First Bite: A Speech Therapy Podcast

Guest: Heidi Liefer Moreland, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CLC

In this episode, Michelle is joined by the one and only Heidi Liefer Moreland, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CLC, Clinical Coordinator with Thrive Tube-Weaning Program, cohost of the podcast “Tube to Table,” published author and researcher, and internationally sought after speaker! For this hour-long conversation, Heidi shares her evidence-based approach to supporting little ones and their caregivers in their natural environment as they learn to eat by mouth! So, suppose you are ready to learn about intrinsic motivation and responsive feeding and pick up successful strategies to engage in interprofessional practice as a home-based, private practice, or school-based clinician. In that case, this is the episode for you.

Guest: Lisa Bowers, PhD, CCC-SLP

In this episode, Michelle is joined by the charismatic Lisa Bowers, PhD CCC-SLP, Chair of the Council of Academic Programs in Communication Sciences and Disorder's (CAPCSD) IPE/IPP committee, and Director of the Service Learning Initiative at the University of Arkansas. Lisa, a passionate advocate for the speech-language pathologist working to improve children’s language and literacy abilities, spends this power hour sharing some of her favorite resources and imparting pearls of wisdom! So, whether you are a tried and true SLP and want to improve your interprofessional education and practice within the public schools for your students struggling with reading or are still in your clinical fellow and not sure where to begin when it comes to speech-sound disorders and literacy, this episode has you covered.

Guest: Marsha Dunn Klein, OTR/L, MEd, FAOTA - In this episode, Michelle is joined by Marsha, founder of the “Get Permission Institute,” for part one of a four-part miniseries on Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD)! To kick off the miniseries, Marsha discusses the evidence-based PFD shifts that have occurred over the last few years… shifts that come from listening to and elevating neurodivergent voices. Gone are the days of forcing a child to eat during therapy or relying upon external reinforcement to “take a bite.” The shift is towards respecting individual autonomy, encouraging diversity in thought about what constitutes a safe and healthy mealtime routine and a well-balanced meal...and the list goes on! Marsha quoted Maya Angelo, “Once you know better, you do better,” she hopes this episode will inspire today’s treating PFD clinicians to embrace the shift.

Guest: Claire Martin, M.Ed., CCC-SLP - In this episode, Michelle is joined by Claire, a recent James Madison University Speech-Hearing-Association of Virginia Leadership and Advocacy Academy graduate, to discuss all things AAC. Claire creates a safe space to walk us through the process of establishing accessible AAC for outpatient clinics, explains the requirements for submitting a permanent device request to insurance, and tackles some of the most common barriers an SLP will encounter when initiating an AAC trial, all while offering functional advice on how to overcome these.

Guest: Brooke Nutting - Join Erin and Brooke, a mother of an autistic child, in this deep and heartfelt discussion regarding advocating for children and their right to neurodiversity-affirming care. Erin and Brooke discuss the challenges of finding the right team and knowing what is right for your child in a world full of voices thinking they know best. As clinicians, we discuss the importance of working with caregivers and listening to autistic voices, but how often do we truly take the time to listen to the lived experiences of caregivers? This discussion will hopefully open your eyes to taking a step back and truly understanding a family’s core values, how to best support the families of our neurodivergent clients, and knowing that we don’t always have the answer.

Guests: Memorie Gosa, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S & Jeanne Marshall, Ph.D, B Sp. Path- In this episode, Michelle is joined by two powerhouses in the world of pediatric feeding disorder (PFD): Dr. Memorie Gosa and Dr. Jeanne Marshall. This conversation, which was many moons in the making, addresses a crucial topic in the world of PFD; we are talking all things PROM. (Rhinestones and tulle are not required) 😊 PROM, or patient-reported outcome measures, are truly a clinician’s greatest ally, as they help demonstrate the value of intervention in improving the child and their caregiver’s quality of life surrounding mealtime. So, if you have been looking for a way to chart growth and improvement with your patients with a pediatric feeding disorder but are unsure which evidence-based tool to use, folks, these two ladies have you covered!

Guest: Nathaniel B. Ellis, M.S., CCC-SLP - In this episode, Michelle is joined by Nate, a school-based phonetics and phonology specialist! In addition to being an active member of the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV), serving on its Conference Planning Committee and CE Administration Team, he regularly lectures on clinical phonetics, clinical phonology, and developmental speech-sound disorders… bringing unbridled passion and new insight into the topic to both current and future colleagues. Today, “Nate” takes listeners on a journey that unites the formally separated theoretical and clinical practice realms of phonetics and phonology. If you are a fellow speech-sound nerd, join this fabulous conversation to learn how to improve your accuracy in analyzing typical and atypical speech-sound errors… and how this carries over to improved intervention and outcomes for the children we serve!

Guest: Madilyn "Madi" Metcalf, MS, CCC-SLP - In this episode, Michelle is joined by Madi, the delightful host of “Making Sense of Selective Eating,” a podcast miniseries with Speech Therapy PD. Over this hour, Madi speaks from her heart, sharing insight on the journey that she took to be able to competently serve the pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) patients in her hometown. So, if you, too, have looked around your community and recognized that PFD services are in need but are unsure where to begin, this is the conversation for you! Madi shares how she overcame imposter syndrome by bravely taking numerous courses, volunteering with her state association, and entering the field of early intervention and private practice to cast a wide net, all to meet caregivers and patients right where they are (both figuratively and literally!). Let her illuminate the path forward through functional recommendations for growing your PFD evidence-based practice!

Guest: Gillian Boudreau, PhD - Join Erin and Dr. Boudreau to discuss the intricacies of the psychosocial component of pediatric feeding disorders and how a caregiver’s relationship with food can impact the overall dynamics of mealtime. Dr. Boudreau and Erin dive into the neurobiology of safety to help guide our understanding of what a child and caregiver truly need. We hope this episode helps you take a step back and better understand the importance of relationships and how the intimacy of eating can play a large role in how those relationships play out at mealtime.

Guest: Taylor Anderson, MS, CCC-SLP - Erin is joined again by her wonderful colleague, Taylor Anderson, to discuss a topic near and dear to their hearts: autonomy, trauma-informed care, and DIR/Floortime. Erin and Taylor have worked with many medically complex kids and found the value of utilizing these strategies to promote their self-advocacy and feel like they have a say in the world around them. This is critical for building communication as well as opening their world to promote imagination and new ideas. Erin and Taylor will dive into what trauma-informed care is and its collaboration with DIR/Floortime strategies to best serve our patients and their families.