Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP

First Bite: Fed, Fun, Functional SLP Insights

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...

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: www.speechtherapypd.com

Author

Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP

Category

Education

Podcast website

www.speechtherapypd.com

Latest episode

Oct 25, 2026

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Episodes

Evolution in Practice for Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders with Memorie Gosa 17.11.2021

Guest: Memorie Gosa, Ph. D., CCC-SLP, BCS-S - Seven weeks after we obtained access to the new PFD ICD-10 codes, the annual ASHA Convention will host its very first PFDs Feeding and Swallowing track. To honor this monumental event, today we are joined by Memorie Gosa who served as the chair of the inaugural 2021 Pediatric Normal and Disordered Feeding and Swallowing Topic Committee. Memorie Gosa is...

Filling your EBP SLP Cup via Clinical Case Studies with “The Cup of Council” Podcast SLP Trio! 03.11.2021

Guests: Cup of Councel - Today we have a special roundtable conversation dealing with helpful case studies, and are joined by the three wonderful hosts of the Cup of Council Podcast! Amy Gundlach, MA, CCC-SLP, Katie Joyner Robinson, MA, CCC-SLP, and Brittany Schultz, MA, CCC-SLP sit down with us and share some enlightening experiences that you are not going to want to miss. These three speech-lang...

The Fabulous Fed Life of a J-Tube User with Breanne Dalton 27.10.2021

Guest: Breanne Dalton - Complications that arise from issues in the gut are plentiful and complex, something that we in the world of feeding disorders are all too familiar with. Here on the show today to share about her work and own journey with digestive problems is Breanne Dalton from the University of Southern Mississippi! The life-altering first-hand experiences that Breanne has had have enabl...

Executive Functioning Disorder for Pediatrics with Sucheta Kamath 20.10.2021

Guest: Sucheta Kamath - As SLP’s, we tend to focus on our specific area of expertise; language or speech production or cognition, for example. However, our guest on the show today, the wonderful Sucheta Kamath, believes that this lack of a big picture perspective is problematic and that there is a better way to do things. Sucheta has focused her career on the functioning of the brain as a whole, a...

The One Where We Get Acquainted with Erin Forward 13.10.2021

Guest: Erin Forward, MSP, CCC-SLP, CLC - This is our 164th episode and until now we have not had an episode dedicated to our backstory, and some of the silly things that also make up who we are, so we decided to spend today answering some of your questions and helping our audience getting to know us a little better! We still find some time for some serious thoughts on the life of an SLP but you ca...

Freddie the Fly Buzzing By with Kimberly Delude 22.09.2021

*** This episode is not available for ASHA CEUs.**** Guest: Kimberly Delude, MA, CCC-SLP - As SLPs, there is only so much that we can do in the short weekly sessions we have with our patients. That is why the activities that kiddos do outside of our therapy rooms are so important to their speech and language development. The research on this is clear, but there is a major time lag between research...

All Things Speech Sounds and Dyslexia with the CLaSS Lab with Kelly Farquharson 15.09.2021

Guest: Dr. Kelly Farquharson - Scientists now know more than ever about dyslexia, but there are still a lot of misconceptions about this common learning difference. In this episode of the First Bite Podcast, we are debunking some popular myths surrounding dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities with today’s special guest, Dr. Kelly Farquharson! Kelly is a speech-language pathologist, ass...

Gaining a Voice on the Playground with Brianna Emanuel 08.09.2021

Guest: Brianna Emanuel, MC, CCC-SLP - Children who use personal AAC devices face a unique challenge on the playground. When playing outside with their classmates, taking an AAC device with them means that device can easily get broken or lost but, without it, they have no means to communicate with their friends or teachers. Today’s guest set out to address this challenge in her local community. Bri...

A Functional Pediatric How-To-Guide in Collaborating Between OT and SLP with Karen McWaters 03.09.2021

Guest: Erin Forward, MSP CCC-SLP, CLC and Karen McWaters, MOT, OTR/L - In today’s show, Erin and Michelle are joined by Karen McWaters to discuss the very important topic of interprofessional collaboration. Healthcare professionals generally tend to silo themselves in their own disciplines, and according to the Autism Research Journal, there are four main barriers to communication which exist. Thi...

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work for PFDs in Public Schools with Kristen West 25.08.2021

Guest: Dr. Kristen West, M.A., CCC-SLP - In today’s episode of First Bite, we are delighted to welcome back Dr. Kristen West, M.A., CCC-SLP, to discuss her work as an SLP in public schools. Kristen is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania and is currently also pursuing her educational doctorate at Slippery Rock Unive...

Childhood ACEs and the SLP with Megan Branham 18.08.2021

Guest: Megan Branham, LMSW - In the past thirty years, our knowledge of trauma and its effects have progressed significantly, but there is still plenty of research that needs to be done to further deepen our understanding. In today’s episode of First Bite, we get together with Megan Branham to discuss adverse childhood experiences, known as ACEs. We unpack how our knowledge of trauma is integrated...

The Bridge: Research to Practice for PFD with Georgia Malandraki 11.08.2021

Guest: Dr. Georgia Malandraki, Ph. D., CCC-SLP, BCS-S - As we continue this amazing journey through our tricky yet important field, we are joined today by a real leader from the field! Dr. Georgia Malandraki, Ph. D., CCC-SLP, BCS-S, is an associate professor of Speech Language and Hearing Sciences at Purdue University and a Board-Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. In her...

The Ethics of Evolving Your Scope of Practice with Renee Garrett 28.07.2021

Guest: Renee Garrett, MSED, CCC-SLP, CBIS - After watching her father struggle through the after effects of a stroke, Renee Garrett’s passion for SLP was awakened, and she has spent the past 12 years working in a range of medical settings. In today’s episode, our discussion focuses on the ethical challenges that arise when an SLP moves from one type of care to another. For example, an SLP working...

