First Bite: Fed, Fun, Functional SLP Insights

By Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAPBusiness Education Courses Careers

First Bite: Fed, Fun, Functional SLP Insights episodes

March 31 Embracing the Joy of Being a SLP "Jill of All Trades" with Emily Bromer
A refreshing dose of encouragement and perspective for SLPs who wear many hats.
Guest: Emily Bromer, MS, CCC-SLP
Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD
Watch on Youtube
In this episode of First Bite, host Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP, sits down with Emily Bromer, MS, CCC-SLP to celebrate the many roles SLPs take on throughout their careers. They reflect on what makes a supportive and successful clinical fellowship, what graduate students should look for in meaningful practicum placements, and how diverse clinical experiences and strong mentorship can shape a fulfilling career path. They also tackle the reality of imposter syndrome, and offer practical perspectives for protecting your mental health, staying grounded, and rediscovering the passion that drew you to this profession in the first place. If you’re feeling stuck, stretched thin, or simply need a reminder of why you chose this field, this episode is for you.
About the Guest: Emily Bromer is a SLP based in Lynchburg, Virginia, who is passionate about increasing her community’s access to quality therapy services and strengthening the profession she loves. She has been practicing for six years and currently serves as the Lead SLP for Appomattox County Public Schools. In addition to her work in public education, Emily is the owner of Hill City Speech Services, PLLC.
Show Notes:
Contact Emily: @hillcityspeechva on Instagram
Emily’s Private Practice: Hill City Speech Services
Support Miriam’s House - Solutions to Homelessness
1 hr 5 min
March 24 Mind Maps and Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD)
How can a simple tool can strengthen complex clinical decision-making?
Guests: Kelly Kleinhans, PhD, CCC-SLP, and Courtney Richards, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC
Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD
Watch on Youtube
Kelly and Courtney share how mind maps and case-based learning are used in graduate training to help learners organize complex information, recognize patterns, and connect assessment findings to meaningful intervention planning. Explore how these strategies can support diverse learning styles while also strengthening supervision and mentoring conversations. Use these tools to help students make sense of complex PFD cases and translate knowledge into confident, thoughtful clinical decisions.
About the Guests: Dr. Kelly Kleinhans is a professor, program director, and clinical education enthusiast who is passionate about helping graduate students become confident, compassionate, and practice-ready SLPs. She leads the Master of Speech-Language Pathology program at Austin Peay State University.
Courtney Richards, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, is the Lead Feeding Therapist at Advanced Therapy Solutions (ATS) in Clarksville, TN, where she oversees the feeding program across three clinics.
Show Notes:
Bridging Pedagogy and Practice: Case-Based Learning and Mind Maps by Kelly Kleinhans, Courtney Richards, and Alison Desomma
Supplemental Material
APSU Speech-Language & Swallowing Community Clinic
Feeding Therapy Sweatshirt - Courtney’s Etsy Store
Feeding Matters Power of Two Program
Support Feeding Matters
Related Course: Research to "Chew On" with Dr. Amy Delaney
RAM Clinics
Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders
If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 9 1/2 Things You Would Do Differently by Fred Lee
1 hr 15 min
March 17 How to Mentor a Healthy Professional Identity in Future SLPs
How can we strengthen and mentor the next generation of clinicians?
Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD
Watch on Youtube
Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP welcomes Belinda Daughrity, PhD, CCC-SLP, Anita Fitzgerald, PhD, RN, AGNP, and Sharon Konrad, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, CNE to this episode of First Bite for a powerful conversation on mentoring a healthy professional identity in future colleagues. Together, these SLPs and nurses demonstrate why interprofessional education across allied health professions is not optional, it is essential. The conversation unpacks what “professional identity” really means in clinical education, why it matters for long-term career resilience, and how intentional mentoring shapes confident, ethical SLPs.
About the Guests: Belinda Daughrity, PhD, CCC-SLP, Anita Fitzgerald, PhD, RN, AGNP, and Sharon Konrad, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, CNE are a powerhouse group from California State University Long Beach who bring research from the fields of nursing and social work and pour that wisdom directly into speech-language pathology to strengthen how we prepare and mentor the next generation of clinicians.
