Presenter(s)
Melanie Potock
I am so thrilled to announce that Melanie Potock will be returning to Canada! Melanie is an international speaker on the topic of feeding babies, toddlers and school-age kids and a pediatric feeding therapist. She is the co-author of the award-winning Raising a Healthy Happy Eater & 4 other popular books focused on raising adventurous eaters. Mel’s Instagram has become a trusted resource for both parents and professionals across the globe. For complete course information, please contact: donna@kidscanshine.com. Registration is now open and space is limited for both days, so do reach out if you would like a spot! * Both course days presented (live) by Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP
Melanie will be presenting 2 dynamic courses in Guelph, Ontario this April: Day 1: YOUR FEEDING TOOLKIT: Treating the Whole Child & the Whole Family | Upon completing the 7-hour seminar, participants will be able to: Discuss how protective behaviors develop when GI discomfort, sensory processing challenges, and delayed gross and/or fine motor skills impact a child’s willingness to eat. Teach gentle, basic parenting principles to support the caregiver’s carry-over of the child’s treatment plan. Implement strategies of responsive feeding in typical feeding development and guide the family to a responsive feeding model upon discharge. Apply gentle, basic behavioral principles in therapy while respecting a child’s unique sensory system, temperament, and emotions. Describe how to teach the following skills as they coincide with the developmental process of learning to eat: biting, chewing, swallowing independently, straw and open cup drinking. Implement a hierarchical method of problem solving to meet functional outcomes. 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.
Day 2: ARFID: The Anxious Eater | This 6-hour course is an extended version of Melanie’s most popular Masterclass! | Learning objectives: Describe nine strategies to reduce a child’s anxiety before, during and after trying new foods. Describe five strategies to help parents follow-through on the home program. Discuss four different types of anxiety disorders that may be associated with pediatric feeding disorders. Understand the three hallmarks of ARFID and how each is related to anxiety in children. Understand the role that avoidance plays in both anxiety disorders and pediatric feeding disorders. Know which professional treats anxiety disorders and which evidence based practice has been found to be successful.