ABOUT

Shira is a Certified Orofacial Myologist (COM®), having met the standards and qualifications and credentialed by the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM).  She has served as the Poster Session Chair for IAOM 2017, 2018 and 2019 Conventions and on the Sponsorship Committee for the 2021 Convention.  She served on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Orofacial Myology,  between 2019 and May, 2022. She has served for several years on the Education Committee and the Mentorship Committee. She is a 2021 recipient of the highly prestigious Connie Painter Award for Distinguished Service.

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Shira’s specific areas of expertise are orofacial myofunctional disorders including tongue thrust, tongue ties and thumb sucking habit elimination,  feeding and swallowing, voice disorders, and speech and language difficulties.  As a Buteyko Level 2 trained clinician, she continues to further her studies in treating disordered breathing, affecting speech, voice and swallowing, including having completed a mini residency for Orofacial Myologists alongside dentists and osteopaths at the ALF Education Institute (AEI) in 2017 and Lois Laynee’s Restorative Breathing Level I and Level II training in 2018 and 2019. She is trained in Voice Gym and Manual Therapy as it pertains to voice, neck and swallowing, both for orofacial myofunctional disorders, breathing disorders and voice disorders.  She has attended several courses on evaluating infants and toddlers with tethered oral tissues (TOTs) recently including Amanda Chastain's GoMAP, Ellen Carlin's Baby Friendly Techniques to support Breastfeeding infants with TOTs and Michelle Emanuel's Cranial Nerve Dysfunction in the Precrawling Infant and TummyTime!  Method and Nina Johanson's AEIOU feeding course for picky eaters and problem feeders.  Furthering her understanding of infants and children who are breastfeeding, she has taken the Healthy Children Project CLC course in summer, 2019 and advanced coursework through Lactation Education Resources earning the Certified Breastfeeding Specialist designation.  She is also TummyTime! Method Certified. She has taken courses on Primitive Reflexes from MNRI and Sonia Story and routinely uses these techniques with a wide variety of patients.

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In private practice since 2005, she offers the full range of traditional and innovative techniques to address speech and language issues of all kinds. Shira provides innovative treatment for those with auditory processing problems. She has also treated communication issues related to head injury, stroke and Parkinson’s disease.  She is certified to provide LSVT Loud. She works with Transgender women on voice feminization. She is PROMPT Level 2 trained to help treat apraxia and other oral motor disorders. She has been using Interactive Metronome with patients with a wide variety of disorders using a bottom up brain based approach. 

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Shira has achieved her Competent Communicator award in Toastmasters International, where she served as VP of Education in her local club for several years. You may email her at ShiraKirsh@AllianceNJSLP.com.