First Bite: Fed, Fun, Functional SLP Insights

In this episode Michelle is joined by the highly skilled and incredibly passionate Craig Coleman, MA CCC-SLP, BCS-F, ASHA Fellow, and Candidate for ASHA VP of Planning, to discuss best practice for diagnosis and treatment of stuttering in preschool age children. As Michelle has joked in past episodes, this is not exactly her cup of tea, but Craig is here to offer evidenced based solutions that are...

In this episode Michelle is joined once by again by her dynamic First Bite partner the lovely Miss Erin Forward, MSP CF-SLP. Today they jump into the data behind the Language Assessments that we use to evaluate our little ones. Specificity, Sensitivity, Validity, and even ASHA Guidelines on what is “Best Practice for Assessments” and when we should draw our proverbial line in the sand and trash a...

In this episode Michelle is joined by the dynamic Becca Hoke, MS CCC-SLP, LAMP Educator with the Center for AAC and Autism, in Pennsylvania. This AAC Guru has been gracious enough to share her time with “First Bite Folks” to educate clinicians about the power of combining core vocabulary with muscle memory! Have you been to one of LAMP’s live trainings yet? Well by the end of today, you will be in...

In this episode Michelle and Diane tackle typical development for a healthy growing mouth, as well as a compare contrasting factors in an evaluation between bottle and breast-feeding. They round out this dynamic hour with a crash course on which team member to consult with if systems are starting to go awry.

In this episode Michelle is joined once again by Miss Erin Forward, MSP CF-SLP, where they tackle some common, some not so common, and a few rare genetic syndromes…and how they can result in an oropharygneal dysphagia or feeding aversion. If you have questions regarding some basic terminology on how genetic conditions are inherited or caused…and how they correspond to a child needing services for...

In this episode Michelle is joined by the jovial Jason Wigand, AuD, Assistant Professor and Clinical Director of the Cochlear Implant Program at the University of South Carolina. They have quite the talk for you! Have you scratched your head lately wondering why that patient your working with just isn’t picking up the sounds or words y’all have spent weeks addressing? But…have you seriously consid...

In this episode Michelle is joined by the esteemed Crystal Murphree-Holden, MA CCC-SLP, who is the Director of Distance Education/Clinical Instructor at the University of South Carolina, as well as VP of Higher Education with SCSHA. She was also a recent recipient of the Honors of the Association for SCSHA. In this episode Crystal and Michelle attempt to clarify the muddied waters of SLPA vs. SLP...

In this episode Michelle is joined by the lovely Miss Nicole Patton, Registered Lobbyist with the National Down Syndrome Society, at their Headquarters in Washington, D.C. While Nicole lobbies at a national level, it is more than just a “job” to her, as it comes from a place of love and compassion as she has a sister with special needs. Tune in to this episode and become educated as to what initia...

In this episode Michelle is joined by the Etiquette guru co-director Treva Graves, MS CCC-SLP, of Trevagraves.com. Treva, a former Miss Iowa America winner and ASHA Leadership Development Alumni, is a highly sought after guest speaker and personal trainer in the areas of Image, Executive Coaching, and Accent Reduction. In this episode, she addresses some of the largest personal fears and failures...

In this episode Michelle is joined once again by her partner in all things nerdy mischief Erin Forward, MSP CF-SLP. Today is the day where they go in and act as Speech-Language Pathology Sleuths! Are you prepared to don your deerstalker cap? (Don’t lie, you goggled that…it’s the Sherlock Holmes hat!) We tackle pediatric CVAs, EOE, Hirschsprung’s Disease, Celiac Disease, and also a quick foray into...

In this episode Michelle is joined by none other than THE Dr. Kay Toomey, President of Toomey & Associates, Inc., Clinical Consultant to the Feeding Clinic at STAR Institute, and developer of the SOS Approach to Feeding. In case you haven’t heard of it, the SOS Approach to Feeding, is a bottom-up, tip-toe in the water of feeding, functional centered program for assessing and treating children...

In this episode Michelle is joined by the effervescent co-director Patti Minicucci, MS CCC-SLP, of Tots to Teens Therapy Services, of Northern Virginia. Patti, a former guest speaker at the University of Mary Washington, who has also held trainings for pediatricians and other professionals, has been an Early Interventionist SLP for over 20 years! She brings with her to this episode, personal exper...

In this episode Michelle is joined by the powerhouse that is Lissa Power-deFur, PhD, CCC-SLP. Not only is she a professor, that Michelle can personally attest to the fact that she takes the education of her students passionately and seriously, she is also the current Vice Preside of Standards and Ethics in Speech-Language Pathology (2014-2016). Still curious about the topic of this episode? Well w...

