Coach Mel & Doctor Yum discuss feeding problems, picky eating and more as well as answer some audience questions.

The TalkTools team is thrilled to sponsor the course "Feeding Therapy: It's Not Just About Swallowing," presented by Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP. 100% of your registration fee benefits The Doctor Yum Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing healthy eating to families and communities.

Your single registration pays for a whole preschool class to learn about healthy eating for an entire year. Thank you!

The workshop, "Feeding Therapy: It's Not Just About Swallowing," will be on Friday-Saturday, June 8-9, 2018 in Falls Church, Virginia.

This workshop is open to Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Therapists, Registered Dietitians, Pediatricians, Psychologists and Board Certified Behavior Analysts for 1.3 ASHA and AOTA CEUs. Besides CEUs, your registration includes a copy of Melanie's award-winning book that she has co-authored with Doctor Yum, Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater, a special lunch prepared and provided by Doctor Yum on Friday, the 110-page course manual and breakfast both days. Plus you get to meet both of these awe-inspiring women!

Doctor Yum and Coach Mel (Pediatrician Nimali Fernando MD, MPH and Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP)

The Course:
"Feeding Therapy: It's Not Just About Swallowing"

"Feeding Therapy: It's Not Just About Swallowing", written and presented by Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP, will be held Friday-Saturday, June 8-9, 2018 in Falls Church, Virginia. This unique 2-day course benefits pediatric speech language therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, pediatricians and dieticians interested in the bigger picture pertaining to pediatric feeding disorders.

Therapists want strategies to implement right away with their clients.

• Why do children have trouble eating?
• How are physiology, motor skills and behavior linked and how do the basic principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) strengthen that connection?
• How do family dynamics and parenting styles influence progress?
• Why is it that a child eats well in the clinic setting but cannot generalize those skills to the home and school?

This course answers those questions, provides practical strategies to implement with a variety of clients, and focuses on setting children up for success for meeting functional objectives while utilizing the supportive, gentle premise of ABA.

This 2 Day Training is open to:

• Occupational Therapists
• Speech Language Therapists
• Registered Dietitians
• Pediatricians
• Psychologists
• Board Certified Behavior Analysts

This course is offered for 1.3 ASHA CEUs and 1.3 AOTA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area). Participants learn how to problem solve common roadblocks in eating and then continue to build progress by following a hierarchy of steps to success. Most importantly, this course emphasizes the importance of keeping the fun in feeding while developing consistent positive behaviors at mealtimes so that everyone in the family can enjoy their time together around the family table!

Learning Objectives

Upon completing the 2-day seminar, participants will be able to:

1. Discuss how protective behaviors develop when GI discomfort, sensory processing challenges, delayed gross and/or fine motor skills impact a child’s willingness to eat.
2. Apply the basic, gentle principles of Applied Behavior Analysis to the treatment of pediatric feeding clients.
3. List 5 strategies for improving tongue mobility and developing mature swallowing patterns in children.
4. Describe how to teach the following skills to toddlers and older: biting, chewing, swallowing independently, straw and open cup drinking
5. Implement a hierarchical method of problem solving to meet functional outcomes.
6. Understand how to problem solve new challenges with future clients by systematically breaking the task into smaller steps and teaching one step at a time.

Course Registration Fee

$400

Course fees are inclusive of:

• Access to the 2 Day Training Course on June 8th and 9th, 2018.
• A copy of Melanie’s Book, Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater, co-authored by Dr. Nimali Fernando MD, MPH
• 110 Page Course Manual
• Breakfast provided on both days
• Lunch provided on Friday, June 8, prepared and provided by The Doctor Yum Project! 🍏🍊🍋🍉🥑🥦🌽

Learn more & register for this amazing opportunity here.

 What is The Doctor Yum Project?

Our Story 

In response to the growing rates of childhood obesity, pediatrician Nimali Fernando MD, MPH started Doctor Yum as a website in 2011 to teach her patients and her families about the benefits of healthy eating. What started out as a recipe and parenting site grew to a bigger project of teaching a healthy lifestyle to the greater community. In 2012, The Doctor Yum Project, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization was born.

Our Mission

The mission of The Doctor Yum Project is to transform the lives of families and communities by providing an understanding of the connection between food and overall health, as well as empowering them with the tools to live a healthy life.

Programs

We are working with the youngest family members through The Doctor Yum Preschool Adventure Program, making healthy food fun for families and giving them information and ideas to create a foundation for healthy eating at school and home.
We are creating innovative hands-on cooking instruction programs through our teaching kitchen and garden to inspire family members of all ages take control of their health by getting back in the kitchen, preparing meals together, strengthening family connections and building healthier communities.

We are bringing together physicians from varying fields to create a state-of-the-art website (supported by multiple social media platforms) with recipes and information that help families connect the dots between diet and overall health. 

The Doctor Yum Project on NBC

Who is Melanie Potock?

Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP is a mom who once had a picky eater. She’s experienced first-hand the stress that parents feel when they are worried about their child’s nutritional health. Fast forward to today, and you’ll find Melanie blending her knowledge of feeding therapy with practical parenting strategies that help the entire family eat healthier. She’s an international speaker and author of three books, including co-authoring the award-winning Raising a Healthy Happy, Eater with Nimali Fernando (Doctor Yum). Whether you're raising a child who seems to be on the path to loving all kinds of healthy foods (and you want to keep it that way!) or you are seeking help for picky eater to enjoying more than chicken nuggets and fries, “Coach Mel” is here to guide you.

Registrations are open for this workshop.  Don't miss this opportunity to learn while helping a one-of-a-kind cause! Thank you for helping, and we can't wait to see you there!