Description

This course delivers clinically relevant assessment and treatment strategies for infants and children with neuromuscular impairments and challenges to their oral motor, feeding/swallowing and respiratory function. A special emphasis is on postural alignment and control as well as on sensory factors that can influence a child’s feeding and swallowing. Effective treatment strategies to improve cheeks/lips, tongue, jaw and rib cage function will be highlighted. Participants will engage in extensive clinical problem-solving via group case analysis and patient demonstration sessions.

Objectives

Clinically assess oral motor, 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 handling and positioning for the modification of oral motor, oral-pharyngeal and respiratory function in intervention programming

Perform treatment strategies to improve the function of the cheeks/lips, tongue, jaw and rib cage in children with neuromuscular involvement

Course Presenter

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.

Financial: Rona Alexander receives a speaking fee from Education Resources as well as royalty payments from Clinician’s View and a co-author of the book published by the The Hammill Institute on Disabilities. Non-Financial: She is a member of the NDTA and the NDTA Instructor Group.