Closing date 2nd February, 2023
Numbers are capped and may fill before closing date

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Accomodation and parking available at venue

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For any enquiries email admin@speechpathologyservices.com.au or call (02) 9745 5133

WORKSHOP OUTLINE

1. What is “normal” feeding? How do our clients fit into this?

2. Factors that impact the development of feeding skills.

3. Origins and causal factors in feeding issues

4. Assessing early feeding issues

Oral reflexes, sucking, swallowing Signs of aspiration

5. Management of early feeding issues

Readiness to orally feed
Facilitating feeding whilst tube fed
Choice of oral feeding method/equipment Successful but safe and practical oral feeding

6. Assessment of solid feeding

Oral sensory and motor status/skills Swallowing status
Self feeding skills
Environmental factors/input Parent/carer’s involvement/skills
Ability to orally feed with time constraints.

7. Assessing cases:

The refuser, The gagger, the slow feeder

8. Assessment of cup and straw drinking

9. Management of feeding issues/goals:

Assisting transition through textures.
The Stages of food and how to facilitate safe and pleasurable intake.
Improving acceptance, skills and oral intake. Improving biting, tongue movement and chewing skills.
Facilitating safe and adequate oral intake across environments.
Facilitating self feeding participation and skills.

10. Management cases

Eg tongue thrust, refusal, poor self feeding, poor transition through solid textures, poor chewing
What does a feeding session look like?
Training of parents, carers and support workers Documenting a meal plan

11. Tube to oral management

12. Realistic and practical feeding management in the context of the child’s family, care, environments, dietary needs, complex issues and tea

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ABOUT THE PRESENTER : SARAH STARR

Sarah has extensive experience in the assessment and management of eating, drinking and communication issues. Experience has been gained whilst working at The Spastic Centre, Westmead Hospital, The Children's Hospital at Westmead and in private practice over the past 36 years. Specialising in oromotor movements, oral and craniofacial abnormalities (eg. tongue-tie, cleft palate, dental speech problems), severe feeding aversion and early feeding difficulties (breast, bottle feeding and with solid transition and eating skills. Sarah has wide experience with a range of congenital syndromes, chromosome disorders, cleft palate, developmental delay, brain injury, prematurity, cerebral palsy, disability and autism.

Sarah has many years of experience and speciality in transitioning infants and children from tube to oral feeding. Sarah also specialises in medico-legal assessments and provides regular lecturing and mentoring to students, allied health professionals and parent groups.

Sarah is currently working in private practice with her caseload primarily focused on infant and childhood feeding difficulties including breast and bottle feeding difficulties, difficulties transitioning to solid foods and a range of feeding disorders associated with conditions such as craniofacial abnormalities, down syndrome, autism and congenital syndromes.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

This workshop is designed to have participants involved and to be interactive. Many video examples of cases will be given and  practical guidelines and display of feeding equipment and resources (eg manuals, texts etc). There will be time for questions across the modules

ABOUT THE VENUE

The venue is fully accessible and morning and afternoon tea and lunch will be provided. Dietary needs will be requested.