Meet Your Diagnostic Specialist

Sara Pofahl, MS, CCC-SLP

A Dedicated Clinical Journey Across the Lifespan

Raised in Lake Oswego, Oregon, Sara spent ten years in Southern California building the foundational pillar of her clinical career. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Communicative Disorders and Sciences from California State University, Long Beach (2001), followed by a Master of Science from California State University, Northridge (2006). Driven by a passion for high-level clinical leadership, she completed a Clinical Doctorate from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (2016).

 Between her undergraduate and graduate studies, Sara began her career serving students in the La Mirada Unified School District. Upon earning her Master’s degree, she completed a rigorous dual-placement clinical fellowship split between Lakewood Regional Medical Center (a certified Stroke Center in Los Angeles County) and specialized contract care across skilled nursing and outpatient rehabilitation facilities in Orange and Los Angeles Counties.

 In 2008, Sara relocated to Northern Colorado, expanding her acute and post-acute medical footprint. She served adult and geriatric populations across Medical Center of the Rockies, Poudre Valley Hospital, Columbine Health Care Systems, and numerous home health and hospice agencies. Her public school leadership continued with Greeley-Evans School District 6, where she served on both the Home-Based Medically Fragile Team and the Autism Resource Team. Recognizing her clinical expertise, she taught the graduate-level Dysphagia (swallowing disorders) curriculum as an Associate Adjunct Professor at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) for two summers.

Private Practice Evolution & Diagnostic Specialization

Sara has been a private practice owner in Northern Colorado since 2010. Her practice evolution reflects an unwavering commitment to meeting critical community needs:

  • 2010 – Otolaryngology Partnership: Founded Northern Colorado Speech Therapy, establishing her first clinical footprint co-located inside Front Range ENT alongside Otolaryngologist Sanjay Gupta, MD.

  • 2013 – Pediatric Expansion: Transitioned clinic operations into The Children’s Health Place in partnership with Dr. Orest Dubynsky, MD.

  • 2015 – Standalone Facility: Opened Northern Colorado Speech Therapy’s first independent clinic location in Greeley, Colorado.

  • 2020 – Diagnostic & Psychometric Rebrand: Rebranded the practice to NoCo Speech & Diagnostics as psychometric testing and specialized diagnostic profiling took precedence—focusing on infant nursing/pediatric feeding, developmental delays, dyslexia, and assessing complex neurodiverse learning profiles (Autism, ADHD, CAPD, visual processing).

  • 2026 – Lifespan Assessment Services: Established Lifespan Assessment Services to broaden the practice scope back to a full lifespan focus—from birth through geriatrics. Lifespan functions as a dedicated, independent diagnostic hub, providing objective testing for pediatric developmental concerns as well as adult and geriatric evaluations, including adult competency and independent living skills evaluation.

Advanced Certifications & Psychometric Focus

Sara holds over 12 years of specialized adult medical experience spanning acute care, inpatient rehab, skilled nursing, home health, and hospice—treating complex neurodegenerative conditions (Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, ALS), traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, and cognitive decline.

Her advanced post-graduate certifications and clinical training include:

  • LSVT LOUD® (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment for Parkinson’s & Neurological Disorders)

  • VitalStim® Therapy (Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Dysphagia)

  • FEES (Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing)

  • PROMPT Therapy (Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets)

  • ADOS-2 & ADI-R (Gold-Standard Autism Diagnostic Observation & Interview Administration)

  • TEACCH® Autism Program (Structured Teaching Methodology)

  • WISC / Nonverbal Cognitive Battery Administration

  • Psychometry Board Certification Candidate: Over 2,000 hours of collaborative, multidisciplinary psychometric testing alongside licensed psychologists (Anticipated Board Certification in Psychometry: 2027).

Clinical Philosophy

"Proper care begins with precise, objective answers. By dedicating Lifespan Assessment Services strictly to diagnostic evaluations, we remove clinical bias and eliminate regional waitlist barriers. Our goal is to provide parents, adult caregivers, and primary care physicians with clear, actionable data that immediately opens the door to targeted, medically necessary care."

Living the Journey

Why my passion runs deep:

Beyond my clinical credentials, my dedication to lifespan diagnostics is deeply personal. I approach every evaluation not just as a clinician, but as a neurodivergent individual, a daughter, and a mother who has walked this exact path.

Long before terms like "twice-exceptional" or "neurodiversity" existed, I was living them. In 1984, as a third-grader, I was simultaneously identified for the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program while being diagnosed with ADHD and identified as a delayed reader. Years later, while completing my Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology, I was formally diagnosed with Dyslexia, navigating my own underlying visual/auditory discrimination, processing, and working memory bottlenecks. I know firsthand what it feels like to be a bright learner struggling inside a system that doesn't yet understand how your brain works.

A Twice Exceptional Journey

Driven by a daughter’s Love

My passion for adult medical rehab and geriatric diagnostics was ignited by my father. Shortly after I completed my clinical fellowship, his health rapidly declined, leaving him homebound and medically fragile in his early 60s. Navigating his care, functional needs, and dignity during his decline shaped my deep commitment to adult neuro-rehabilitation, cognitive decline, and competency evaluations.

A Mother's Perspective

My transition into specialized pediatric diagnostics was cemented when my own son began showing early developmental differences. By age three, he was identified with global fine motor and speech delays. Over time, his profile expanded to include visual convergence insufficiency, Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), ADHD, Dyslexia, learning disabilities, and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

When a parent sits across from me worried about their child's future, or an adult child sits with me worried about their aging parent's independence—I get it. I have sat in both of those chairs. My life's work is ensuring that no family ever feels lost, dismissed, or left waiting 18 months for the diagnostic answers they deserve.

  • - Sara Pofahl, MS, CCC-SLP