Dates, Location, and Sponsors | Instructors | Course Objectives | Schedule

The workshop is designed to acquaint speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, special educators, and parents with the attitudes and issues involved in the therapeutic management of children with mild and moderate sensorimotor disabilities. This would include those with cerebral palsy, developmental delay, sensory integrative dysfunction, and learning disabilities. An emphasis will be placed on the development of programs that will improve oral-motor skills for feeding, respiration, phonation, and sound play. Although many therapeutic techniques will be discussed and illustrated, this workshop focuses on the overall approach to therapy rather than the specific techniques used.

COURSE DATES, LOCATIONS
& SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS

Please contact the sponsoring organization for a brochure and registration information for workshops in 2012

November 19-20

Queensland Children's Medical Research Institute
Register using the workshop flyer:
http://www.feedingworkshops.com/

INSTRUCTORS

Suzanne Evans Morris, Ph.D., is a speech-language pathologist with New Visions near Charlottesville, Virginia. She is nationally and internationally known for her work in identifying and treating young children with feeding and pre-speech disorders. Dr. Morris is the director of New Visions, which sponsors innovative workshops for the teaching of feeding-related skills, and provides family-oriented clinical services. She maintains a practice which includes direct clinical work, continuing education workshops, development of clinical materials and clinical research. Dr. Morris has studied Neurodevelopmental Treatment approaches extensively in England, Switzerland, and the United States. She is the author of the Pre-Speech Assessment Scale, a rating scale for the measurement of pre-speech behaviors in children from birth through two years, and coauthor of Pre-Feeding Skills: A Comprehensive Resource for Mealtime Development (2nd edition), the Mealtime Participation Guide. and the Homemade Blended Formula Handbook.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Participants will

• examine current beliefs and expectations regarding the delivery of services to infants and young children with mild and moderate sensorimotor dysfunction.

• explore the relationship between the development of oral-motor function during feeding and speech.

• discuss the inter-relationship between the development of movement, sensory integration and communication skills.

• consider oral-motor and feeding guidelines from normal development that contribute to assessment and treatment.

• consider the respiration, phonation, and sound production guidelines from normal development that contribute to assessment and treatment.

• identify pre-requisite skills for efficient biting, chewing, and drinking.

• observe the physical, sensory, communication, learning, and oral-motor abilities and behaviors that support or limit a child's readiness for more mature feeding and pre-speech skills.

• outline the components of a pre-speech treatment program

• individualize specific therapy components for children with different abilities, needs, and diagnoses.

DAY 1

Registration

Foundations: understanding of the therapeutic management of children with mild and moderate feeding and pre-speech disorders

The role of beliefs in assessment and treatment

A developmental model – key issues

Gross motor development – a foundation for specific feeding skills

Morning Break

Development of feeding skills in the typically developing infant: six months to three years

Lunch

Gross motor development – a foundation for specific respiration and phonation skillls

Development of pre-speech skills in the typically developing infant: six to fifteen months

Feeding and early speech relationships

Afternoon Break

Components of an assessment

Limiting patterns

End of Session

DAY 2

Assessment – observing feeding and pre-speech behaviors

Categories of feeding problems

Characteristics of children with mild and moderate feeding challenges

• Child with motor-based difficulties

• Child with sensory-based difficulties

• Child with multiple sensory and motor difficulties

Morning Break

Moving from assessment to treatment

Treatment components

• Learning and communication

• Nutrition and hydration

Lunch

Treatment components

• Physical

• Sensory

• Oral-motor control

• Respiration and phonation

• Sound play

Afternoon Break

End of Session