About Me

Katie is a licensed speech language pathologist and certified lactation counselor. She has experience working in a variety of settings including schools, hospitals, and outpatient clinics. Katie is passionate about identifying the root cause and building a strong foundation in order to improve speech, feeding, and myofunctional skills. She collaborates with other professionals to treat the whole child and provide the best care for her patients. Katie believes parents are the most important members of their child’s support team as they are experts in their own children. She works closely educating and coaching parents to carry over skills learned in therapy sessions for the best outcomes. Katie values having a positive rapport with her patients and focuses therapy sessions around the child’s interests and play. Katie is a four time recipient of the American Speech-Hearing-Language Association’s Award for Continuing Education. She is most passionate about tethered oral tissues (tongue and lip ties), oral motor, feeding and speech development. Katie’s specialty training includes: Pediatric Swallowing and Feeding: The Essentials, Advanced Infant/Pediatric Dysphagia: Problem-Solving Complex Patients and Practice Challenges, Feeding: A Sensory Motor Approach, SOS Approach to Feeding, Lactation Counselor Training Course, Understanding the Orofacial Complex, Buteyko Breathing Certification Course, Beckman Oral Motor, TOTS (Tethered Oral Tissues Speciality), Functional Assessment and Remediation of Tethered Oral Tissues, TalkTools Oral Placement Therapy, Simon Says Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Programs, and Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing.

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Katie is also a mother to two young children who both initially struggled with feeding and sleep.  Katie's first child, Jack, suffered from reflux and breastfeeding was incredibly painful.  He would only nap if he was held or on his stomach.  Katie went to several lactation counselor appointments and saw numerous providers, however she still never received answers or relief.  Providers either brushed her off or gave incorrect advice or treatment.  After doing an extensive amount of research, Katie was convinced Jack had a tongue tie and lip tie.  After seeing a lactation counselor who confirmed the ties, she sent Katie and Jack to an ENT.  The ENT clipped the lip tie and assured Katie that Jack did not have a tongue tie.  The reflux, difficultly sleeping, and painful nursing continued.  Katie continued researching and found the right providers to help get to the root cause of Jack's struggles.  Jack received oral motor/feeding therapy and had his lip tie (which was not actually released) and tongue tie released by specialists who understood tethered oral tissues.  Shortly after the procedure Jack's reflux began to disappear, nursing was no longer painful, and Jack's sleep improved including sleeping on his back breathing through his nose. After her challenging experience, Katie was determined to help mothers and babies get the treatment they deserve and began her journey specializing in feeding and myofunctional therapy.  When Katie's second child Nora was born, and had the same struggles as Jack, Katie was relieved to know exactly what to do and who to see.  Katie's mission is to make sure families are heard, help them figure out the root cause of their problems, and guide them to a better quality of life.