# 334 Feeding Therapy: It’s Not Just About Swallowing
 
This unique 2-day course benefits pediatric therapists interested in the bigger picture pertaining to pediatric feeding disorders. Therapists want strategies to implement right away with their clients. Why do children have trouble eating? How are physiology, motor skills and behavior linked and how do the basic principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) strengthen that connection? What role could tethered oral tissues play in feeding function? How do family dynamics and parenting styles influence progress? Why is it that a child eats well in the clinic setting but cannot generalize those skills to the home and school? This course answers those questions, provides practical strategies to implement with a variety of clients, and focuses on setting children up for success for meeting functional objectives while utilizing the premise of ABA. Participants learn how to problem solve common roadblocks in eating and then continue to build progress by following a hierarchy of steps to success. This course emphasizes the importance of keeping the fun in feeding while developing consistent positive behaviors at mealtimes so that everyone in the family can enjoy their time together around the family table! (Intermediate Level)
 
Complimentary copy of the instructor’s award-winning book included:
Adventures in Veggieland: Help Your Kids Learn to Love Vegetables with 100 Easy Activities and Recipes 
 
Instructor: Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP
 
Course Cities and Dates:
None at this time
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Research indicates that the prevalence of pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders is 80% in the special needs population and 20% in typically developing children. Therefore, most pediatric clinicians will encounter this disorder in some form or another. Feeding disorders come in all shapes and sizes, such as coughing/choking during meals, poor oral-motor skill acquisition, food refusal, oral aversion, g-tube dependence and more. One must be versed in oral-motor and swallowing techniques, respiration, GI issues, nutrition, motor/postural alignment, and behavioral strategies. This is a two-day course focusing on how to approach pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders, how to diagnose and prioritize treatment options, and ensure successful outcomes for you and your patients. Day one will concentrate on medical and nutritional intervention strategies, while day two will focus on evaluation and therapeutic intervention. If children are available, there will be 1-2 live evaluations.