First Bite: Fed, Fun, Functional SLP Insights

Guest: Kia Noelle Johnson, Ph. D., CCC-SLP - Michelle is joined once again by Dr. Johnson, the Associate Director of the Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research, member of the ASHA Board of Ethics, and Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing. The last time Dr. Johnson was a guest on “First Bite” was in February 2020. A...

Guests: Donna Edwards, MA, CCC-SLP, BCS-S & Elizabeth Daly, MS, CCC-SLP - If you have heard about the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders (NFOSD) but were unsure about what this phenomenal non-profit organization does, then this is the hour for you!! Founded by individuals with dysphagia and lead speech-language pathologists in the field of dysphagia, NFOSD has grown tremendously since...

Guest: Morgan Oates, MA CCC-SLP - In this episode, Michelle is joined by Morgan, a Ph. D. student in the Speech and Hearing Science Department at The Ohio State University with a Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Disability Studies. Morgan’s research interests include the implications of double empathy theory in terms of the effects of neurotype on language and communication, neurodiver...

Guest: Sarah Grier Brumfield, MS, CCC-SLP - Sarah shares tips for successfully navigating a clinical fellowship year. Graduate school may lay the foundation for clinical knowledge and skills for one's CF. Still, advocacy, resiliency, mentorship, and establishing healthy boundaries are crucial to ensuring a positive clinical fellowship experience. But where does a CF turn to for advice and guid...

Guest: Allison Bean, Ph. D., CCC-SLP - The episode is dedicated to understanding and growing our knowledge of the neurodiversity affirming practice. Allison, Associate Professor with The Ohio State University, and Topic Co-Chair for the Autism Committee for ASHA 2023 in Boston, who focuses her research on language development in nonspeaking autistic individuals and outcomes in individuals who use...

Guests: Donna Edwards, MA CCC-SLP, BCS-S, F-ASHA, Memorie Gosa, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, & Georgia Malandraki, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, F-ASHA - The guests hold a crucial conversation regarding the ethical utilization of social media as it correlates to pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders. We have all had those moments when we are scrolling on our phones and seen a post that either made us leap...

Guest: Clay Hadden, MS, CCC-SLP - In this episode, Clay Hadden joins Michelle to discuss evidence-based approaches for AAC. Clay is a proponent of functional access and implementation of AAC and spends the hour discussing common barriers and pitfalls new AAC clinicians fall into, such as difficulty in authentic vocabulary selection, communication breakdowns in caregiver coaching, and the most comm...

Guests: Fe Murray, EdD, CCC-SLP, Raquel Garcia, SLPD, CCC-SLP, CNT, BCS-S & Sofia Carias, MS, CCC-SLP - In this episode, Michelle and Erin are joined by industry leaders from across the nation to hold intimate conversations on how our faith and cultures influence our practice as pediatric speech-language pathologists. These two hours is an outgrowth of a lifetime of experiences shared by all t...

Guest: Inez Esparza, a Spanish Certified Medical Interpreter, and ASHA Certified SLPA - As a profession, speech-language pathology has an abundance of English-speaking clinicians evaluating and treating individuals who may not or do not speak English. So, where does that leave the monolingual licensed SLP? How can they best engage in that patient’s care to provide optimal outcomes? The Answer is t...

Guests: Tamala Close, MS, CCC-SLP & Britney Desir, MS, CCC-SLP - In this episode, Tamala and Britney bring their years of expertise to inspire us to take that leap of faith and start our own private practices. Unsure of where to begin, never heard of an “NPI Number”, afraid of writing a business plan, overwhelmed by potential overhead costs? Breathe deep, grab your favorite pen and notebook, a...

Guest: Jeanne Marshall, Ph. D, B Sp. Path - Are you ready to understand the differences between being an SLP in Australia? Then join Michelle and Dr. Marshall as they deep dive into research on operant vs. systematic desensitization treatment for Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD) and better understand the invaluable role of simulation for PFD treatment.

Guest: Corinne Zmoos, MS, CCC-SLP - Corinne spends the hour educating listeners about the early stages of Gestalt language processing, celebrating the beauty of this learning style, effectively incorporating it into augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and then how to put it all to music! So get your instruments and speech-generating devices ready because, by the end, you’ll want to e...

