Cost: $369/person
Course Description:
This 2-day webinar has been designed for professionals who have a foundation of knowledge in the components of typical and atypical oral motor, oral sensory, feeding/swallowing, respiratory, and general movement development and their interrelationship. Primary emphasis will be placed on the development of appropriate intervention programming for infants and children with neuromuscular involvement who exhibit problems in oral, pharyngeal, feeding, swallowing, phonatory, and respiratory coordination function. Strategies to improve oral motor, oral sensory, pharyngeal, rib cage, and respiratory musculature activity will be discussed as they relate to findings obtained during a comprehensive clinical assessment. Differences between intervention strategies appropriate for direct treatment and for carryover activities such as mealtime feeding will be delineated.
Learning Objectives:
Clinically assess oral pharyngeal, feeding/swallowing and respiratory coordination function in infants and young children
Detail the essential components of comprehensive intervention programming for young children with neuromuscular involvement
Implement effective body alignment/positioning for the modification of
oral, pharyngeal, and respiratory function in intervention programmingPerform treatment strategies to improve the function of the cheeks/lips,
tongue, and jaw in children with neuromuscular involvement
Targeted Audience:
Professionals who have a foundation of knowledge in the components of typical and atypical oral, pharyngeal, feeding/swallowing, respiratory, and general movement development. Participants should have practical experience in providing assessment and treatment services for infants and children with neuromuscular involvement who exhibit problems in oral motor, oral sensory, pharyngeal, feeding, swallowing, phonatory, and respiratory coordination function.
Faculty Presenting:
Rona Alexander, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, C/NDT - A longtime member of the Education Resources faculty and an accomplished author, Rona Alexander is a speech-language pathologist specializing in the assessment and treatment of oral motor, feeding/swallowing, and respiratory-phonatory function in infants and children with neuromuscular involvement. Dr. Alexander is a qualified speech instructor in Neuro-Developmental Treatment, delivering expert clinical knowledge and a personable instructive style through her basic pediatric and advanced NDT courses. She is a co-author of the book, Normal Development of Functional Motor Skills: The First Year of Life, and co-developer of The ABCs of Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing. She also has served as a member of the ASHA Steering Committee for Special Interest Division 13: Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. Dr. Alexander maintains a private practice, provides consultation services and conducts workshops on oral motor, feeding/swallowing, and respiratory coordination development, assessment and treatment.
DISCLOSURES: Rona Alexander receives an honorarium from Education Resources, Inc., as well as royalty payments from Clinician's View and a co-author of the book published by The Hammill Institute on Disabilities. Non-Financial: She is a member of the NDTA and the NDTA Instructor Group.
