a collaborative approach and love working together with families and other professionals to help each child reach their goals. I’m so happy to be part of the Bright Start team and to support your child as they find their voice and thrive!

Bright Start is so excited to expand to California—truly a full-circle moment for our founder, Ashley McInnis, MCD, CCC-SLP.

Fun fact: speech-language pathology is Ashley’s second career. She first earned her undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication before following her heart into the world of pediatric therapy. She completed her post-baccalaureate studies in Communicative Sciences and Disorders through Loma Linda University and went on to earn her Master’s degree from LSU Health.

Ashley’s journey began right here in California in 2015, working as a Speech-Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) in the Early Start program. It was during this time that she fell in love with early intervention and the power of supporting children and families within their everyday routines. Now, over a decade later, she is incredibly proud to return—this time as the founder of Bright Start and an official vendor with the Regional Center of Orange County.

Bright Start was originally founded in New Orleans with a mission rooted in connection: to provide timely, evidence-based, and deeply personalized care for children and their families. What started as a small, heart-led practice has grown into a trusted team of therapists who are passionate about meeting families where they are—at home, at school, and in the community.

While we are still building and growing to fully mirror our New Orleans practice, Bright Start California is already grounded in the same values: thoughtful care, strong relationships, and a commitment to showing up for families in meaningful ways.

We are so excited to be here. We can’t wait to meet you, support your family, and grow together. 🧡

📩[email protected]

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✨ 2025 Year in Review ✨

As we wrap up 2025, we’re filled with gratitude for our incredible team and the amazing community that continues to trust and grow with us. We truly wouldn’t be here without each and every one of you!

This year at Bright Start, we celebrated some meaningful milestones:

* Grew to 26 team members
* Built dedicated OT & PT teams, each with 4+ therapists
* Became an agency in California’s Early Intervention program — now accepting 2026 referrals!
* Expanded contracts with local schools and daycares to offer affordable screenings
* Supported 650+ families across Louisiana
* Launched our well-baby program, The Little Village
* Welcomed 8 LSU Health students, 2 high school interns, and 4 therapy techs to learn and grow with us
* Honored as Winner: Favorite Pediatric Therapy Group and Favorite Special Needs Service, and Runner-Up: Favorite Pediatric Therapist by NOLA Family Favorites
* Began our second year with Crescent City Schools

Most importantly, we continued to celebrate the love, expertise, and family-centered care we’re grateful to give to our Bright Start community every single day.

Thank you, Bright Start, for another fulfilling and rewarding year.

We are wishing all of our families a happy and heathy new year for 2026.

We can’t wait to see what the new year brings!

With love,
Ashley & The Bright Start Team