Show Notes:
Read the journal article, "Professional Identity in Speech-Language Pathology Students"
Support The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA)
Support your local Domestic Abuse Shelter
Support Beach Food Pantry
1 hr 15 min
March 10 Trauma and Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD) with Lauren Thompson
Moving from understanding to healing in pediatric feeding care.
Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD
Watch on Youtube
In this episode of First Bite, Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, is grateful to host Lauren Thompson, MEd, CCC-SLP, CLC, for a powerful conversation about trauma and Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD). Healing trauma takes time, compassion, and the willingness to move through fear in order to better understand what “trauma” is, especially as it relates to pediatric feeding. Together, Michelle and Lauren differentiate between “trauma-informed” and “trauma-sensitive” care, and Lauren offers thoughtful, practical strategies to help SLPs create trauma-sensitive feeding environments for those they are called to serve.
This is part one of a two-part conversation. Part two will be released in April 2026.
About the Guest(s): Lauren Thompson, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, CLC, is the owner of Well Fed Feeding & Swallowing Therapy in Londonderry, New Hampshire. Since 2012, she has supported infants and children with PFD, dysphagia, lactation challenges, ARFID, and feeding-related trauma across inpatient rehabilitation, hospital-based outpatient care, Level II and III NICUs, and public schools. Lauren blends trauma-sensitive care, connection-focused interventions, and play-based approaches to help families build safe, joyful, and pressure-free mealtime experiences.
Show Notes:
Contact Lauren: @laurenteetheslp on Instagram
Lauren’s Private Practice: Well Fed Feeding Therapy
Love Money Cause: Feeding Matters
Related Course: Allyship and Advocacy in Pediatric Feeding Disorder with Tracy Camille Johnson
1 hr 41 min
March 03 Celebrating World Hearing Day with Pediatric and Educational Audiologist Courtney Turner
Discover what happens when SLPs and Educational Audiologists team up.
Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD
Watch on Youtube
In celebration of World Hearing Day, Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, welcomes Courtney Turner, AuD, CCC-A, for an important conversation about collaboration in hearing care. Courtney breaks down what Educational Audiologists actually do, how they assess and support children with different types of hearing loss. From technology to teamwork, you will gain a clearer understanding of how partnering with an Educational Audiologist can strengthen outcomes for children with hearing differences.
About the Guest: Dr. Courtney Turner is a board-certified pediatric audiologist based in Hattiesburg, MS. She has worked at The Children's Center for Communication and Development at the University of Southern Mississippi since 2015, providing clinical and educational audiology services to children from birth through age 5 across southern Mississippi.
Show Notes:
Contact Courtney Turner: @cg_turner on Instagram
Padapillo by Valerie James Abbott
Educational Audiology Association
Children Center for Communication and Development at The University of Southern Mississippi
1 hr 22 min
February 24 "Initiation" with Filmmaker and SLP Joshua Shah
Guest: Joshua A. Shah, MS, CCC-SLP
Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode: Complete the accompanying course online with Speech Therapy PD
Watch this episode on Youtube: Initiation with Filmmaker and SLP Joshua Shah
In a First Bite first, host Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, sits down with Joshua A. Shah, MS, CCC-SLP, a speech-language pathologist, filmmaker, and the creative force behind the upcoming film Initiation, a fictional narrative inspired by lived experiences related to stuttering and communication differences. Joshua and Michelle explore the responsibilities that come with representing communication differences accurately and compassionately and how language, storytelling, and visibility shape public understanding. Together, they examine the connection between communication and power, including how representation can influence whose voices are valued, amplified, or marginalized. Tune in now for a thoughtful, timely conversation, and stay tuned for the film that sparked it.
About the Guest(s): Joshua A. Shah is a filmmaker from Fremont, California. He currently serves as a home health speech-language pathologist, primarily working with individuals with neurological and communication impairments. He’s become inspired to bring the narratives of individuals with communication challenges to the silver screen and is dedicated to crafting these stories with both accuracy and creativity, challenging the current media landscape with empathetic storytelling.
