Continuing Education Courses

Treating Infant Feeding Difficulties:
Successful Positioning, Pacing &
Stability Supports

Saturday December 13th, 2025
9am-11pm

In this engaging 2-hour course, you'll learn why choosing (and transitioning to) the correct bottle and nipple is a critical factor in how infants learn to feed successfully. Through hands-on demonstrations of various bottle and nipple types, we will explore evidence-based rationales explaining why certain options work better for specific feeding challenges. You'll gain practical troubleshooting strategies to address common issues in real-time, helping infants feed more comfortably and efficiently. Additionally, the course will equip you with effective techniques for educating parents, empowering them with knowledge and confidence to support their infant’s feeding development. Whether you're working directly with infants or educating parents, this course provides essential tools rooted in the latest research to optimize feeding outcomes. 
**Bring a baby doll or stuffed animal to practice!**

 
Time Ordered Agenda:
9:00-9:15 Identifying difficulty
9:15-9:45 Bottle types and venting systems
9:45-10:15 Nipple types and flow rates
10:15-10:45 Hands-on Practice
10:45-11:00  Q & A


Learning Outcomes:

Identify 3 nipple types that have fast vs slow flow rates using evidence-based data.

Explain the differences between two types of bottle venting systems. 

List 3 criteria an infant should demonstrate before scaffolding up in nipple flow rate.

Presented by Dr. Louisa Ferrara-Gonzalez, PhD,
CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CNT, NTMCT

This comprehensive 2-hour course emphasizes the importance of proper external supports—such as positioning, pacing, and stability— in improving infants' oral feeding skills. Adopting a whole-body approach, we will explore how optimal positioning and support can significantly enhance an infant’s ability to feed effectively, promote safety, and reduce frustration for both the infant and caregiver. Through evidence-based strategies, you will learn practical techniques to assess and implement supports that foster better suck, swallow, breathe coordination, stamina, physiologic stability and airway protection. The course also covers ways to customize interventions based on individual infant needs and provides guidance on educating parents about the vital role of positioning in successful feeding. By the end, you'll be equipped with the skills to implement successful interventions that transform feeding outcomes for infants experiencing difficulties.
 
Time Ordered Agenda:
9:00-9:15 Identifying difficulty
9:15-9:45 Review of Feeding Positions
9:45-10:15 The Pacing Technique
10:15-10:30  External Supports
10:30-10:45  Hands-on Practice
10:45-11:00  Q & A


Learning Outcomes:

Differentiate the benefits and risks of at least 2 feeding positions.

Explain how to perform the pacing technique. 

List 2 teaching methods to use with parents when recommending these strategies.

Presented by Dr. Louisa Ferrara-Gonzalez, PhD,
CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CNT, NTMCT