Dr. Shawna brings decades of expertise to this group of elite providers, united by the mission of helping more infants and families in need. She is a California and Texas State licensed occupational therapist with over 23 years of clinical experience across neonatal intensive care, pediatrics, acute care, outpatient, and school-based settings, specializing in feeding and swallowing in medically fragile infants and young children. She has earned a clinical doctorate in occupational therapy and holds additional specialization as a:

• Certified Neonatal Therapist (CNT) 
• International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
• Neonatal Touch and Massage Therapy Certified (NTMTC)
• Advanced Practice Certification in Swallowing Assessment, Evaluation, and Intervention (SWC) as issued by California Board of Occupational Therapy
• Neonatal Developmental Care Specialist

She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and later earned her post-professional Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OTD) from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. As a full-time clinician working with premature, medically fragile infants she provides developmental care, feeding and swallowing assessment and intervention, and parent education within an interdisciplinary NICU team. She has worked at large level IV NICU’s including UCLA medical center, Cedars-Sinai and currently, Miller Children’s Hospital. 

Shawna uses a multi-faceted lens to evaluate and treat medically complex infants, drawing on advanced practice training in swallowing assessment and intervention alongside her lactation and  developmental care expertise; and the perspective she brings as a mother of three herself. 

Alongside her clinical work, Shawna is deeply committed to the next generation of occupational therapists. She serves as Adjunct Clinical Faculty at California State University, Dominguez Hills and at Baylor University, where she teaches courses spanning pediatric intervention, kinesiology, and the conditions affecting child development. She has mentored OT students throughout her NICU career.

Shawna is a sought-after presenter on topics in neonatal and pediatric occupational therapy, having spoken at the OTAC Annual Conference, the National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT), and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), on subjects ranging from sensory experiences in the NICU to outcomes in neonatal abstinence syndrome. 

In her free time, you will catch Shawna on the soccer filed, softball diamond or volleyball court, cheering on her 3 athletic kids. She and her husband of nearly 20 years also love wine tasting and trying new foods. The family loves traveling to Hawaii and going to Disneyland.