Show Notes:
Contact Joshua: @shahjosh on Instagram
Love Money Cause: @initiationshortfilm on Instagram
“Initiation” Short Film: seedandspark.com/fund/initiation2026#story
The Stuttering Foundation: www.stutteringhelp.org
SPACE | Stuttering Organization: www.spacetostutter.org and @spacetostutter on Instagram
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: www.oliversacks.com/oliver-sacks-books/the-man-who-mistook-his-wife-for-a-hat/
My Stroke of Insight: mystrokeofinsight.com/index.html
The Sound of Metal: www.imdb.com/title/tt5363618/
American Association for People with Disabilities: www.aapd.com
Able South Carolina: www.able-sc.org
First Bite Podcast: Subscribe and listen on Spotify or Apple Podcast
1 hr 12 min
February 17#BlackSLPMagic Part 2: Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in SLP
Guests: Chelsie Esek-Onyeahialam, MS, CCC-SLP, and Jordyn R. Montique, MS, CCC-SLP
Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/blackslpmagic-part-2
FREE Black History Month Conference: www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/culture-care-knowledge
This course meets ASHA's Content Area 2 PD requirement for providing culturally responsive services and effective self-reflection, adaptability, and collaborative practice.
In this episode of First Bite, Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, continues the conversation with Chelsie Esek-Onyeahialam, MS, CCC-SLP, and Jordyn R. Montique, MS, CCC-SLP, founders of #BlackSLPMagic. Part 2 shifts from awareness to action, focusing on practical ways to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion within the field of speech-language pathology.
Together, Michelle, Chelsie, and Jordyn examine systemic barriers that continue to impact BIPOC professionals and discuss evidence-based strategies for creating more welcoming, supportive, and inclusive professional environments. The conversation centers on reducing obstacles to professional growth, increasing representation, and strengthening meaningful connections across the SLP community.
Listeners will gain concrete tools for advocacy, professional networking, and allyship, along with actionable steps they can take within their own workplaces, organizations, and professional circles. Chelsie and Jordyn share grounded insights on how intentional actions, not just intentions, can help shift culture and create lasting change.
Whether you identify as an ally, advocate, or leader in speech-language pathology, this session offers practical strategies to move beyond awareness and toward meaningful action, supporting a profession where all voices are valued and reflected in the communities we serve.
Show Notes:
Contact Chelsie: @esekhealth on Instagram
Contact Jordyn: @jrc_theslp on Instagram
Black SLP Magic: @blackslpmagic on Instagram, www.blackslpmagic.org
Donate to Black SLP Magic: ko-fi.com/blackslpmagicslpsocialseen
SLP Social Scene: @slpsocialseen on Instagram
Professional Identity in Speech-Language Pathology Students: pubs.asha.org/doi/abs/10.1044/2024_PERSP-24-00043
Cultural Competence Check-ins: www.asha.org/practice/multicultural/self/
Cultural Responsiveness: www.asha.org/practice-portal/professional-issues/cultural-responsiveness/
Bias, Appraisal Tools, and Levels of Evidence: www.asha.org/research/ebp/bias-appraisal-tools-and-levels-of-evidence/
Related Courses:
#BlackSLPMagic Paving the Way for the Future
Culture, Care, & Knowledge: Advancing Equity in Speech-Language Pathology: A Black History Month Conference
1 hr 12 min
February 10 Allyship and Advocacy in PFD with Tracy Camille Johnson
Guest: Tracy Camille Johnson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, MSPA-CPSP
Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/allyship-advocacy-pfd
Related Course: Lactation and the Interprofessional Practice Seminar: www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/lactation-and-ip
First Bite is back for an all new season, and host Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, kicks things off with a powerful conversation on allyship and advocacy. She’s joined by Tracy Camille Johnson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, MSPA-CPSP, Founder and CEO of Buttercup Therapy Services. Together, they explore barriers that BIPOC clinicians may encounter on their journey to becoming an SLP, how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) shape service delivery, and ways to identify functional, community-based resources that truly uplift caregivers supporting children with pediatric feeding disorders. If you’re ready to reflect, grow, and strengthen your advocacy lens, this episode will meet you there. Come hungry for growth and leave feeling full.
About the Guest: Tracy Camille Johnson is a Speech Language Pathologist, Pediatric Feeding Specialist, Certified Lactation Counselor, and Advocate. Originally from Chicago, she now calls Austin, Texas home. She is the founder and CEO of Buttercup Therapy Services which services the greater Austin region across the lifespan for feeding, swallowing, and communication skills since 2022.
