MS, CCC-SLP, CLC

SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST & LACTATION COUNSELOR

EDUCATION

Jena received her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from East Carolina University in 2015 and her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from East Carolina University in 2017. 

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE

Jena has eight years of experience working with patients across the lifespan in private practice settings. Clinical experience includes assessment and treatment of pediatric patients birth to 16+ years with the following: Developmental language delays, speech sound disorders, feeding/swallowing disorders, and orofacial myofunctional disorders. Clinical experience includes assessment and treatment of adult patients with the following: Traumatic brain injuries, aphasia, motor speech disorders, dysphagia, orofacial myofunctional disorders, and voice disorders. Jena is DINES/VitalStim certified, utilizing neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to treat individuals with oropharyngeal dysphagia. She specializes in lactation counseling, having completed the Healthy Children's Project CLC certification to further her specialization in pediatric feeding. She is passionate about performing functional assessments to determine the presence of orofacial myofunctional disorders (e.g. tongue thrust, tongue/lip ties, mouth breathing, etc.), working with tube-dependent patients, and supporting oral motor development when transitioning feeding from breast/bottle to age-appropriate solids. She has experience as a Clinical Fellowship Supervisor and previously organized monthly meetings for a local support group for caregivers and survivors of traumatic brain injuries.

MS, OTR/L, CLC

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST & LACTATION COUNSELOR

EDUCATION

Taylor received her Bachelor of Health Science from Gannon University in 2019 and her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Gannon University in 2020.

TRAINING & EXPERIENCE

Taylor has six years of pediatric experience in the private practice setting, which includes the assessment and treatment of patients between birth and 18 years old. She is experienced in treating children for a variety of concerns, which include developmental delays, sensory processing disorders, genetic disorders, neurological conditions, orthopedic conditions, learning disorders, and pediatric feeding disorders. She has experience in community outreach for the advocacy of allied health professions and various disorders/disabilities. Taylor also has experience in mentoring OT students as a Level II Fieldwork Educator. She has completed training with the Healthy Children's Project for the Lactation Counseling certification to further pursue her passion for early intervention, feeding therapy, and infant/family care. She has a special interest in helping families with early feeding development at both breast and bottle, as well as with the transition to solids. She enjoys using a range of strategies, pulling from both her OT and lactation training to address early sensory-motor development and early feeding challenges from a whole body lens. Taylor has significant experience helping families navigate feeding difficulties from both the motor and sensory perspectives, including those involving tethered oral tissues (TOTs / lip + tongue ties). Early on in her sensory-based feeding therapy experiences, she recognized the significant role of body/muscular tension and restrictions on feeding in early development. This led to her dedication to educating herself further about TOTs, torticollis, and state regulation to specialize more specifically in infant/toddler feeding and development. Additionally, Taylor has extensive experience in addressing motor delays, motor planning challenges, and handwriting difficulties. She is continuously seeking further knowledge to better support families and children facing these challenges in order to positively impact both feeding and developmental outcomes.