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

Create safe, supportive assessment experiences to guide trauma-sensitive care.

Guest: Lauren Thompson, MEd, CCC-SLP, CLC

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Register for the FREE Series: Empowering Providers Through Transforming Pediatric Feeding Journeys

In this part 2 episode, Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP, welcomes Lauren Thompson, MEd, CCC-SLP, CLC, to explore how trauma can shape feeding experiences for children and families and what that means for clinicians working in pediatric feeding. They focus on evidence-based approaches to trauma-sensitive PFD evaluations, with particular attention to supporting the psychosocial domain of feeding. Lauren also shares practical strategies for delivering trauma-sensitive interventions that support both the child and caregiver.

About the Guest(s): Lauren Thompson, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, CLC, is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Certified Lactation Counselor, and the owner of Well Fed Feeding & Swallowing Therapy in New Hampshire. Since 2012, she has supported infants and children with PFD, dysphagia, lactation challenges, ARFID, and feeding-related trauma across inpatient rehabilitation, hospital-based outpatient care, Level II and III NICUs, and public schools.

Show Notes:

Contact Lauren: @laurenteetheslp on Instagram

Lauren’s Private Practice: Well Fed Feeding Therapy

Related Courses:

1. Trauma and PFD: Moving from Understanding to Healing
2. The Power of PROM for PFD

The Feeding Flock: Assessment Tools

Infant Feeding Care: Assessment Tools

Ezpz Products: Feeding Tools

Find local resources: Findhelp.org

Love Money Cause: Feeding Matters and your Local Food Banks

Practical insights into bottles, reflux, GI health, and the collaborative thinking needed to support safe, successful feeding.

Guest: Britt Pados, PhD, RN, NNP-BC, IBCLC, FAHA

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Host Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP, sits down with Britt Pados, PhD, RN, NNP-BC, IBCLC, FAHA, the expert behind Infant Feeding Care, to explore the complexities of feeding in both bottle- and chest-fed infants. They discuss Britt’s research on bottle flow rates and its ongoing clinical relevance, as well as the impact of gastrointestinal issues like reflux on feeding. The conversation highlights the use of the GIGER Scale to improve collaboration between SLPs and medical providers, and concludes with practical insights on conditions like FPIES and FPIAS, along with guidance for supporting lactating caregivers managing infant food allergies.

About the Guest: Britt Pados, PhD, RN, NNP-BC, IBCLC, FAHA, and Trauma-Informed Professional at Infant Feeding Care in Massachusetts, where she provides clinical care to infants who are struggling with breastfeeding and/or bottle-feeding. She is also the owner of Infant Feeding Labs, where she conducts flow rate testing of bottle nipples.

Show Notes:

Infant Feeding Labs

Infant Feeding Care

Related courses:

1. The Power of PROM for PFD
2. The Medical Domain of PFD

The Gastrointestinal and Gastroesophageal Reflux (GIGER) Scale for Infants and Toddlers by Britt Pados, Christine Repsha, and Rebecca R. Hill

Dr. Brown’s Bottles

Dyphagia Outreach Project

Bowel Sounds: The Pediatric GI Podcast

Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders

FindHelp.org

Hospital-to-Home Systems Change

Support Feeding Matters

A refreshing dose of encouragement and perspective for SLPs who wear many hats.

Guest: Emily Bromer, MS, CCC-SLP

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In this episode of First Bite, host Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP, sits down with Emily Bromer, MS, CCC-SLP to celebrate the many roles SLPs take on throughout their careers. They reflect on what makes a supportive and successful clinical fellowship, what graduate students should look for in meaningful practicum placements, and how diverse clinical experiences and strong mentorship can shape a fulfilling career path. They also tackle the reality of imposter syndrome, and offer practical perspectives for protecting your mental health, staying grounded, and rediscovering the passion that drew you to this profession in the first place. If you’re feeling stuck, stretched thin, or simply need a reminder of why you chose this field, this episode is for you.

About the Guest: Emily Bromer is a SLP based in Lynchburg, Virginia, who is passionate about increasing her community’s access to quality therapy services and strengthening the profession she loves. She has been practicing for six years and currently serves as the Lead SLP for Appomattox County Public Schools. In addition to her work in public education, Emily is the owner of Hill City Speech Services, PLLC.

Show Notes:

Contact Emily: @hillcityspeechva on Instagram

Emily’s Private Practice: Hill City Speech Services

Support Miriam’s House - Solutions to Homelessness

How can a simple tool can strengthen complex clinical decision-making?

Guests: Kelly Kleinhans, PhD, CCC-SLP, and Courtney Richards, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC

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Kelly and Courtney share how mind maps and case-based learning are used in graduate training to help learners organize complex information, recognize patterns, and connect assessment findings to meaningful intervention planning. Explore how these strategies can support diverse learning styles while also strengthening supervision and mentoring conversations. Use these tools to help students make sense of complex PFD cases and translate knowledge into confident, thoughtful clinical decisions.

About the Guests: Dr. Kelly Kleinhans is a professor, program director, and clinical education enthusiast who is passionate about helping graduate students become confident, compassionate, and practice-ready SLPs. She leads the Master of Speech-Language Pathology program at Austin Peay State University.

Courtney Richards, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, is the Lead Feeding Therapist at Advanced Therapy Solutions (ATS) in Clarksville, TN, where she oversees the feeding program across three clinics.

Show Notes:

Bridging Pedagogy and Practice: Case-Based Learning and Mind Maps by Kelly Kleinhans, Courtney Richards, and Alison Desomma

Supplemental Material

APSU Speech-Language & Swallowing Community Clinic

Feeding Therapy Sweatshirt - Courtney’s Etsy Store

Feeding Matters Power of Two Program

Support Feeding Matters

Related Course: Research to "Chew On" with Dr. Amy Delaney

RAM Clinics

Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ by Giulia Enders

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

How can we strengthen and mentor the next generation of clinicians?

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Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP welcomes Belinda Daughrity, PhD, CCC-SLP, Anita Fitzgerald, PhD, RN, AGNP, and Sharon Konrad, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, CNE to this episode of First Bite for a powerful conversation on mentoring a healthy professional identity in future colleagues. Together, these SLPs and nurses demonstrate why interprofessional education across allied health professions is not optional, it is essential. The conversation unpacks what “professional identity” really means in clinical education, why it matters for long-term career resilience, and how intentional mentoring shapes confident, ethical SLPs.

About the Guests: Belinda Daughrity, PhD, CCC-SLP, Anita Fitzgerald, PhD, RN, AGNP, and Sharon Konrad, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, CNE are a powerhouse group from California State University Long Beach who bring research from the fields of nursing and social work and pour that wisdom directly into speech-language pathology to strengthen how we prepare and mentor the next generation of clinicians.

Show Notes:

Read the journal article, "Professional Identity in Speech-Language Pathology Students"

Support The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA)

Support your local Domestic Abuse Shelter

Support Beach Food Pantry