Laura S. Kohus, OTR/L

I am a neonatal occupational therapist in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Follow-up Clinic. I provide holistic, neuroprotective, family-centered care focused on optimizing infant performance and participation in infant "occupations," which can include rest and sleep, receiving care, bonding, feeding and play. I work with families to meet their goals for their babies in these areas.

I knew I wanted to become a neonatal occupational therapist the first time I set foot in our NICU many years ago. The NICU is such a special place due to the dedicated, multidisciplinary team and the resiliency of our babies and their families. As an occupational therapist, I help babies be babies and caregivers be caregivers in this complex environment by adapting activities (like feeding or play) so both the baby and the family have optimal participation.

Empowering parents to be experts in their baby's care in an unfamiliar environment is one of the most important parts of my job as an occupational therapist. From teaching caregivers how to provide neuroprotective support to their baby during medically necessary care to teaching specialized feeding techniques so their baby can safely feed, supporting parents is central to my approach to patient care.

I’m interested in infant feeding and am a member of the Division of Occupational and Physical Therapy's Feeding, Eating and Swallowing TRACK Team. This specialty group focuses on evidence-based practice and improving outcomes.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, writing and spending time with my husband and children.