Anxious Eaters, Anxious Mealtimes: An Institute for Change with Marsha Dunn Klein 30.06.2021

Guest: Marsha Dunn Klein, OTR/L, MEd, FAOTA - Having a child with feeding challenges can be anxiety-inducing for parents and children alike. Feeding strategies and interventions are synonymous with pressure, which only perpetuates the discomfort around eating. Marsha Dunn Klein OTR/L, Med, FAOTA, joins us to share her Get Permission Approach, and to talk about the newly-founded Get Permission Inst...

Respectful Healthy Boundaries in Early Intervention with Natasha McNeill 23.06.2021

Guest: Natasha McNeill, MCD, CCC-SLP - SLPs are ethically bound to practice within their area of expertise, but some often don’t and this can have drastic effects on patients. Today we invite Natasha McNeill to discuss this issue of scope of practice encroachment and hear her weigh in on how it is often early interventionists who are guilty of this. Natasha is an SLP specializing in pediatric feed...

PFD from the Perspective of a Passionate Pediatrician Parent with Dr. Tessa Gonzalez 10.06.2021

*** This episode is not available for ASHA CEUs.**** Guest: Tessa Gonzalez, MD - Today’s episode centers on an intense and personal conversation with a very special guest who speaks candidly from the perspective of both a pediatrician and the passionate parent of a child with a rare genetic disorder that contributed to pediatric feeding disorder (PFD). Dr. Tessa Gonzalez is a close friend, a pedia...

Dysphagia Awareness with Dysphagia Outreach Project 02.06.2021

*** This episode is not available for ASHA CEUs.**** The Dysphagia Outreach Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide meaningful assistance to individuals affected by dysphagia. Today on the show, we invite Allie Mataras, Amanda Weissberg, Allison Boyer, Jessica Lasky, Hillary Cooper, and Michelle Coffaro from the Dysphagia Outreach Project’s Board of Directors to talk about...

Acute Care for the PFD Patient with Dana Entwistle 26.05.2021

*** This episode is not available for ASHA CEUs.**** Guest: Dana Entwistle, MS, CCC-SLP Today, we are really lucky to have an amazing person and fantastic clinician join us on the show! Dana Entwistle is a pediatric feeding clinical specialist at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, and we get to hear all about what that entails from her. She goes into her personal journey in t...

Pediatric Dysphagia and Progressive Disorders with Erin Forward 21.05.2021

Guest: Erin Forward, MSP, CCC-SLP, CLC In this episode, Michelle is once again joined by her favorite cohost, Erin Forward, MSP, CCC-SLP, CLC, as they tackle the tricky topic of progressive disorders and pediatric dysphagia. Palliative Care and Hospice are two words that are often avoided in the world of pediatrics; however, in honor of Pediatric Feeding Disorder Month, Michelle and Erin are going...

All Things SOFFI® with Dr. Erin Ross, PhD, CCC-SLP 12.05.2021

Guest: Dr. Erin Ross, PhD, CCC-SLP - Today we have an extra special episode that we are so excited to share with all of our listeners! Dr. Erin Ross, the brains and heart behind the SOFFI course, joins us today to talk about her amazing career in feeding therapy, her work developing the SOFFI method, thoughts moving forward, and so much more! We get into a deep and impactful discussion on the less...

Interprofessional Practice for the NICU with Casey Lewis 05.05.2021

*** This episode is not available for ASHA CEUs.**** Guest: Casey Lewis, MS CCC-SLP, CNT, NTMTC As SLPs, we are always part of a team, and it is crucial that we learn from those we collaborate with to ensure we provide our patients with the best care. We cannot offer the best treatment if we do not know what our other team members are doing. Not only do we have to learn from professional fields, b...

The Power of Gratitude and Parent Coaching with Marie Muratalla 28.04.2021

In this episode, the presenter who works with preschool aged patients, shares her keen insight into how to embrace parent coaching with school aged little ones, the benefits of focusing on gratitude with routines based intervention for EI and preschoolers, and how embedding acts of gratitude with these ages and their caregivers can bring joy to the entire team. Get your pencils and journals ready…...

Connecting the Dots Between PFD and Neurogenic Conditions with Erin Forward 14.04.2021

Have you ever noticed a trend on your pediatric feeding disorder caseload in which you see a couple of patients with similar GI complaints, or similar cardiopulmonary complaints, but there is an unknown etiology? Michelle and Erin spend this hour reviewing the technical details of what a pediatric feeding disorder is, various types of neurogenic conditions that you may commonly encounter, and how...

Self-Care for the SLP in a Hurry with Kayla Duncan 06.04.2021

Michelle is joined by the effervescent Kayla Duncan, MS in Applied Psychology, Francis Marion University’s Assistant Director of Counseling and Testing, adjunct professor, and advocate for student and clinician’s mental health. The presenters spend an hour getting into the details on signs and symptoms of caregiver fatigue and burnout, quick functional strategies that you can implement lying in be...

Cultural Conversations with ‘Made in India SLP' with Rabab Rangwala and Kinnari Satra 30.03.2021

*** This episode is not available for ASHA CEUs.**** In this hour, Michelle is joined by Rabab Rangwala, M.S., CCC-SLP & Kinnari Satra, M.S., CCC-SLP, cohosts of the “Made in India SLP” Podcast! Rabab and Kinnari share experiences and evidence on improving cultural competency when completing assessments and treatments for individuals with both language and swallowing disorders, including detai...

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