Guest: Erin Forward, MSP CCC-SLP, CLC - In this episode Michelle is joined once again by her favorite podcasting cohost, Erin Forward, MSP CCC-SLP, CLC…to tackle all things job hunting from the SLP’s perspective. So, if you’re on hunt for your dream clinical practicum, dream CF, or a dreamy job switch, then tune in as Michelle and Erin share functional advice on what clinical considerations you should consider for that coveted interview. From case study questions to have prepared, common clinical questions that you could be asked, and even social skills to demonstrate…or not demonstrate in the interview, Michelle and Erin are going to cover it all from the SLP’s perspective! Bonus round…stay tuned next month for a follow-up episode with the one and only Morgan Mitchell with Elevation Healthcare to tackle all the HR details too!

Guest: Renee Garrett, MSED, CCC-SLP, CBIS - After watching her father struggle through the after effects of a stroke, Renee Garrett’s passion for SLP was awakened, and she has spent the past 12 years working in a range of medical settings. In today’s episode, our discussion focuses on the ethical challenges that arise when an SLP moves from one type of care to another. For example, an SLP working in a school requires a very different set of skills compared to an SLP working in an ICU, and assuming that the skills are transferable can be dangerous for you as the professional, as well as for your patients. Among other things, we talk about the elements that you need to take into consideration before switching settings, how regulations differ between states, and where you can access a range of resources that will help you with your transition.

Guest: Marsha Dunn Klein, OTR/L, MEd, FAOTA - Having a child with feeding challenges can be anxiety-inducing for parents and children alike. Feeding strategies and interventions are synonymous with pressure, which only perpetuates the discomfort around eating. Marsha Dunn Klein OTR/L, Med, FAOTA, joins us to share her Get Permission Approach, and to talk about the newly-founded Get Permission Institute. In this episode, Marsha talks about Get Permission Approach's principles and shares the impetus for creating it. She saw from her work in feeding that the relational aspects of food and eating were often neglected despite how important they are to healthy feeding habits. We hear about responsive feeding and how she fosters children's autonomy while building confidence, connection, trust, and consistency. An incredibly important part of helping children with these challenges is providing opportunities, and Marsha walks us through two case studies of children she has worked with. Rather than leading with a heavy therapeutic approach, she helped parents provide organic opportunities to pique children's interests and let them explore for themselves. As the conversation wraps up, Marsha also highlights the value of letting children mouth, and she also shares some of the exciting events Get Permission is hosting in the months to come.

Guest: Natasha McNeill, MCD, CCC-SLP - SLPs are ethically bound to practice within their area of expertise, but some often don’t and this can have drastic effects on patients. Today we invite Natasha McNeill to discuss this issue of scope of practice encroachment and hear her weigh in on how it is often early interventionists who are guilty of this. Natasha is an SLP specializing in pediatric feeding disorders and our conversation begins with a story about how she fell in love with this area of expertise. She lays out the context for our discussion next, highlighting the problem of non-licensed members of individual family service plan teams, often early interventionists, giving recommendations that are outside their roles and responsibilities. Natasha makes the important point that while this is irresponsible across the board and often steps on the toes of SLPs who play a role later in the treatment process, if an ill-informed recommendation is made about feeding treatment particularly, this can cause serious harm to the patient. We then take a deep dive into the types of things that early interventionists should be doing, while also getting into different examples of problems that can arise when they start to practice outside of their fields. Our conversation also covers the issue of lack of regulation whereby the qualifications required to become an early interventionist are too broad and there is no overarching governing body in many states. Tune in for this urgent conversation today.

Guest: Erin Forward, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC - Sir Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants”, and these are words that ring true for both Michelle and Erin. Join the Ladies of “First Bite” as they spend this hour sharing their favorite evidenced-based courses, taught by the giants in our interprofessional practice pediatric feeding disorder world, such that we can all see farther for the betterment of our patients. If you have ever wondered which courses will grow your EBP triangle for assessment and treatment with patients in the NICU, infants, toddlers, early child, or which courses focus on interprofessional practice for PFD, then this is the hour for you.

