Meet the team
Infant specialists with NICU-informed experience.
Families deserve to know who's guiding their child's care. Across speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, nursing, lactation, and nutrition, our team brings direct experience with premature, medically complex, and developing infants across Level III and IV NICUs, acute care, outpatient care, and the transition home.
Our multidisciplinary team
Built to be multidisciplinary, from the ground up.
Ally leads clinical care, alongside occupational therapy, nursing, and nutrition specialists who are part of the team today.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Ally Gore, SLPD, CCC‑SLP, CLC, C‑ELBW, CNT, NTMTC
Ally provides feeding therapy with a family-centered approach grounded in strong clinical reasoning and practical care. Her focus is helping families move from confusion and stress toward a clearer plan they can trust.
She understands that feeding challenges affect more than the child. They affect routines, confidence, and the day-to-day experience of the whole family. Ally works to make care feel understandable and manageable, helping parents see both the big picture and the practical steps that support progress over time.
Her approach emphasizes meaningful carryover into daily life, not just isolated gains during therapy sessions. Families can expect thoughtful support, clear communication, and care that respects both the child's needs and the family's goals.
Clinical background
- Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology (SLPD)
- Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC‑SLP)
- Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)
- Care of the Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonate (C‑ELBW)
- Certified Neonatal Therapist (CNT)
- Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification (NTMTC)
- Direct Level III and IV NICU clinical experience
- Family-centered infant feeding therapy and clinical support
Occupational Therapist
Danielle Sauer, MOT, OTR/L
Danielle is a pediatric occupational therapist with experience across Level IV NICU, pediatric critical care, acute care, outpatient, and home-health settings. She has supported medically complex infants and children through developmental evaluation, positioning and handling, sensory regulation, caregiver education, and the transition home.
Before joining the Institute, Danielle was selected to serve as a High-Risk Infant Specialist, completing NICU graduate home-health evaluations and providing in-home occupational therapy to high-risk infants. At the Institute, her work focuses on torticollis, head preference, motor symmetry, tummy-time difficulty, sensory regulation, and early developmental concerns.
Clinical background
- Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT), OTR/L
- Level IV NICU, CICU, and PICU experience
- Selected High-Risk Infant Specialist for NICU graduate evaluations
- Infant development, positioning, handling, and sensory regulation
- Torticollis, head preference, motor asymmetry, and early milestones
- Caregiver education and practical home strategies
Neonatal Registered Nurse
Amanda Kerr, BSN, RN
Amanda is a BSN-prepared registered nurse with more than a decade of Level IV NICU experience. Her background includes high-risk deliveries, care of extremely premature and medically complex infants, advanced respiratory support, post-surgical and gastrointestinal care, and extensive education for parents preparing to take their baby home.
She has served as a preceptor to new graduate nurses since 2017 and works closely with physicians, therapists, case management, and specialty teams to support coordinated care before and after discharge. At the Institute, Amanda brings that neonatal perspective to clinical safety, caregiver education, and care coordination for infants with complex medical histories.
Clinical background
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Registered Nurse
- More than a decade of Level IV NICU experience
- High-risk delivery and medically complex neonatal care
- Parent education and post-discharge follow-up
- Interdisciplinary care coordination
- Preceptor to new graduate nurses since 2017
- NRP, S.T.A.B.L.E., and BLS training
Registered Dietitian
Megan Rodriguez, MS, RD/LD, CNSC
Megan is an infant nutrition specialist, focused on growth, weight gain, formula and fortification questions, intake and tolerance, and the nutritional needs of premature and medically complex infants. She builds an individualized nutrition plan for each baby, and coordinates directly with feeding therapy when both are part of a family's care.
Clinical background
- Master of Science (MS)
- Registered Dietitian / Licensed Dietitian (RD/LD)
- Certified Nutrition Support Clinician (CNSC)
- Infant growth, weight gain, and nutrition planning
- Formula, fortification, and tolerance concerns
- Nutrition support for premature and medically complex infants
Co-Founder
Brittany Shockley (Rush), MS, CCC‑SLP, CNT, NTMTC
Brittany co-founded the Institute after years of direct clinical work with medically complex infants across Level IV NICUs and outpatient feeding therapy. That clinical background shaped the standard of care the Institute was built on, from how evaluations are run to how families are communicated with along the way.
Brittany is not currently seeing patients. Her focus today is the direction and growth of the Institute, building on the same clinical foundation that led her to help start it.
Clinical background
- Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS, CCC‑SLP)
- Certified Neonatal Therapist (CNT)
- Neonatal Touch & Massage Certification (NTMTC)
- Direct Level IV NICU clinical experience
- Co-founder of The Institute for Infant Feeding and Early Development
Our approach
Care that is clear, collaborative, and built for real families.
Clinician-led care at the Institute means families aren't left sorting through conflicting advice on their own. Good infant care should be clinically strong, easy to understand, and practical enough to carry into everyday life.
Families across North Texas come to the Institute looking for more than a list of services. They want trusted providers who'll listen, explain what they're seeing, and help turn feeding, developmental, or nutrition concerns into a clear plan of care.
What families can expect
- A thorough, unhurried evaluation
- Clear explanations, no confusing clinical jargon
- Honest recommendations based on your child's actual needs
- Written visit summary within 48 hours
- Ongoing support that fits into real family life
- Coordination with your child's other providers when appropriate
Ready to get started?
Get in Touch or reach out with questions.
If you're ready to move forward, or just want to understand which specialist is the right starting point, we're here.