Emilia has a desire to help others through a variety of therapy and treatment approaches. All children who experience speech, language, feeding, and sensory challenges deserve to thrive, and she is determined to deliver the best possible care to achieve families’ desired results.

Emilia is committed to providing a fun and therapeutic setting that meets the needs of every individual. She often encourages parents to attend the session in order to promote carry-over of goals into the home and community settings.

She works with babies and young adults who have different types of swallowing disorders from sensory impairments to motor disorders. She assess, treats and manages different types of dysphagia,  collaborating with nutritionists, physicians and parents to work towards meaningful outcomes. She also is trained in the treatment of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders for speech and swallowing by the IAOM.

What are Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs)?

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders are atypical, adaptive patterns that emerge in the absence of normalized patterns within the orofacial complex. The regular presence of these adaptive movements can often result in a variety of disturbances.

Examples of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders include one or a combination of the following:
• Thumb and finger sucking habits
• A routine habit of resting with the lips apart
• A forward resting posture of the tongue between or against the teeth
• Tongue Thrust
• Other harmful oral habits

• Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders are often related to, or can contribute to a variety of medical and dental disorders. These disorders can include:
• Malocclusion (improper alignment of the teeth)
• Periodontal disorders
• Orthodontic relapse
• Changes associated with abnormal jaw growth and position