About Me.
My practice as a speech language pathologist has been devoted to understanding how the skill of communication is developed. Initially I attended trainings, workshops and certification programs directed at the skills of feeding, oral motor and articulation skills. I found this information minimally effective in practice with infants, toddlers, and young children as it only addressed a portion of why communication is delayed or ineffective.
Functional, effective communication is the product of an organized brain and body.
We all have variations in how we perceive sensation. This impacts our ability to regulate the internal world and respond to the external world. Learning about various sensory processing approaches taught me to regard, honor and support these sensory processing differences.
Expertise of the DIR/FLoortime program provides a developmental framework within each session. Through learning about development, I was drawn to understanding attachment and infant mental health as the foundation for learning from others.
I spent 8+ years as a single service provider in a rural area where I developed expertise and skill to address movement, coordination and motor planning. This led me into learning about reflexive patterns of movement, how movement develops and how movement is connected with speech development, cognition and the ability to communicate effectively.
Certifications and Achievements
Certified, Licensed Speech Language Pathologist
ASHA #12145069
CO License #0002198
Recipient of 11 ASHA ACE Awards
Each award represents 70 hours of professional continuing education, completed within a 3 year period.
National ASHA requirements are 30 hours of professional continuing education, completed within a 3 year period.
Obtained Certification as Infant Massage Instructor
Obtained Certification as Family Specialist, Colorado Association of Infant Mental Health
Completion of 52 hours of reflective supervision for Infant Mental Health
Corresponding professional coursework:
1 graduate level semester-long Infant Mental Health course
1 32-hour professional level course
Completion of 2 years of DIR/Floortime Individual Professional Mentoring
Intermediate Level DIR/Floortime Profesional
Completion of 4 DIR/Floortime professional level courses
2 years of professional mentoring with DIR/Floortime Instructor
Completion of 12 month study, Neurorelational Framework for Interdisciplinary Practice
(616 hours completed a/o 2024)
Proprioceptive and Cognitive Integration
Visual and Auditory Reflex Integration
Stress Hormones and Reflex Integration
IPET NeuroTactile Integration
Oral Facial Reflex Integration Level 1
Oral Facial Reflex Integration Level 2
Stress and Trauma Recovery
Dynamic and Postural Reflex Integration
NeuroStructural Reflex Integration
Archetype Movement Integration
Lifelong Reflex Integration
Completion of various professional education regarding:
sensory processing
infant bottle feeding
breastfeeding
pediatric feeding
orofacial myology (including coursework regarding tongue tie)
swallowing disorders