Meet Our Pediatric Therapists in Omaha, NE

PENNI ROMERO, MS, PT

I have been a physical therapist for 40 years and worked in Pediatrics exclusively for 39 years. Prior to joining Carnahan Pediatric Therapy, I worked in the Elkhorn Public Schools for 19 years as an employee. I had worked in the Elkhorn Public Schools for 8 years prior to that as a contracted therapist and also had my own private practice, KIDS TherAbility, Inc.

I have served children ages 0 - 21, with a wide variety of physically related needs both in a medically based and in a school based setting. Prior to working for Elkhorn Public Schools I worked at the Munroe Meyer Institute in Omaha for 9 years. While there, I presented and published on several research topics nationally.

I graduated from PT school at age 21 with a Bachelor's degree, which was the terminal PT degree at the time, from University of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago. I have a Master's degree in Human Development and the Family, Child Development emphasis from UNL. I am NDT Certified in Pediatrics and am an Advanced Credentialed Clinical Instructor through the APTA Association.

My areas of interest are premature and very young babies, and children under age 8, as well as helping all kids be more independent through novel adapted equipment and technology related exercise options.

DENISE CARNAHAN, MA OTR/L

To pursue my dreams of becoming an occupational therapist, I received my master's degree from the University of Southern California in OT.

Over the past 21 years, I have had the opportunity to provide occupational therapy services in California, Hawaii, and Nebraska in the areas of clinic-based pediatrics, school-based pediatrics, vision therapy, adjunct teaching, and geriatric long-term care. Most recently I enjoyed working with the families and staff at Elkhorn Pubilc Schools, and am now so excited to embark on this adventure of again providing clinic and home-based services to the community.

My vision for Carnahan Pediatric Therapy is much more than providing quality direct services. I would love to see this as a place that brings families together, tackles challenges, provides support for siblings and family members (as I am a sibling that continues to need that support), and celebrates the wonderful talents all of us have.

I can't wait to meet you, and get this journey started!

MELISSA MOSER, MS SLP-CCC

I graduated from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln with a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. I have my Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) through the American Speech Language Hearing Association.

I was drawn to speech language therapy because of my passion for working with children. I have experience working with a variety of communication needs including articulation and phonological disorders, expressive, receptive, and pragmatic language disorders, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), apraxia of speech, and fluency disorders. Additionally, I have experience working with children with Autism, Down syndrome, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and hearing loss. I am trained in Verbal Behavior, which promotes the development of verbal skills, flexible responding, and increased skill acquisition. I frequently attend continuing education workshops to better serve the children I work with.

I am passionate about helping children increase their communication skills and providing support to their families. I am so excited to be a part of the team at Carnahan Pediatric Therapy.

MADELINE CLAUSON, MS SLP-CCC

I graduated with my Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2019. I have my Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP) through the American Speech Language Hearing Association. Prior to my work with Carnahan, I served the preschool-aged population through Elkhorn Public Schools and the elementary population through Papillion La Vista Community Schools. My experience in the education system has allowed me to work with children presenting with various communication needs, including expressive, receptive, and pragmatic language disorders; articulation and phonological disorders; apraxia of speech; and fluency disorders. I have worked with multiple individuals who’ve needed augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and I have experience with device programming for multiple communication systems. I enjoy educating families about supporting their child’s authentic and autonomous communication through multiple modalities (AAC, sign language, gestures, etc.). When working with children, I feel strongly about utilizing play-based therapy to target various goals.

I have a passion for working with children and supporting them to meet their communication goals. I am excited to support and make memories with the children that I’ll serve through Carnahan Pediatric Therapy. I am also thrilled to collaborate with parents as well as Carnahan’s amazing staff!