Live Webinar for Pediatric Therapists. Complete both sessions for 12 Contact Hours (1.2 CEUs)
July 24 and 25, 2025
9:40 am EST • 8:40 am CST • 7:40 am MST • 6:40 am PST (US)
EARLY BIRD RATE!
Register by June 12, 2025 to receive $20 off your registration. Enter coupon code EARLY20 at checkout to receive the discount. Must be used at time of registration.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Learn to evaluate infant feeding performance and provide evidence-supported interventions to maximize infants’ outcomes. We’ll discuss diagnostic tools for bedside evaluation, cervical auscultation, modified barium swallow studies and specific medical comorbidities seen in the NICU setting and how these influence the therapy pathway. In addition, we’ll review the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative and its impact on infant oral feeding. The developmental specialists’ role in oral motor assessment and interventions to support infant feeding in the NICU will be discussed including how to support infants’ care team members in providing best practice care. This course will include lecture, small group discussion, and clinical scenarios with video to enhance observation skills of attendees.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Identify infant phases of swallow
- Identify anatomical structures related to infant swallow mechanisms
- Relate how anatomical structures support safe swallow
- Relate how specific medical co-morbidities impact feeding performance
- Select which infants are and are not appropriate to complete oral feeding based on level of respiratory support and gestational age
- Decide which evidence-based assessment tool to use to evaluate an infant’s swallow
- Interpret results of observations to plan appropriate clinical intervention techniques
- Select safe oral feeding viscosity based on reported diagnostic assessment
- Develop a treatment plan to support an infant’s oral motor skill acquisition based on the results of different oral motor assessments
- Choose nonpharmacological interventions to support infants exhibiting neonatal abstinence syndrome
- Select bottle/nipple to match infants’ skill level, support breastfeeding goals, and take into consideration any applicable medical comorbidities.
- Identify differences in feedings schedules currently in practice in NICUs
- Identify different environmental supports, feeding techniques, bottle choices and nutritional varieties for infants with symptomatic reflux
- Identify when to recommend an alternative feeding method to support infant nutrition, development and long-term success
AUDIENCE:
This course is intended for PTs, OTs and SLPs who work with the Pediatric, NICU or Feeding & Swallowing populations.
Shanna M. Semmler, OTD, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC is an Occupational Therapist who has spent her entire career helping premature infants and full-term infants with medical complexities and/or birth trauma achieve their maximal potential. For the last 14 years, she has worked in an academic medical center Level IV NICU helping infants born as early as 22 weeks. Shanna received her Doctor of Occupational Therapy from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in 2004. She is a Certified Neonatal Therapist, Certified Level III Neonatal Touch and Massage Therapist and a member of the National Association of Neonatal Therapists. She’s provided nursing and physician training sessions regarding current feeding practices and serves as a mentor to feeding therapists within her health system.
DISCLOSURE:
Shanna Semmler receives an honorarium from Education Resources, Inc.
She has no relevant nonfinancial relationships to disclose.
I came in wanting to learn more about how to intervene with these babies in the NICU and I feel so much more confident to do so now! The set up and speaker were wonderful! -Cori M., OT
I would highly recommend Dr. Shanna Semmler's infant feeding course as she unravels the medical details associated with oral feeding skill development and performance. This course provides the feeding therapist with specific assessment and treatment techniques for a variety of medical diagnosis that can impact the development of oral feeding. Dr. Semmler has been instrumental in my clinical skill advancement as her ability to educate therapists on infant feeding performance enhances our clinical reasoning. -Holly Schifsky, OTR/L, CNT, NTMTC, CBIS
Thank you for this wonderful course! Dr. Semmler provided excellent strategies as well as case studies to carryover the information in the text to real-life scenarios. -Leila Z., PT
Shanna was an expert in her field! Her course was very informative and much of the information presented I will be able to put into immediate clinical practice. She was very receptive to all questions! -Tamara B.
Shanna is a great speaker and she explained complex ideas and strategies for feeding in a very simple and applicable way. I was able to apply the strategies the very next day when I returned to work! -Sarita A., OT
VENUE LOCATION MAP
Click image to access Google Maps.
