DANA TAPPEN, SLPD, CCC-SLP

Executive Functioning & Social Communication Support to Help You Thrive

California Licensed & Nationally Certified Speech-Language Pathologist

Executive Functioning, California Licensed & Nationally Certified Speech-Language Pathologist, image of student

Helping Clients Feel Confident, Empowered, and Supported

Do you have a student who struggles with self regulation, time management, task completion, or successfully interacting with others? Are you a college student or professional with years of experience who has trouble meeting deadlines, procrastinating, or working successfully with peers or colleagues? Or maybe you’re a parent who struggles with organization, successfully prioritizing and completing tasks, or knowing how to support your child’s executive functioning skills. Have years of struggling to just get by leave you feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to turn?

You’re not alone, and I’m here to help.

What I Can Help With

Services are offered both in-person (San Diego) and virtually providing accessible support no matter where you are located.
In addition to individual and group sessions, consultations and training for clients, allied professionals, and private companies are available.

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I help with

Executive Functioning

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I help with

Social Communication

Meet Your Specialist

Hi, I’m Dana Tappen, SLPD, CCC-SLP. As a California licensed and nationally certified Speech-Language Pathologist and Executive Functioning Specialist, I have a deep passion for continuous learning and personal connection to the neurodiversity community. I often find myself researching or attending conferences to better support my clients (or family members).

My dedication led me to earn a clinical doctorate in 2018, and I now enjoy speaking at conferences and conducting research. In my free time, I love spending time with my husband, our son Bennett, and our beagle Cooper, hiking, trying new restaurants with friends, or hanging out with family, including our five nephews!

california licensed & nationally certified speech-language pathologist

Ready to get started?

Discover

Take a look around the website, read over the FAQs, and discover how I can support you.

Schedule

Schedule a FREE consultation to ask any questions and share your concerns and goals.

Get Results

Find a time to meet 1:1 or join a group, fill out some paperwork and let’s get started!

Schedule a FREE consultation today. Virtual services are available throughout California, with in-person options in San Diego.

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Success Stories

"I contacted Dana after seeing her answer a question on a local Moms Facebook Group page. She was offering help to another mom whose child had some emotional regulation and executive functioning issues. That sounded like me, so I reached out to Dana and had a very informative and thorough first conversation over the phone. When I decided to move forward with having my child meet with Dana, she asked for additional information which I was happy to provide. During the first meeting, it was clear she had spent time going over all the information and synthesizing it with her own notes from our first phone conversation. Every week, Dana spent her time with Clara effectively and was able to meet her where she was at week to week, while also moving Clara towards a deeper understanding of her own emotional and executive functioning needs. Clara also always enjoyed her time with Dana and she was so great with her."

Becca (Clara’s mom)

"I enjoyed being with her. I felt like she understood me and she helped me find some new Unthinkables that described what was going on in my brain. She helped me find a few major solutions to fix them. She's also really nice."

Clara, 9.5 years old

"I highly recommend Dana as an executive functioning coach. My daughter has been struggling and we were feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with the lack of resources. Dana's knowledge and expertise were a lifesaver. Dana has an in-depth understanding of ADHD and executive functioning. Her knowledge and insight offered answers I had been searching for. The fact that Dana also offers in-home consultations was a huge plus for our family. It allowed for a more comfortable and realistic assessment of our situation. Dana’s positive and encouraging demeanor put us at ease. I can't say enough positive things about Dana and what she has to offer. If you're looking for an experienced and supportive coach to help your child with ADHD or executive functioning challenges, I highly recommend contacting Dana."

A San Diego Family

"Our son struggles with social situations resulting from being on the Autism spectrum. Dana always came up with innovative ways to teach social skills in memorable ways that were right for his maturity level. Most importantly, Dana taught social thinking skills and tried to help our son apply what he was learning in everyday situations. Our son always looked forward to their weekly sessions, and we are all very thankful for Dana's help"

An expat family in the Middle East