Gurtman, Lauren

Lauren Gurtman is the owner and director of Kids Communicate- a private practice centrally located in Hoboken NJ. She is a Speech and Language Pathologist, Certified Orofacial Myologist (COM®) and Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities ( TSSLD) with over 23 years of professional experience treating infants through adults. Lauren completed extensive training through the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM) to become a certified Orofacial Myologist (COM®). Lauren also trained directly under Sarah Rosenfeld Johnson the creator of TALK TOOLS in Arizona and completed numerous hours of education to earn the distinction of being recognized as a Talk Tools Level 4 Oral-Placement Feeding Specialist. In addition she is PROMPT© Certified for over 10 years. Lauren is one of the few therapists in the country to be certified in PROMPT, TalkTools, and Orofacial Myology. She is licensed in New Jersey, New York and Florida.

Lauren has trained with some of the top airway focussed dentists, orofacial myologists and osteopaths to support her patients through progressive airway orthodontics such as ALF – Advanced Lightwire Functionals, Anterior Growth Guidance Appliances, Bio blok, Vivos and myobrace. She completed a mini residency focussed on the ALF appliance. In addition Lauren completed her own airway expansion with an ALF appliance so that she could learn more to help her patients. Living with the ALF appliance allowed her the rare opportunity to develop a specific myofunctional program of exercises uniquely suited to patients with ALF.

Lauren has the distinction of being listed on the Apraxia-Kids SLP directory because of her extensive training and experience with this population of children. She is skilled in implementing motor speech therapy techniques to support children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech including Dynamic Temporal Tactile Cueing ( DTTC) and Rapid Syllable Transition (ReST).

Lauren has extensive training and years of experience supporting her patients through Tongue and Lip Tie releases – Tethered Oral Tissues. She is recognized as a Breathe Institute ambassador and Breathe Baby ambassador. All 3 of her children had tongue ties that impacted their early breast feeding relationship fortunately they had functional releases with excellent outcomes. Lauren is proud to say she breastfed her babies for a combined 7 years!

Lauren received her Bachelor’s degree at New York University where she was a Dean’s Circle Scholar. She graduated Summa Cum Laude and was admitted into Kappa Delta Pi’s Honor Society. She received a full scholarship and highly coveted graduate assistant position at Montclair State University where she graduated with high honors.

Lauren was the recipient of the Marni H. Reisberg Scholarship award presented by the New Jersey Speech-Language and Hearing Association in recognition of “The pursuit of excellence in academic achievement and practice in the field of medical speech-language pathology”.

Lauren started her career at Beth Israel Medical Center. She worked closely with Dr. Jane Madell as part of the cochlear implant team. She left the hospital setting to start her private practice Kids Communicate in her beloved home of Hoboken, New Jersey.

Lauren has completed extensive post graduate continuing education training including multiple certification courses. She is committed to a lifetime of learning in order to provide the absolute highest level of care to her patients. She is a 10 time recipient of the ACE award for continuing education from the American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA).

Specialized trainings include:

•Childhood Apraxia of Speech- advanced course with Edythe Strand

•Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders

•Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs) / Tongue and Lip Ties,

•Handling the ribcage with Rona Alexander

•Lois Laynee Restorative Breathing

•Buteyko Breathing

•Beckman Oral Motor manual therapy

•Biodynamic Manual Voice therapy

•Myofascial release

•Cranial Sacral Therapy

•Functional NeuromyoFascial Technique for treatment of TMD and Orofacial Pain

•Airway and facial growth and development

• Sleep and the brain

•Infant feeding

•Breastfeeding,

•Sequential Oral Sensory ( SOS) feeding therapy

•Can Eat Feeding therapy

• AEIOU Feeding therapy

•Guided Oral Movements with active Patterning

•TalkTools Oral Placement Therapy

•Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

•Auditory Processing Disorders

•Phonological Awareness and Reading

•Sensory Processing Disorders

•DIR– Floortime with Stanley Greenspan

•Auditory Verbal Therapy

•D’Onofrio Institute for Advanced Myofunctional Studies: Mastering Oromyofunctional therapy, •Tummytime Method

•Cranial Nerve Dysfunction in Infants

Her specialties include treating orofacial myofunctional disorders including tongue and lip ties and breathing re -education, oral sensory motor feeding disorders, muscle-based speech disorders, voice disorders and challenging articulation cases providing therapy and diagnostic services to infants through adults.

She is a member of:

• ASHA – The American Speech and Hearing Association

• The New Jersey Speech-Language and Hearing Association ( NJSHA)

• International Association of Orofacial Myology( IAOM)

• American Academy of Private Practice in Speech Pathology and Audiology (AAPPSPA)

• International Consortium of Oral Ankylofrenula Professionals (ICAP)

• The Academy of Applied Myofunctional Science ( AAMS)

• The Pediatric and Adult Airway Network of New York

A Hoboken resident for over 20 years, Lauren is the proud mother of three teenagers. She has personal experience in managing Tethered Oral Tissues and resulting airway issues in all 3 of her children. Using an integrated approach involving airway focussed orthodontistry and orofacial myofunctional therapy she was able to resolve her son’s sleep disordered breathing which was contributing to epileptic seizures. She also has experience with extreme picky eating. As an infant her neurodiverse son with severe Sensory Processing Disorder developed significant Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease, which created feeding aversions when he was transitioning to solids. This has allowed her to experience the unique role of parent and professional in the management of feeding aversions. She understands first hand the challenges families face having a child with a feeding disorder and how to most successfully turn family meals into fun feeding adventures.