In this episode Michelle is joined by the petite yet formidable Cheris Frailey, MA CCC-SLP, Interstate Compact and Legal Affairs Coordinator for the Dept. of Regulatory Agencies for the State of Colorado. Join Michelle as she seeks honest and practical advice from Cheris, a former Director of State Education and Legislative Advocacy with ASHA, in the areas of conflict resolution. In short…are you...

In this episode Michelle is joined by the dynamic co-director Jennifer Ruckner, MS CCC-SLP, of Tots to Teens Therapy Services, of Northern Virginia. Jennifer, a seasoned Early Interventionist who is also a Community Ambassador for Feeding Matters, a non-profit, parent founded organization, actually specializes in Telepractice for the Early Intervention and School Age pediatric population. Yes, you...

In this episode Michelle is joined by the esteemed Dr. Carol Page, Director of the SC Assistive Technology Program. In this episode, Dr. Page assuages listener’s fears of Augmentative and Alternative Communication! Did you know that AAC is more than pictures and a lamination machine and is in fact driven by core vocabulary with a splash of “fringe” vocabulary? Or did you know that when an SLP util...

In this episode, the Michelle and KiKi address how to utilize various social media platforms to drive and market a speech language pathologist’s private practice. They tackle the troublesome concerns such as how much time and energy should a therapist spend on social media and what social media campaign should be utilized to maximize exposure and to generate business.

In this lively episode, Michelle is joined by the lovely Miss Erin Forward, MS, CF-SLP, formerly of Rochester, NY, but now of Cola-Town, SC to assist in “Chasing the Swallow”! Did you know an SLP can’t tackle an oropharyngeal dysphagia or a feeding disorder alone? Well folks, we can’t! Why? Because we, for lack of a better phrase, are the gatekeepers, the starting point, to the greater world of th...

In this episode Michelle is joined once again by the gifted Mrs. Melissa Montiel, MS CCC-SLP, (see Episode 14 “Banishing Confusion for Clefts”), from the Medical University of South Carolina and the Evelyn Tramell Institute for Voice and Swallowing. In Melissa’s second lecture, we address both the speech component of VPI (velopharyngeal insufficiency), but also the more elusive and often misunders...

In this episode Michelle is joined by holistically fierce “Momma-Bear” Mrs. Jennifer Tardy, with Eating for Healing, from Millinocket, Maine, however currently residing in Lexington, SC. In this lecture we tackle EOE, Eosinophillic Esophagitis, from the unique perspective of a mother…who happens to be a nutrition coach…to learn key insights into how a devastating diagnosis was tackled with compass...

In this course, Michelle is joined by Erin Forward, MS, CCC-SLP, to debunk some of our preconceived notions about treating feeding disorders in the pediatric world. The etiology of dysphagia, the confusion around the use of EBP strategies in adults, and how EBP can often be misapplied when treating pediatrics are discussed, along with some of our favorite resources to develop our EBP for pediatric...

In this episode Michelle is joined by social media guru, Kiki L’Italien, CEO and founder of Amplified Growth, a digital marketing consultancy specializing in social media, SEO, and influencer marketing. Kiki, who regularly lectures to Speech-Language Pathologists and other medical colleagues, will focus this lecture in maintaining professionalism and navigating potential ethical pitfalls of social...

*** This episode is not available for ASHA CEUs.**** In this episode, Michelle is joined by the gifted Mrs. Melissa Monteil, MS, CCC-SLP, from the Medical University of South Carolina and the Evelyn Tramell Institute for Voice and Swallowing. In this lecture, we discuss the process of prenatal diagnosis of cleft and dispel misconceptions regarding feeding a little one with a cleft, especially in t...

In this episode Michelle is joined by the charismatic Gregg Black, MD, of Carolina Allergy and Asthma Consultants, PA. Dr. Black, from Columbia, SC, (by way of Clemson, SC, Birmingham, AL, Whangaeri, NZ, and New Orleans, LA), shares the process by which infants, as young as 30 days, can begin safely assessing for food allergies and the best way to go about the diagnostic process.  This lecture is...

In this episode Michelle is joined by business savy Mrs. Jennifer Tardy, with “PT the OT Therapy and Wellness, originally from Millinocket, Maine, however currently residing in Lexington, SC. In this lecture we tackle the largest fear of small business owners, “how do we ethically obtain referrals?”. Jennifer, a successful Director who currently manages referrals for three different businesses, of...