Course Description:

Designed for: Occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, physical therapists, psychologists, dietitians, special educators involved in feeding assessment and intervention for infants through school age children with complex feeding disorders.

How does feeding, a process so integral to the child’s health and well-being, go awry? This course focuses on a systematic transdisciplinary (TR-eat) model integrating oral motor therapy techniques and behavioral management to treat complex feeding problems in infants and children through school age. Participants explore innovative strategies for addressing oral aversion, food refusal, poor transition onto solid foods, texture grading, learning to chew, self feeding and feeding difficulties related to autism and picky eaters via video case studies, lecture and practice. These interventions are systematic and evidence-based with research supporting outcomes.

This course delivers practical, ready-to-implement solutions and hands-on techniques to empower therapists with new treatment ideas for their most complex patients.

Participants will be able to apply course learning immediately to:
• Identify variables that produce complex pediatric feeding problems.
• Address feeding problems across development states with diagnostic and innovative intervention strategies
• Demonstrate oral motor facilitation techniques and behavioral strategies simultaneously.
• Implement texture grading techniques and apply them to the process of making pureed foods
for children learning how to chew.
• Determine treatment for picky eaters, including those with autism, using behavioral interventions.
• Enhance problem-solving skills through careful analysis to determine the most effective interventions to maximize outcomes.

Credits: 15 contact hours (1.5 CEUs)


Video Links: (Click on the dates below to see the videos online)

March 15, 2010 Making A Difference, One Bite at a Time (Fox News)(Press play on the video player on the left side of the screen)

Feb 11, 2010 Dr. Elizabeth Clawson from St. Mary's joins Kristen Tucker to discuss the St. Mary's article in Evansville Living Magazine

June 12, 2009 Feeding Disorder Services at St. Mary's Center for Children in Evansville, Indiana


What participants say:


“This was a wonderful continuing education experience. I have never come away from a workshop with so many practical ideas and techniques that I can immediately use in my practice. Well done!"
Linda Newsome, SLP

"This is the best feeding course that I've attended. Practical, sound and useful!"
Theresa Gushaulis, OTR