EMILY LAFF
Broomfield,CO
Summary
Compassionate, tenacious, and self-sufficient graduate student looking to gain a clinical fellowship experience in a pediatric care setting with the desire to provide skilled evaluation and therapy to those with complex needs.
Overview
2
2
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Acute Care
Children's Hospital Anschutz Medical Campus
04.2024 - Current
- Evaluate, diagnose, and provide skilled intervention for feeding, swallowing, and communication disorders associated with acute illness, brain injury, and complex medical diagnoses. Specific emphasis on infant feeding and dysphagia.
Blossom Clinic (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Follow-up Clinic)
Children's Hospital Anschutz Medical Campus
04.2024 - Current
- Provide skilled intervention for feeding and swallowing associated with Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and sequela
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary providers including nursing, physician, occupational therapy, physical therapy, endocrinology and social work to provide well-rounded recommendations and guidance for caregivers.
Pediatric Outpatient Feeding and Swallowing Clinic (POFC) With Dr. Laura Pickler
Children's Hospital Anschutz Medical Campus
04.2024 - Current
- Responsible for evaluation, planning, and treatment of pediatric swallowing difficulties stemming from several complex medical origins including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Turner Syndrome, Intrauterine stroke, Trisomy 21, Dandy-Walker Syndrome, etc
- Educate families of children at risk for pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary team including physician, nutritionist, occupational therapist, psychologist, and dentist
- Extensive experience conducting comprehensive assessments, both clinical and instrumental
- Experience considering cultural backgrounds while implementing treatment concerning food choices/habits, perception of disabilities, and beliefs around therapy.
Pulmonary Therapy Team Member
Children's Hospital Anschutz Medical Campus
04.2024 - Current
- Provide ongoing assessment and developmental treatment of speech, communication, and swallowing issues for children with chronic tracheostomy and ventilator dependence, as well as those with nasogastric and PEG tubes
- Work cohesively with families and medical team to find and teach caregivers the safest way for their children to communicate through a multitude of strategies.
- Advocate for developmentally supportive care across disciplines (RT, RN) for long-term trach/vent population on the pulmonary unit
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus- Acute Care Medicine
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
01.2024 - 04.2024
- Clinical treatment of complex patient cases on behavioral, medical and surgical levels
- Collaborated as participatory member of multidisciplinary team, involved with treatment in in-patient setting including Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Transplant and Hepatology, Neuro ICU, Burn, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Acute Care for Elders
- Developed ability to take history, gain examination skills, create therapeutic plans of care, and hone skills involving instrumental assessment of swallowing disorders including Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and Modified Barium Swallow Studies (MBSS)
- Diagnostic skills were further challenged through treating difficult swallow cases as well as being expected to understand and convey all of the issues that pertain to the diagnosis and treatment of the patient to the care team and family
- Language Mapping provider in operating room during awake craniotomy neurosurgery operations
Children's Hospital Therapy Care Volunteer
Children's Hospital Therapy Care
08.2022 - 12.2023
- Provided conversational support to children with ASD, Down Syndrome, and Prader-Willi syndrome
- Modeled with AAC devices and verbal communication methods through dynamic activities overseen and created by Laura Cooper, CCC-SLP
- Offered telehealth support to certified SLP during online AAC conversation groups integrating conversational skills while modeling with ChatEditor.
Adult Neurology-Individual Adult Therapy, Group Therapy
University Of Colorado, Boulder
08.2022 - 12.2023
- Created specialized treatment plans by assessing individuals with aphasia and TBIs
- Provided treatment tailored to specific client needs including targeting executive functioning deficits as well as AAC device modeling (TD Snap) and integration for aphasic clients.
Speech Language Hearing Clinic-Child Learning Center
University Of Colorado, Boulder
01.2023 - 05.2023
- Member of a multidisciplinary team supporting all areas of development for preschoolers: communication and early literacy, social-emotional regulation, gross and fine motor, cognition, and pre-academic skills
- Responsible for creating strengths-based goals and intervention plans based on individual child needs
- Feedback was incorporated from members of the team including caregivers, teachers, speech therapists, and occupational therapists
- Gained experience in intervention strategies for children with ASD, speech sound disorders, and language delay
- These strategies included: supporting social communication and peer interactions, play skills, naturalistic articulation/phonology intervention, Inter-REActive Language Strategies (INREAL), fine/gross motor support, and emotional literacy
- Communicated about goals and progress for children biweekly with parents/caregivers in person and through email
- This included in-person coaching before and after school as well as in the observation booth.
