First Bite: Fed, Fun, Functional SLP Insights

Guests: Fe Murray, EdD, CCC-SLP, Raquel Garcia, SLPD, CCC-SLP, CNT, BCS-S & Sofia Carias, MS, CCC-SLP - In this episode, Michelle and Erin are joined by industry leaders from across the nation to hold intimate conversations on how our faith and cultures influence our practice as pediatric speech-language pathologists. These two hours is an outgrowth of a lifetime of experiences shared by all the presenters, cultural missteps and corrections, religious misunderstandings, and deeply personal conversations for growth and respect. One of the beautiful aspects of our profession is the diversity of the patients we are called upon to serve. However, to fully engage our therapeutic presence, we must understand how different faiths and cultures influence our patients’ daily routines and how our religion and culture influence the services we deliver. With this expansion in our knowledge, we can improve our ability to coach caregivers through language acquisition within the framework of daily routines and make respective dietary recommendations for pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders.

Guest: Inez Esparza, a Spanish Certified Medical Interpreter, and ASHA Certified SLPA - As a profession, speech-language pathology has an abundance of English-speaking clinicians evaluating and treating individuals who may not or do not speak English. So, where does that leave the monolingual licensed SLP? How can they best engage in that patient’s care to provide optimal outcomes? The Answer is through interprofessional education and learning more about certified medical interpretation. In this hour, Inez shares her advanced skills to educate colleagues about the process of becoming a certified medical interpreter, how to ethically and effectively collaborate with a certified medical interpreter in evaluation, and how to ensure optimal long-term outcomes by creating joyful interprofessional relationships. If you’re a monolingual SLP and need guidance on expanding your evidence-based triangle for the patients you serve, this is the conversation for you.

Guests: Tamala Close, MS, CCC-SLP & Britney Desir, MS, CCC-SLP - In this episode, Tamala and Britney bring their years of expertise to inspire us to take that leap of faith and start our own private practices. Unsure of where to begin, never heard of an “NPI Number”, afraid of writing a business plan, overwhelmed by potential overhead costs? Breathe deep, grab your favorite pen and notebook, and let Tamala and Britney instill practical guidance to build your private practice confidence.

Guest: Jeanne Marshall, Ph.D, B Sp. Path - Are you ready to understand the differences between being an SLP in Australia? Then join Michelle and Dr. Marshall as they deep dive into research on operant vs. systematic desensitization treatment for Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD) and better understand the invaluable role of simulation for PFD treatment.

Guest: Corinne Zmoos, MS, CCC-SLP - Corinne spends the hour educating listeners about the early stages of Gestalt language processing, celebrating the beauty of this learning style, effectively incorporating it into augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and then how to put it all to music! So get your instruments and speech-generating devices ready because, by the end, you’ll want to engage in play-based therapy with both.

Guest: Betsy Pilon - In this episode, Michelle is joined by Betsy, the Executive Director of “Hope for Acquired Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE).” This hour is a deeply profound conversation as one mom shares her journey of advocacy and empowerment, inspiring and educating us along the way. Join in as the topics of causes and current treatment for HIE. are presented. Potential long-term impacts and barriers to continued treatment after NICU discharge will be discussed.

Guest: Maggie Sudimack, MA, CCC-SLP, CLC - If you’re new to the world of infant feeding, Maggie shares insights to help guide your first steps for the patient’s first sips. Highlights include the role of the SLP in a lactation evaluation, how to transition from breastfeeding to bottle feeding, and how to coach a caregiver through all these processes.

In this episode, Michelle and Erin are holding crucial conversations regarding current evidence-based practice for pediatric feeding disorders. We all hear the myths and see the pseudoscience that is bantered around social media platforms as “evidence.” How much of this information is accurate? How much of it was designed to grow followers instead of disseminating current EBP information that will truly expand your clinical skills? The scary answer is a lot of it isn’t accurate or even safely shared. In this hour, Michelle and Erin tackle the current evidence for tether-oral tissues and non-speech oral motor exercises, as well as discuss the ethics of utilization of social media as a source of evidence.

Guest: Emily Zimmerman, Ph.D, CCC-SLP - Have you ever heard of NNS? In this episode, Michelle is joined by Dr. Emily Zimmerman, a speech-language pathologist, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, the Associate Chair for Research and Innovation at Northeastern University, and director of the Speech and Neurodevelopment Lab (SNL). Dr. Zimmerman describes what a non-nutritive suck (NNS) is, the factors that can influence an NNS, and its role in oral feeding and then offers insight into where the future of pediatric feeding research is heading.

Guest: Amy Holbert, MSW, LISW-CP - In this episode, Michelle and Amy spend this hour discussing the role of this federally recognized “PTI,” how to empower caregivers for success with IEP advocacy, and how they support caregivers in pursuing medically necessary insurance in South Carolina. While “Family Connection” may be unique to SC, the role of PTIs and non-profit advocacy occurs everywhere, so join us and enjoy learning about how to advocate with community partners for improved patient and caregiver outcomes.