Paul Laikko is on the cusp of retirement.
But trying to pin down the “when” of retirement makes him start thinking about his young patients and their success stories.
He thinks of hearing a child say their name — or call out a sibling’s name — for the first time. Or seeing Mom and Dad light up when their child can finally say, “I love you.”
Those kinds of highlights — plus feedback from the kids and their families, as well as his colleagues — make Laikko want to stick around.
Laikko was recognized for his involvement in so many of those success stories through his work as a speech-language pathologist at UNMC’s Munroe-Meyer Institute as the newest recipient of the Gold U Award. The award typically is given out six times a year to employees who consistently deliver outstanding performance and service to the university.
“It’s just an acknowledgement as to how lucky I have been,” Laikko said of the award. “To be able to work here and the support we get, to our department, to the university system. It’s a nice honor.”
Laikko has been a speech-language pathologist at the Munroe-Meyer Institute for 35 years. Over the course of his career, Laikko’s handled cases involving pediatric feeding and swallowing.
Now he’s become a go-to person to treat severe speech sound disorders. The bulk of his caseload is made up of patients with childhood apraxia of speech.
Laikko treats children — typically between 2 and 4 years old — who aren’t making progress in therapy at school. Many of these patients struggle getting their brains to tell their mouths how to move and make the right sounds.
Laikko takes a motor approach. He starts with something a kid can do, like opening their mouth and making an “ahh” sound. If they close their mouth slowly, it almost makes the word “on.”
Laikko uses a hybrid approach, mixing in-person and virtual appointments.
Laikko and his colleagues at the Munroe-Meyer Institute also collaborate with the Scottish Rite and Westside Community Schools. Those collaborations are where planning and training of the next generation takes place.
Communication is a key piece of cognitive development and socialization, Laikko said.
“That impacts these children’s ability to function at their maximum level rather than getting stuck falling behind and not being able to talk and socialize at a young age,” he said. “You’re helping them get started.”
Congratulations, Paul! There is no one more deserving.
Paul is known as “the child whisperer” in our dept, for all the ways he gently but effectively coaxes speech productions from children who have struggled to communicate. I am so proud to call him a colleague and a friend. Congratulations for this well deserved honor, Paul!
Congratulations Paul, well deserved!!!
So lucky to work and learn alongside you, Paul! One of the best!
Congratulations Paul! I am so grateful for all I have learned from you. Thank you for helping our whole team continue to grow and develop!
SO SO SO deserved!! Thank you for everything you have taught me and continue to teach! It has been an honor to be your colleague!
Congratulations Paul! What an amazing impact you make!
Congratulation Paul! I can’t think of anyone more deserving. I personally will never forget the impact you made in my son’s life. Thank you for all you do for our kids!
Well deserved Paul! You’ve made such a difference for so many!
Congratulation to Paul. So well deserved! You are an amazing therapist and MMI and UNMC are so lucky to have you working with Nebraska’s children!
Congratulations on a well-deserved honor, Paul! You have made such an impact in our department and in the lives of children and their families. Your legacy will continue on long after you decide to take the leap into retirement!
Paul – Congratulations – very well deserved!!
Congratulations. No one more deserving. A true professional who has served my patients incredibly well over his career. Always positive and supportive and a great communicator.
Congrats Paul!
Congratulations, Paul!! Well deserved!!
Our middle son went through the MMI program with the aid of RiteCare when he was 3-5 when we had three young kids. Paul gave our son a diagnosis of Apraxia, something we ended up finding out that some kids, without help especially, can end up not growing out of.
Paul was amazing. Our son ended up graduating from speech just a couple years later in elementary and is now in gifted programs for reading. It no doubt changed his and our lives.
We are forever grateful for the work our speech pathologist, Paul Laikko, did with Luke.
Congratulations Paul!!! Always a pleasure to work with you!
Congratulations, Paul! You do amazing work and this honor is well deserved. I enjoyed the many years we had an office next door to each other at MMI. You are a such a fantastic colleague!
This is so well deserved Paul. Congratulations! You have made a difference in the lives of thousands of children
Congratulations Paul!! Well deserved!!
Congratulations Paul! It has been a joy to learn from you and work with you over the last ‘few’ years!
Congratulations, Paul! You have helped so many children, and this is a nice recognition of your work.