Literacy Lab Therapy Clinic
University Of Colorado, Boulder
01.2023 - 05.2023
- Provided literacy support to 5th grade clients with ASD, focusing on flexible writing schemas and sentence structure using SRSD and Semantic therapy approaches.
Concussion Assessment and Rehabilitation Team (CAART)
University Of Colorado, Boulder
01.2023 - 05.2023
- Assessed and provided therapy for patients who demonstrate mTBI (mild traumatic brain injury) and charted reviews to formulate a diagnostic plan
- Administered a variety of diagnostic tools such as formal assessment batteries, informal assessment measures, and client symptom questionnaires and interpreted results of assessments to formulate a diagnosis and recommendations.
Education
Master of Science: Speech Language Pathology -
University of Colorado, Boulder
Boulder, CO05.2024
Master of Science: Sports Industry Management -
Georgetown University
Washington, DC05.2021
Bachelor of Arts: Journalism -
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX05.2017
Skills
- Traumatic Brain Injury Support
- Swallowing Therapy
- Dysphagia Management
- Speech Assessment
- Cognitive-Communication Therapy
- Stroke Recovery Assistance
- Multicultural Competence
- Literacy development
- SOAP notes expertise
- Attention to Detail
- Caseload Management
- Patient Advocacy
Core Competencies
- Medically complex/fragile infants and adults
- Modified Barium Swallow Studies
- Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing
- Alternative Augmentative Communication
- Tracheostomy/Ventilator Knowledge
- Multidisciplinary collaboration
- Inpatient speech therapy
- Epic EMR software
- Neurodevelopment
- Feeding therapy
Certification
- DIR Floortime Training Program 101
- AAC Device experience- proficient in TDSnap and Saltillo ChatEditor
- Handle with Care Safety Management System Certified Instructor
- Training for Colorado's Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect
- CNA - Certified Nurse Assistant
- Montreal Cognitive Assessment Student Certification
- Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification
- CU Certification- Bloodborne Pathogens
- MBSimP training certification in Modified Barium Swallow Studies (MBSS)
Volunteer Experience
Children's Hospital Therapy Care Volunteer, Broomfield, Colorado, 08/2022 - 12/2023, Provided conversational support to children with ASD, Down Syndrome, and Prader-Willi syndrome, Modeled with AAC devices and verbal communication methods through dynamic activities overseen and created by Laura Cooper, CCC-SLP., Offered telehealth support to certified SLP during online AAC conversation groups integrating conversational skills while modeling with ChatEditor.
Timeline
Acute Care
Children's Hospital Anschutz Medical Campus
04.2024 - Current
Blossom Clinic (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Follow-up Clinic)
Children's Hospital Anschutz Medical Campus
04.2024 - Current
Pediatric Outpatient Feeding and Swallowing Clinic (POFC) With Dr. Laura Pickler
Children's Hospital Anschutz Medical Campus
04.2024 - Current
Pulmonary Therapy Team Member
Children's Hospital Anschutz Medical Campus
04.2024 - Current
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus- Acute Care Medicine
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
01.2024 - 04.2024
Speech Language Hearing Clinic-Child Learning Center
University Of Colorado, Boulder
01.2023 - 05.2023
Literacy Lab Therapy Clinic
University Of Colorado, Boulder
01.2023 - 05.2023
Concussion Assessment and Rehabilitation Team (CAART)
University Of Colorado, Boulder
01.2023 - 05.2023
Children's Hospital Therapy Care Volunteer
Children's Hospital Therapy Care
08.2022 - 12.2023
Adult Neurology-Individual Adult Therapy, Group Therapy
University Of Colorado, Boulder
08.2022 - 12.2023
Master of Science: Speech Language Pathology -
University of Colorado, Boulder
Master of Science: Sports Industry Management -
Georgetown University
Bachelor of Arts: Journalism -
Texas Christian University
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