Show Notes:
Lactation Seminar: www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/lactation-and-ip
Contact Tracy: @chattytraceface.slp on Instagram
Butter Cup Therapy: www.buttercuptherapy.org
Black Mamas ATX (Love Money Cause): blackmamasatx.com
National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH): www.nbaslh.org
Find Help: www.findhelp.org
1 hr 12 min
December 30, 2025 Population Health for the Pediatric SLP
Guests: Rachel S. Tyrone, PhD, CCC-SLP, Assistant Professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Torrey Robinson, MS, CCC-SLP, doctoral student at UMMC.
Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/population-health
Y’all, this conversation exists because of a fantastic dress and a spontaneous chat outside the bathroom at the Mississippi Annual Speech-Language-Hearing Convention. That chance moment sparked a soul-filling discussion about population health, public health, and social determinants of health, and how all three directly shape our work as pediatric SLPs. As 2025 comes to a close and many of us are reflecting on our professional place in the world, this episode offers hope, perspective, and practical ways to think and act upstream. You will walk away inspired to become an “Upstreamist,” ready to lead gently and passionately for our field, our colleagues, and the children and families we serve in 2026.
Show Notes:
ASHA SDOH: https://www.asha.org/practice/social-determinants-of-health/?srsltid=AfmBOopPx1sLqvjVFTyhNQ3gM8f4tlJ3_e6otXZgc5w9S8gGNCKH5zWK
Healthy People: https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople
1 hr 6 min
December 23, 2025 The Future of SLH Profession with Vicki Deal-Williams and Perry Flynn (ASHA Leadership)
Guests: Vicki R. Deal-Williams, ASHA’s Chief Executive Officer, and Perry Flynn, 2026 ASHA President Elect
Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/the-future-of-slh
This episode is a collaboration with the Keys for SLPs podcast, hosted by Mary Beth Hines, MS, CCC-SLP. Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S joins as a co-host to welcome ASHA leadership Vicki R. Deal-Williams, MA, CCC-SLP, FASAE, CAE, ASHA’s Chief Executive Officer, and Perry Flynn, MEd, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, CTRI, ASHA-F, 2026 ASHA President Elect for an inside look at the evolving speech-language-hearing professions.
Together, they will explore emerging technologies, workforce trends, and ongoing efforts to recruit and retain professionals, particularly those from BIPOC communities. The conversation will also highlight the SLP Interstate Compact and offer practical guidance for students and early-career professionals navigating the changing landscape of the field.
About the Guests:
Vicki Deal-Williams serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), where she has been a valued team member for more than three decades. A Certified Association Executive and distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Vicki is also an ASHA certified speech-language pathologist and ASHA Fellow. Her expertise lies in cultivating leadership, aligning strategic goals with organizational priorities, and navigating teams through transformation with clarity and purpose. She is known for her ability to authentically build strong, collaborative relationships and to foster a welcoming culture where everyone feels they have a voice. Through clear vision, steady guidance, and deep commitment, she works alongside volunteer leaders and members, students, vendors, partners, and staff to advance ASHA’s mission, achieve optimal results, and ensure lasting impact.
Perry Flynn, MEd, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, CTRI, is the Consultant to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in the area of Speech-Language Pathology and a Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, a two-time member of ASHA’s Board of Directors, and a Board Certified Specialist in Child Language. He is a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) Certified Therapeutic Horseback Riding Instructor. He has presented several times at ASHA Conventions on the topic of recruiting and retaining men and minorities in speech-language pathology and has written several articles on the topic.
1 hr 15 min

About First Bite: Fed, Fun, Functional SLP Insights

From the publisher's feed

First Bite is your go-to resource for all things pediatric speech therapy–covering pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders, lactation, AAC, early language acquisition, advocacy, and interprofessional collaboration. Designed to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice, the podcast brings functional, evidence-based insights straight to clinicians serving little ones and their caregivers. Whether you’re a student, seasoned practitioner, researcher, or interprofessional partner, First Bite invites you to listen, learn, and grow alongside a supportive community. Gain the confidence to take whatever “first bite” comes next in your clinical practice–one heartfelt and tea-fueled conversation at a time.