About Nicole

Welcome, I'm so happy you're here.

Nicole Kolenda, M.S., CCC-SLP, is a pediatric speech-language pathologist with over 25 years of clinical experience and a specialty in motor speech disorders.

Her storyWork with Nicole
Nicole smiling in her office in a red dress
Hi, I'm Nicole
Nicole and a colleague in the NYU Motor Speech Lab
Lead SLP at the NYU Motor Speech Lab
Nicole running the Chicago Marathon, high-fiving the crowd
Nine NYC Marathons in a row
A large group of clinicians at a hands-on dynamic assessment training for childhood apraxia of speech
Hands-on CAS training
Nicole laughing on the couch with her family
My favorite people
Nicole working face to face with a young girl
25 years in the therapy room
Nicole and a smiling little girl posing together in sunglasses
Sunglasses and big smiles
Nicole holding a copy of Becoming an Exceptional SLP Leader, the book she contributed to
Published author
25+years in pediatric speech therapy
NIHLead SLP on a funded CAS treatment study at NYU
24years teaching as an NYU adjunct professor
9NYC Marathons in a row

Academia

Research and the therapy room, together

Nicole is an adjunct professor in the Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders at New York University, where she teaches future SLPs evidence-based and advanced clinical techniques. She is Lead SLP for a childhood apraxia of speech treatment study at the NYU Motor Speech Lab, funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Her clinical work covers assessment, differential diagnosis and individualized treatment planning for children with complex motor speech needs. She is an expert in Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC), developed by Dr. Edythe Strand. She presents nationally, including at ASHA conventions and Apraxia Kids national conferences.

  • M.S., Teachers College, Columbia University
  • B.S., Communicative Sciences and Disorders, NYU
  • Certified (CCC-SLP) by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
  • STAR Award (2020) and 5-Year Researcher Award, NYU
Nicole teaching a class of graduate students at NYU, with her slide on types of cues behind herNYU Steinhardt staff recognition for Nicole

I have worked with Nicole for the past 22 years! I have the utmost regard for her ability to bring real change to the clients she treats. Her view of the whole person and family is central to informing her treatment.

Dr. Rachel Jean-Baptiste, colleague of 22 years
Nicole running the 2024 NYC Marathon with her arm raised, her shirt reading I beat breast cancerNicole with her 2019 NYC Marathon finisher medalNicole running across the Verrazzano Bridge at the start of the NYC MarathonNicole and a friend wrapped in finisher capes with their 2021 NYC Marathon medalsNicole's bib for her first marathon, the 2017 NYC Marathon, pinned to her running top

Family and running

Running carried Nicole through breast cancer, and now she helps others do the same

Becoming a mother changed how Nicole sees therapy. She believes caregivers need something just for themselves, and for her that is running. In 2020 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she credits early detection and running with carrying her through treatment and recovery.

She became an RRCA-certified run coach and created Cancer to Crushing It, a beginner 5K program for cancer survivors with a progressive training plan, biweekly Zoom calls, a private Facebook group and weekly emails.

Cancer to Crushing It

Moments

On stage, in the lab and with colleagues

  • ASHA Convention
    ASHA ConventionWith colleagues between sessions
  • ASHA 2023
    ASHA 2023Innovating your technique to maximize practice
  • In the exhibit hall
    In the exhibit hallCelebrating a book launch
  • Hands-on training
    Hands-on trainingDynamic assessment in the differential diagnosis of CAS
  • Badge on, ready to present
    Badge on, ready to presentA national conference morning
  • Apraxia Kids
    Apraxia KidsPresenting at the national conference
  • The research team
    The research teamNYU and partner labs together at ASHA
  • Teaching at NYU
    Teaching at NYUGraduate students in Communicative Sciences and Disorders
  • Panel presentation
    Panel presentationResearch and practice side by side
  • Steinhardt staff recognition
    Steinhardt staff recognitionHonored by NYU
  • Nicole and three lab colleagues looking at a laptop together
    The lab teamReviewing session data together
  • Nicole and a colleague at the 2022 ASHA Convention
    ASHA 2022Catching up in the exhibit hall
  • A large group of clinicians at a hands-on dynamic assessment training for CAS
    Dynamic assessment workshopThe whole group after a hands-on CAS training
  • Nicole and a friend at the 2023 ASHA Convention
    ASHA 2023A convention selfie with a friend
  • Nicole with five colleagues at the 2024 ASHA Convention
    ASHA 2024With colleagues at the convention

Press and features

Nicole in print, on air and on stage

EssayI was diagnosed with breast cancer and 5 days later I ran a marathonThrive Global, 2020EssayMy very own finish lineThrive Global, 2021EssaySetting boundaries after your diagnosisThrive Global, 2021BookBecoming an Exceptional SLP Leader: 14 speech-language pathologists do more than talkContributing author, 2021PodcastYou are so much stronger than you can imagineRise Resolute PodcastPodcastGetting comfortable with being uncomfortableThe Last Tenth, episode 2PodcastCreating possibility from traumaWhat's Not Being SaidConferenceTreatment fidelity: what is it and what does it mean for my clinical practice?Apraxia Kids National Conference, 2025PresenterNicole Kolenda, MS, CCC-SLPSpeech Therapy PDInterviewTreat the child, not the diagnosisSpeechPathologyMastersPrograms.com, 2018ArticleDear special needs parent: 3 things I learned from your childeParentArticleWhat to do if you suspect your child might have a speech or language delayModernMom

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Clinical reasoning in pediatric motor speech: a space to explore the thinking behind therapy.

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