Founder & Speech-Language Pathologist
Dr. Carla Kekejian is a bilingual pediatric speech-language pathologist licensed in California and Utah and the founder of SoCal Speech. She holds a PhD in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from the University of Utah, is a lecturer in the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences at CSUN, and is a UCLA-certified PEERS® provider. She provides assessment and therapy in English and Armenian. Read Dr. Kekejian’s full bio
Alin Aivazian, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a bilingual, Armenian-speaking speech-language pathologist dedicated to empowering individuals and their families through compassionate, person-centered care. She earned her M.S. in Communication Disorders and Sciences from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Alin holds her Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-SLP) through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
At SoCal Speech, Alin focuses on serving early intervention and school-aged children, guiding young learners as they build confidence and discover their voices during critical stages of development. She brings a well-rounded clinical background across outpatient clinics, inpatient hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities. Her extensive experience with adult and geriatric populations, addressing complex swallowing, voice, and cognitive-communication needs, gives her a unique, long-term perspective on lifespan development. Truly enjoying her work with individuals of all ages and backgrounds, Alin finds deep fulfillment in supporting every stage of communication growth.
Outside of her clinical work, Alin enjoys dancing, reading, and watching television, especially when revisiting her favorite book and movie series, Harry Potter. She brings a warm, professional, and welcoming presence to every interaction, ensuring that clients and their families feel valued, respected, and fully supported throughout their therapeutic journey.
Vauna Derderian is the Administrative Assistant at SoCal Speech, and usually the first person a family hears from. She coordinates scheduling, manages the practice’s day-to-day administration, answers questions from new and current families, and makes sure every family feels supported and welcomed from their first phone call onward.
Currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Child Development, Vauna is deeply passionate about early intervention and helping families navigate every stage of growth. Her ultimate goal is to become a Speech-Language Pathologist herself! Working at SoCal Speech gives her a front-row seat to the clinical world she can’t wait to join, allowing her to blend her academic knowledge with a genuine heart for patient care.
Vauna brings a thoughtful, empathetic, and reassuring energy to the practice. She thrives on creating order from chaos and takes pride in making administrative processes simple and stress-free for both our clients and clinicians.
When she’s not keeping operations running smoothly or studying up on developmental milestones, you can find Vauna in the kitchen baking up something delicious, catching up on movie nights, or hanging out with her dogs.