ParentWise

Eating and socializing together is important for people in all cultures. Sometimes, chewing and swallowing can be hard for children with cerebral palsy. At some point, non-oral ways of feeding might be suggested by your child’s therapist, doctor or dietitian. Parents will often have different thoughts and feelings about this option and may find it a challenging decision to make.

In this podcast, consultant speech pathologist, Leigha Dark, explains the various tube feeding options with some tips to help guide you when making the decision.

0:00:59 Non-oral feeding

0:02:45 Types of tube feeding

0:02:25 Interdisciplinary health team

Social work consultant, Natalie Morton, discusses the impact that having a child with a disability can have on parents’ relationships and talks about what people can do to ensure they can maintain strong, healthy and communicative relationships.

0:00:38 Stress and relationships

0:04:36 Communication styles

0:10:04 Approaches to conflict

0:13.57 Working on cracks in your relationships

If you have a child with a disability and have been struggling to find some ‘me time’ lately, this podcast is for you.

Paul Mavromatis identifies some strategies shared by members of parent groups about how they find time to meet their own needs. He’ll also discuss the implications of not giving yourself a break and explores the many benefits that come when you do.

0:00:45 Views from parents

0:02:13 The impact of chronic stress

0:04:12 Creating ME time

Speech pathologist, Sudi Veerabangsa, takes us through the types of mealtime difficulties that people with a disability may experience, explains what dysphagia is and outlines some of the most important elements for making mealtimes more enjoyable for everyone.

0:00:55 Creating a safe and enjoyable mealtime

0:03:02 Swallowing

0:04:06 Dysphagia

In Part 2 of this podcast, speech pathologist, Sudi Veerabangsa, explains some of the ways parents can assist children who have eating difficulties.

0:00:47 Assisting someone to eat, correct positioning

0:00:50 Oral hygiene

0:05.42 Length of mealtimes

0:06.42 Developing a mealtime plan

Liz Foy, who has many years of experience working with families who have a child with a disability, talks about how parents of newly-diagnosed children with a disability can build a strong and effective networks of support with family and friends.

0:00:37 The initial shock of diagnosis

0:02:00 Telling others about the diagnosis

0:05:14 Getting support from health professionals

Over the years, Paul Mavromatis has worked with many families who have a child with a disability. Here, he draws on his experience in facilitating parent support groups to explain the benefits of joining these groups and what parents can expect from being part of them.

0:00:37 What do support groups offer?

0:02:14 Formal support groups aren't for everyone

0:03.13 An ideal group