Food Allergies:
Safe Introduction & Management in Feeding Therapy

Pediatric food allergies are ever evolving and speech pathologists must be aware of the current research in order to provide safe and effective feeding therapy sessions.  This presentation provides the most up-to-date, evidence-based research and current recommendations when starting solids for infants and toddlers with and without a family history of food allergies. Essential safety precautions during feeding therapy sessions are paramount.  Culturally responsive services and food equality will be addressed in both the context of providing feeding services to pediatric patients and supporting families in their home.

Masterclass with Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP

Coach Mel’s  Masterclasses are your opportunity to dive deep into a hot topic in pediatric feeding. More than just a PowerPoint presentation – this is online learning that takes it up a notch.

Melanie’s Co-Presenter

Holly Knotowicz, M.S., CCC-SLP, holds a Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Nazareth College. She is a Speech Language Pathologist specializing in pediatric feeding with over 10 years of experience. Her areas of clinical interest include behavioral, oral motor and oral sensory feeding disorders, including mealtime dynamics. She specializes with working with children who have eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, including eosinophilic esophagitis and working with children who have food allergies, FPIES and neurogenic disorders.  She is an active participant in research, has been published in Gastroenterology Journal and is an international speaker on feeding.

What makes this masterclass experience so special?

• Attendance is limited to just 22 participants to foster in-depth discussion
• A live and dynamic learning experience
• Sessions are designed to be interactive and memorable, with a few creative twists along the way!
• Four hours packed with valuable content and smart strategies that you use immediately with your anxious eaters!

Do I need a webcam? This unique learning opportunity requires a webcam and microphone so that you can interact with Melanie.

What you will learn about food allergies:

You will walk away crucial (and often surprising!) safety precautions to protect children with food allergies and a pathway for introducing solids to children at risk.

Participants will be able to:

• Summarize the current research on prevention of food allergies in children
• Summarize how to introduce allergens to children per current research
• Compare IgE vs. non-IgE mediated food allergies
• Identify the clinical signs and symptoms of an IgE and non-IgE mediated food reaction
• Apply evidence-based feeding strategies for infant food allergy introduction
• Apply culturally responsive services in the context of food allergies
• Apply a food allergy action plan should reactions occur

Principles will be demonstrated via live lecture and videos of children living with food allergies.

Note: Per ASHA guidelines, SLPs must have at least 2 hours of professional development hours in cultural competency, cultural humility, culturally responsive practice, or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for certificate maintenance. This Masterclass includes one hour that qualifies toward the two-hour requirement. .

Who should attend?

Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Registered Dietitians, Pediatricians and other health professionals; Parents, teachers and family members of extreme picky eaters.

Cost:  $220 USD registration 

This is a LIVE course and will not be available On-Demand

PLUS, masterclass attendees receive:

• $25 discount for a one-on-one coaching session with Melanie
• 50% discount on Melanie’s most popular 10 hour video course:  Feeding Development: Understanding the Spectrum of Eating in Children

Learner Cancellation: Registrants may cancel their registration 48 prior to the start of the event and receive a partial refund of $100 or contact Melanie to reschedule. Rescheduling is based on availability.  Cancellations within 48 hours of the start of the event are not refundable.

Provider Cancellation: If the course is cancelled by the provider, attendees can be rescheduled to a future class or a refund can be requested.

Hour One

• Prevalence & Early Prevention

Hour Two

• How to Introduce Allergens & How Often
• Culturally Responsive Practices

Hour Three

• Infants to School Age: Essential Safety Precautions

Hour Four

• Emergency Reactions & How to Respond
• Socioeconomic Considerations and Food Security

Presenter Bio:

Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP, is an international speaker on the topic of feeding babies to teens. She is the co-author of the award-winning Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater and author of the upcoming Responsive Feeding plus four more books for both parents & children. Melanie’s advice has been shared in a variety of television and print media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, CNN.com and Parents Magazine.  Contact her at www.MelaniePotock.com

Disclosures:

Financial: Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP is the author of Adventures in Veggieland: Help Your Kids Learn to Love Vegetables with 100 Easy Activities and Recipes.  Ms. Potock is the co-author of Raising a Healthy Happy Eater: A Stage-by-Stage Guide to Setting Your Child on the Path to Adventurous Eating, for which she receives royalty payments.  She is the co-author of Baby Self-Feeding: Solid Food Solutions to Create Lifelong Healthy Eating Habits and was paid to write the book but does not receive royalties.  She is the author of Happy Mealtimes with Happy Kids: How to Teach Your Child about the Joy of Food!, for which she receives royalties. Melanie is the executive producer of the children’s music CD titled Dancing in the Kitchen and profits from song purchases.  Ms. Potock owns My Munch Bug, LLC and the online educational courses and profits from registrations online.  Ms. Potock is an international speaker who presents a variety of courses and is paid to present these courses at various events.  She owns a therapy practice for the assessment and treatment of feeding challenges in children and is paid for that service. She may receive a stipend for some articles that may appear online or in magazines.

Non-financial: Melanie Potock is a past-contributor to the American Speech Language Hearing Association’s blog, The ASHA Leader, and she was not compensated.   She may not receive a stipend for some articles that appear online or in magazines and this varies month to month, depending on media needs.  She is the co-author of Doctor Yum’s Preschool Food Adventure, a preschool food education curriculum and does not receive compensation for her role supporting that program.

Presenter Bio: 

Holly Knotowicz, M.S., CCC-SLP, holds a Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Nazareth College. She is a Speech Language Pathologist specializing in pediatric feeding with over 10 years of experience. Her areas of clinical interest include behavioral, oral motor and oral sensory feeding disorders, including mealtime dynamics. She specializes with working with children who have eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases, including eosinophilic esophagitis and working with children who have food allergies, FPIES and neurogenic disorders.  She is an active participant in research, has been published in Gastroenterology Journal and is an international speaker on feeding.

Disclosures:

Financial:

Ms. Knotowicz has received a speaking fee for today’s presentation. Ms. Knotowicz receives a program development/mentor fee from select medical and other clinics throughout the country. Ms. Knotowicz receives a fee through APFED.org for podcast hosting and for being on the APFED advisory board.

Non-Financial: none