Seminar Offerings

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Advanced Infant/Pediatric Dysphagia: Problem-Solving Complex Patients and Practice Challenges

Instructor: Catherine Shaker                                                           

Two days of learning along with a master clinician. This timely interactive seminar will bring you essential information to enhance your effectiveness as a specialist in pediatric swallowing and feeding and a sought-after member of your team. Correlating clinical data, co-morbidities (airway/GI/nutrition/neurologic/oral motor/sensory), and the infant/child’s behaviors is at the heart of completing a good differential. Apply critical problem-solving skills to complex clinical diagnoses and their interactions, for NICU infants through school-aged children. Latest research evidence-base. Explore hot topics in dysphagia (e.g., thickening, NMES, swallow studies, tongue tie) practice issues, therapist-physician relationships. Discuss your challenging patients. Perfect for both the novice to take it all in, and for the experienced clinician searching for an advanced level of problem-solving for complex cases and professional issues. Attendees are encouraged to bring at least one case study to share with the group for problem-solving!

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply system-based differential diagnosis specific to clinical presentation of feeding/swallowing problems.
  • Apply critical reflective thinking to a wide range of complex feeding/swallowing issues
  • Explore complex feeding/swallowing diagnoses
  • Explain key concepts/challenges/evidence specific to at least three “hot topics” in pediatric dysphagia
  • Navigate therapist-physician/team interactions

Seminar Content

  • Complex interaction of respiratory, GI, airway, sensory and postural co-morbidities
  • Discussions and problem-solving for complex diagnoses
  • Current challenges in service delivery across EI, hospital, school and community settings
  • Broad range of interventions and individualizing plans of care specific to clinical presentation

This course is offered for 1.3 ASHA CEUs (Advanced level, Professional area) 13 contact hours

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NICU Swallowing and Feeding: In the Nursery and After Discharge

Instructor: Catherine Shaker

Cutting-edge 2-days with an expert in the NICU. Essential current evidence-based information for managing the complex swallowing and feeding needs of preterm and sick term infants in the NICU and in Early Intervention. Functional problem-solving approach to assessment and treatment, including a broad range of interventions and how-to problem-solve. Hear the latest research and how it applies. Case studies and videos of neonates feeding enhance learning. Support your practice with the latest evidence-base. Gain confidence with babies you are seeing in EI and with supporting parents. Attendees have said this is “The best NICU course you can find!” and “Now I know how to help my babies in EI!” Leave with evidence-based resources for future learning.

Learning Outcomes

  • Describe the impact of medical and developmental issues on swallowing and feeding in the NICU
  • Delineate the differences between feeding and swallowing behaviors: preterm infant vs. normal newborn vs. sick term infant vs. the chronically ill preemie
  • Discuss evidence-based assessment and treatment strategies for swallowing and feeding in this specialized population
  • List strategies for managing the complex needs of these infants and their families in the nursery and through the transition to home and community

Seminar Content

  • The NICU Experience: Family Perspective
  • Medical and Developmental issues: NICU and EI
  • Term vs. Sick Newborn vs. Preemie vs. Chronically Ill Preterm: issues and cue-based strategies
  • Typical development/progression to feeding
  • Assessment: Making sense of history, where to start, Readiness to feed, Safety issues, Swallow Studies, Recommendations, Documentation
  • Intervention: Positioning, Nipples, Flow Rate, Swallowing, Suck-Swallow-Breathe, Care Plans, Breastfeeding, working with your team in NICU and EI
  • Unique Follow-Up Issues, Optimizing Parent Support, Problem-solving on-going issues after discharge
  • Networking with colleagues in NICU and EI

This course is offered for 1.35 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area) 13.5 contact hours.  

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Pediatric Swallowing and Feeding: The Essentials

Instructors: Catherine Shaker, Theresa Gager      

Comprehensive 2-days covering assessment and treatment of swallowing/oral-motor/feeding from a problem-solving perspective. Neonates through school age. Current approaches, evidence-base. Case studies. Videos to enhance learning. Essential skills for pediatric practice and problem-solving complex cases. Perfect for adult therapists moving to pediatrics. Multiple learning levels for both highly experienced therapists and new grads! This will change your practice.

 Learning Outcomes

  • Delineate normal swallowing (neonate -> adulthood)
  • Describe the impact of atypical neuromotor development on oral motor/feeding/swallowing
  • Provide current treatment strategies for neonates, medically fragile infants, babies, CP, sensory issues, feeding aversions, drooling, tube fed, oral-motor, biting/chewing, oral-motor, TOTs
  • Describe airway, breathing and flow rate issues that impact safety of feeding and intake
  • Identify key criteria for nipples, bottles, spoons, cups.
  • Describe a wide variety of intervention and problem-solving techniques, neonate->school-aged
  • List key indicators to refer for a swallow study, what to expect, how to utilize information

Seminar Content

  • Frame of reference: normal, atypical development
  • Impacts on feeding/swallowing: airway, respiration, GI, sensory, behavior, postural issues
  • How does the swallow change: impact on therapy
  • Assessment: problem-solving babies to school-aged
  • Swallow Studies: Why, what to expect, results
  • Intervention and Problem-Solving
  • Positioning/Handling
  • Tactile sensory, preparation for oral exploration, feeding and sound production, Oral-Motor
  • Current modalities: applications in pediatrics
  • Diet and texture, biting and chewing progression
  • Tools of the trad: Nipples, bottles, cups, spoons – what and why
  • Sensory-behavioral feeding issues, approaches
  • Tube-fed kids: why, how, weaning to PO
  • Preemies: key diagnostics and strategies