*** This episode is not available for ASHA CEUs.****

Guest: Tessa Gonzalez, MD - Today’s episode centers on an intense and personal conversation with a very special guest who speaks candidly from the perspective of both a pediatrician and the passionate parent of a child with a rare genetic disorder that contributed to pediatric feeding disorder (PFD). Dr. Tessa Gonzalez is a close friend, a pediatrician with over 10 years of experience, and a mother to two beautiful girls, the eldest of whom has been on a long journey with PFD. Tessa is also a volunteer with Feeding Matters, where she shares her invaluable experience with families navigating the often confusing and difficult world of PFD. She is a fierce advocate for her daughter and is passionate about helping other families advocate for their loved ones, too, which she explains in this episode. Tuning in, you’ll learn more about the importance of inter-professional education, collaboration, and communication, and Tessa shares her personal journey with PFD and why she believes that a feeding tube was the best possible solution for her family at the time. Make sure not to miss this episode!

*** This episode is not available for ASHA CEUs.****

The Dysphagia Outreach Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide meaningful assistance to individuals affected by dysphagia. Today on the show, we invite Allie Mataras, Amanda Weissberg, Allison Boyer, Jessica Lasky, Hillary Cooper, and Michelle Coffaro from the Dysphagia Outreach Project’s Board of Directors to talk about how they have come together to work on this project as volunteers and the great things they are doing for the community. The original idea came from Hillary, and she kicks things off by talking about how she was disturbed by the general lack of access to supplies experienced by patients and wanted to take the initiative to fix it. Hillary teamed up with Michelle and Jessica, and our next two guests weigh in on their contributions to getting the idea off the ground. Jessica speaks about her role in the organization in the fields of education and advocacy, and Michelle shares her responsibilities as VP of operations. Michelle runs the food bank in Cincinnati, and we hear about the incredible wealth of supplies they distribute. From there, we hear from Allie and her work as Director of Fundraising before getting to know Amanda and the contributions she has made on the social media front as Captain of Instagram for the public relations team. Wrapping up, we meet our final guest, Allison Boyer, who manages the DOP Facebook page, where she helps assemble literature reviews of the most current research in the field to be distributed freely to all who are interested. So for all this and more about an amazing project that stands testimony to the power of purpose-driven teamwork, tune in today!

*** This episode is not available for ASHA CEUs.****

Guest: Dana Entwistle, MS, CCC-SLP

Today, we are really lucky to have an amazing person and fantastic clinician join us on the show! Dana Entwistle is a pediatric feeding clinical specialist at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, and we get to hear all about what that entails from her. She goes into her personal journey in the profession and the college years that preceded it. From there, our guest shares key elements of her current role at Levine, including building trust, patient assignment, the hospital environment, patient variation, and much more. Dana underscores the importance of the right kind of communication, especially regarding the tricky, confusing technical side of feeding problems. She has spearheaded the inclusion of more data into the processes she is involved in, which she believes is vital to the continuous improvement of healthcare. Listeners can expect to gain real insight into Dana's philosophy, as well as inspiration for how to be influential and understanding in the feeding space! This conversation with Dana promises to lead to many more, so make sure to stay tuned for those, too!

Guest: Erin Forward, MSP, CCC-SLP, CLC

In this episode, Michelle is once again joined by her favorite cohost, Erin Forward, MSP, CCC-SLP, CLC, as they tackle the tricky topic of progressive disorders and pediatric dysphagia. Palliative Care and Hospice are two words that are often avoided in the world of pediatrics; however, in honor of Pediatric Feeding Disorder Month, Michelle and Erin are going to have the crucial conversation regarding what a progressive pediatric disorder is, discuss three more prevalent progressive disorders, and then discuss our role in the evaluation and treatment process. While the topic may be difficult to address, remember that we are called to serve the least of these and to infuse joy and evidence-based practice into their care.

Guest: Dr. Erin Ross, PhD, CCC-SLP - Today we have an extra special episode that we are so excited to share with all of our listeners! Dr. Erin Ross, the brains and heart behind the SOFFI course, joins us today to talk about her amazing career in feeding therapy, her work developing the SOFFI method, thoughts moving forward, and so much more! We get into a deep and impactful discussion on the lessons that Dr. Ross has learned and continues to share through her work, covering misconceptions, diagnoses, the research that backs up her work, and her favorite parts of her job. Dr. Ross makes a special point to underline the centering of the parents and the time they spend with infants, showing why we should focus on this chunk of experience as the most impactful entry- point to helping children. We also get into some thoughts on specialization, the quality versus quantity debate, and some of the mistakes that seem to often crop up in the pediatric space. Listeners can expect to come away with a sense of purpose, as well as a renewed enthusiasm for this work; Dr. Ross' passion is contagious and her commitment to joyful, research-backed strategies is truly inspiring. So join us on the show for all this and more!