This innovative tool is sure to support both your clinical heart and your practice as it grows.

Guest: Meg Simione, PhD, CCC-SLP and Helen Cohen, BA, CLC

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Register for the FREE Empowering Providers PFD series

This episode of First Bite features Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP, kicking off PFD and ARFID Awareness Month with Meg Simione, PhD, CCC-SLP, and her graduate student, Helen Cohen, BA, CLC, for an in-depth look at the PFD DAISI. Meg and Helen explain how the six DAISI factors, represented by the flower's petals, guide feeding assessment and treatment. They then dive into the four Social Spheres at the flower’s core, highlighting their influence on a child’s mealtime journey. They share practical tips for using the PFD DAISI in clinical practice, helping SLPs take a holistic, dynamic approach to pediatric feeding care.

About the Guests: Meg Simione, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a clinician-scientist specializing in infant and child feeding, growth, and care delivery innovation. She serves as a research scientist in the Division of General Academic Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a speech-language pathologist, and Instructor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Helen Cohen, BA, CLC, is a graduate student at the MGH Institute of Health Professions, where she is pursuing a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology with a concentration in Medical Speech Pathology. Alongside her academic work, she serves as a research assistant at the University of Rhode Island, conducting research on Pediatric Feeding Disorder, Family Centered Care, and Implementation Science.

Show Notes:

Contact Meg and Helen on LinkedIn

Download the PFD DAISI

Feeding Innovation Lab: @feedinginnovationlab on Instagram

Dr Brown’s Bottles

Dysphagia Outreach Project

FindHelp.org

The Feeding Flock

Feeding Matters

Love Money: Support URISSHLA

Approach supervision with greater clarity, intention, and sustainability.

Guest: Alice L. Williams, BA, SLPA

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Register for the FREE 5 part PFD Series, April 30-May 28

This course meets ASHA's Supervision PD requirement.

In this episode of First Bite, Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP, welcomes Alice L. Williams, BA, SLPA, creator of The SLPA Network, to explore the real challenges SLPs face when stepping into supervisory roles, including limited training and the constant pull between clinical responsibilities and mentorship. Alice breaks down how supervision requirements vary widely across states and settings, while highlighting the core principles that make supervision effective no matter where you practice. The discussion centers on "empowered supervision" as a way to build clinician confidence, strengthen professional identity, and support better outcomes for those we serve.

About the Guests: Alice L. Williams, B.A., SLPA, is the creator of The SLPA Network and an experienced speech-language pathology assistant with over seven years in pediatric settings. Her work centers on professional identity, empowered supervision, and sustainable collaboration between SLPs and support personnel. Alice develops educational and leadership resources that support ethical practice, reduce burnout, and strengthen interdisciplinary teams across school-based, medical, and private-practice environments.

Show Notes:

Contact Alice: @speechwith_msalice and @the.slpa.network on Instagram

SLPA Network

Alice’s Course: Foundations of Effective Supervision

Get 10% with the code: LEAD10 (Valid through 12/31/26)

If Disney Ran Your Hospital: 9 1/2 Things You Would Do Differently by Fred Lee

Love Money: Faith Christian Center Cross The Street Fund

Explore common GI challenges in autistic individuals, and how they impact feeding, behavior, and participation at mealtimes.

Guest: Leena Sayed, MS, CCC-SLP

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Register for the FREE PFD series, April 30-May 28

In this episode of First Bite, Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP, is joined by Leena Sayed, MS, CF-SLP to take a closer look at the connection between autism, gastrointestinal health, and feeding. Together, they discuss how often GI concerns occur, the signs pediatric feeding therapists should be watching for, and how these factors align within the medical domain of PFD.

About the Guest: Leena Sayed, MS, CCC-SLP is a recent graduate in Speech-Language Pathology from James Madison University (JMU) in Virginia. She brings hands-on experience working with children with pediatric feeding disorders across university clinic, outpatient hospital, and private practice settings.

Show Notes:

Bowel Sounds: The Pediatric GI Podcast

Love Money Cause: Palestine Children's Relief Fund