Guest: Betsy Pilon - In this episode, Michelle is joined by Betsy, the Executive Director of “Hope for Acquired Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE).” This hour is a deeply profound conversation as one mom shares her journey of advocacy and empowerment, inspiring and educating us along the way. Join in as the topics of causes and current treatment for HIE. are presented. Potential long-term impac...

Guest: Maggie Sudimack, MA, CCC-SLP, CLC - If you’re new to the world of infant feeding, Maggie shares insights to help guide your first steps for the patient’s first sips. Highlights include the role of the SLP in a lactation evaluation, how to transition from breastfeeding to bottle feeding, and how to coach a caregiver through all these processes.

In this episode, Michelle and Erin are holding crucial conversations regarding current evidence-based practice for pediatric feeding disorders. We all hear the myths and see the pseudoscience that is bantered around social media platforms as “evidence.” How much of this information is accurate? How much of it was designed to grow followers instead of disseminating current EBP information that will...

Guest: Emily Zimmerman, Ph. D, CCC-SLP - Have you ever heard of NNS? In this episode, Michelle is joined by Dr. Emily Zimmerman, a speech-language pathologist, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, the Associate Chair for Research and Innovation at Northeastern University, and director of the Speech and Neurodevelopment Lab (SNL). Dr. Zimmerman describes...

Guest: Amy Holbert, MSW, LISW-CP - In this episode, Michelle and Amy spend this hour discussing the role of this federally recognized “PTI,” how to empower caregivers for success with IEP advocacy, and how they support caregivers in pursuing medically necessary insurance in South Carolina. While “Family Connection” may be unique to SC, the role of PTIs and non-profit advocacy occurs everywhere, so...

Guest: Natalie Douglas, Ph. D., CCC-SLP - Natalie discusses the critical deficits in the traditional research-to-practice model and the current trends that are working to address the shortages and breakdowns. She offers hope and functional advice on how clinicians can collaborate with researchers to create a holistic circular model in which researchers and clinicians inform and guide each other’s...

Guest: Rylee Klocow, MS, CF-SLP - This episode is an incredibly intimate project that holds deep personal meaning for all of us. However, it is especially powerful for Rylee, as she is the younger sister of an augmentative and alternative communication user. If you have ever wondered about the role of a caregiver in acquiring and successfully utilizing an AAC device, then this is for you. We will...

Guest: Alyson Ware, MS, CCC-SLP - In this episode, Alyson discusses the process as a community-based clinician to improve continuity of care for medically complex patients discharged from the NICU. If you’ve ever wondered what occurs in early intervention, the SLP’s role on the team, the common barriers to NICU discharges, and want strategies to smooth the transition for your patients, this episod...

Guest: Sam Walker, MS, CCC-SLP, TSSLD - This course will provide information geared toward empowering speech-language pathology graduate students and the new clinician. If you’ve just entered your clinical fellowship year and are overwhelmed about what challenges you could face professionally, clinically, or even with respect to supervision, then don’t fret. Sam and Michelle are here to empower yo...

Guest: Kerrie Mansfield Rigberg, MS, CCC-SLP - In this episode, Michelle is joined by Kerrie, a highly trained pediatric speech-language pathologist, with experience in the NICU, PICU, Inpatient Pediatric Rehabilitation, Private Practice, and teletherapy. She is here today to talk about the empowering role of yoga for both our pediatric patients, as well as for the treating clinician. Kerrie, who...

In this episode, Michelle and Erin discuss functional strategies for getting a pediatric patient started. If you are in the world of pediatric private practice (home health and/or a clinic), this is the hour for you. Michelle and Erin share easy-to-implement strategies for how to ethically triage a waitlist, the process of completing comprehensive dynamic assessments, as well as share some of thei...

Guest: Memorie M. Gosa, PhD., CCC-SLP, BCS-S - If you love pediatric feeding disorders and deep diving into research to practice on this topic, then this is the hour for you. Michelle and Dr. Gosa tackle pediatric feeding disorders and the public schools, baby-led weaning, favorite dysphagia resources, as well as a sneak peek for the pediatric feeding disorder track at this year’s ASHA 2022.

Guest: Stephen Kneece, MA, CCC-SLP - In this episode, Stephen Kneece, who is a highly skilled augmentative and alternative communication specialist, inspires us all with his practical insight into how to select the ideal access approach for the little ones that we serve. If you work with medically complex pediatric patients and need insight into direct versus indirect access, troubleshooting commo...