This course is offered for 1.3 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area) 13 contact hours

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Pediatric Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Studies: From Physiology to Analysis

Instructor: Catherine Shaker

Evolution of physiology from infancy forward. Critical information for conducting and interpreting pediatric swallow studies and problem-solving at each juncture. Learn how to look beyond aspiration and appreciate the entire swallow pathway and its potential for compensations and maladaptations in relation to co-morbidities. Procedures in preparation for and during the study that are most common across the US. Recommendations and optional treatment modalities specific to pediatrics will be highlighted. Heavily infused with research evidence-base. Videos of normal swallowing and typical radiographic swallowing problems will be shown. Case scenarios, and real-life examples discussed. Leave with a new appreciation for the essential current perspectives and the importance of problem-solving each infant/child and his unique presentation. Learn strategies to enhance MD understanding, buy-in and support from a clinician “in the trenches”. Looking at the evidence-base, the big picture for that infant/child, and use of critical reflective thinking, not a cookbook approach.

Learning Outcomes

  • Describe normal radiographic swallowing behaviors in pediatrics (neonate -> 5 years)
  • Delineate differences between pediatric and adult studies
  • Describe optimal procedures for pediatric patients
  • Describe typical problems and compensations used in pediatrics
  • Discuss recommendations and highlight treatment modalities specific to the pediatric population

Seminar Content

  • Pediatric vs. Adult studies
  • Criteria for referral & readiness for swallow study
  • Preparing the family
  • Normal swallowing physiology: Birth to Adulthood
  • Protocol/Positioning/Textures
  • Typical problems/Modifications, Strategies
  • Analysis, Recommendations/Treatment Modalities

This course is offered for .65 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate level, Professional area) 6.5 contact hours   

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The Early Feeding Skills Assessment Tool: A Guide to Cue-Based Feeding in the NICU

Instructors: Catherine Shaker, Suzanne Thoyre

Join us for a Train-the-Trainer session on the Early Feeding Skills Assessment (EFS) Tool. Effective feeding care starts with assessment of what the infant needs to be successful. Learn to use the EFS to effectively provide an infant-guided approach to feeding. Simultaneously learn to train others back home to use the EFS to strengthen your unit’s feeding care. Review current research, the role of experience, dynamic systems theory, and feeding outcomes after NICU. Videotapes with enhanced audio of swallowing and breathing to learn key skill areas of the EFS: respiratory regulation, oral motor and swallowing function, physiologic stability, engagement, and change in coordination patterns of s-s-b as infants develop. Gain confidence scoring early feeding skills as not yet evident, emerging or established. Learn components of an infant-guided, co-regulated approach to feeding and contingent adaptations that make this approach so effective, using the EFS to plan individualized interventions. Receive resources to train others to use the EFS. As a group, network and navigate challenging issues and role-model a collaborative feeding practice.

Learning Outcomes

  • Discuss outcomes related to feeding in preterms
  • Describe the scoring process for the EFS
  • Describe application of the EFS to a cue-based feeding approach and problem-solving
  • Identify infant cues of stress during feeding specific to physiology, swallowing and feeding
  • Score and profile infant feeding specific to readiness, physiologic stability, oral motor, & swallowing using videotaped feedings

Seminar Content

  • Dynamic systems theory applied to feeding
  • Preterm infant feeding skill development
  • Systematic assessment using the EFS
  • Scoring practice via videotaped feedings
  • Application of EFS to intervention, use in your unit
  • Problem-solving team issues and successes

This course is offered for 1.3 ASHA CEUs (Advanced level, Professional area) 13 contact hours

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LIVE WEBINAR   

All Things NICU Feeding: Problem-Solving Your Babies, Clinical and Team Issues

Instructor: Catherine Shaker

NICU therapists typically encounter patients who are complex and require critical thinking and analysis. The All Things NICU Feeding webinar can help problem-solve your complex cases, practice issues and therapist-physician relationships.

Do you have questions about your NICU patient’s clinical or radiological presentation? Need to problem-solve current NICU practice issues and therapist-physician relationships? Looking for ways to enhance your skills as an NICU specialist in swallowing and feeding?

Join a master NICU clinician for live interactive and dynamic problem-solving sessions. Benefit from Catherine Shaker’s more than 36 years’ experience in large level III and IV NICUs.

Each Zoom session will be unique, consider new cases, and with a different group of colleagues joining in to learn along with each other. Perfect for the experienced NICU clinician searching for an advanced level of problem-solving for complex cases and professional issues. Bring your patients, your daily challenges, and your questions.

                                                                                                       

 Learning Outcomes

  • List key components of problem-solving in the NICU
  • Identify potential approaches to enhance your interprofessional relationships in the NICU
  • Problem-solve complex feeding/swallowing patients via combining history, co-morbidities, and evidence-based interventions
  • Describe current clinical issues/ “hot topics” and potential solutions to guide your practice

This course offered for 0.3 ASHA CEUs (Intermediate Level) 3 contact hours