Food Freedom with the Get Permission Approach

Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, serves as the Director of Clinical Education and Assistant Professor with James Madison University. Additionally, she is the acclaimed host of “First Bite: Fed, Fun, Functional” a weekly Speech Therapy Podcast that addresses “all thangs” Pediatric Speech Therapy, and is presented by SpeechTherapyPD.com. Michelle authored, "Chasing the Swallow: Truth, Science, and Hope for Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders". She is an accomplished lecturer; traveling across the nation delivering courses on best practices for the evaluation and treatment of the medically complex infant, toddlers, and children with respect to their pediatric oropharyngeal dysphagia, pediatric feeding disorder, as well as language acquisition within the framework of Early Intervention. She has served as the Treasurer for the Council of State Association Presidents (CSAP), is a Past President of the South Carolina Speech, Language, and Hearing Association (SCSHA), a graduate of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Leadership Development Program (ASHA LDP), a recipient of the Pediatric Feeding Disorder Awareness Champion from Feeding Matters, a recipient of the Louis M. DiCarlo Award for Outstanding Clinical Achievement from the SCSHA, a recipient of the State Clinical Achievement Award from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Foundation, recognized as an ASHA Innovator in 2023, and ten-time recipient of ASHA’s ACE Award for continuing education.

Marsha Dunn Klein is a pediatric occupational therapist who has spent an almost five decade career specializing in feeding infants and young children. She received her bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy from Boston University Sargent College and Masters of Education from the University of Arizona. She has co-authored Pre-feeding Skills, FIrst and Second Editions, Homemade Blended Formula Handbook and Mealtime Participation Guide with Suzanne Evans Morris and Feeding and Nutrition for the Child with Special Needs with Tracy Delaney. Her most recent book, Anxious Eaters, Anxious Mealtimes: Practical and Compassionate Strategies for Mealtime Peace was published last year. Having sold her share in her pediatric feeding clinic, Mealtime Connections, Marsha spends her time presenting and writing and consulting, nationally, internationally, though since the pandemic, that has been by virtually and by webinar. She started and is still active in a nonprofit that supports families whose children struggle to eat. Marsha is a food celebrator and when not feeding children and supporting their families, she loves to garden, quilt, cook and dream about traveling again.