Courses, Family Education, Professional Mentoring, & Online Program Consultation Ages and Stages®, LLC
Resources for Feeding, Eating, Drinking, Speech, and Mouth/Airway Function

TREATING SPEECH PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
Children on the autism spectrum frequently have speech and language disorders with related attention and sensory processing --->Read More...

CHILD CARE PROVIDERS: HOW TO SUPPORT BREAST FEEDING MOTHERS
Providing child care for infants is a special and important task. It is important that early childhood educators and child care services are supportive of breastfeeding mothers and their babies and that they make it easy for mothers and babies to continue breastfeeding. --->Read More...

AN IBCLC DISCUSSES LIP AND TONGUE TIE IN THE BREASTFEEDING INFANT
Lisa Paladino, RN, CNM, IBCLC in New York, New York, USA
Babies are born to breastfeed, yet many parents struggle with this natural function. As a Midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), I have made it my personal mission to support as many parents as possible in reaching their feeding goals. --->Read More...

CRANIOSACRAL FASCIAL THERAPY (CFT) FOR NEWBORNS WITH BREASTFEEDING ISSUES
In 2010, I attended a birth that would forever change my life. The baby was trapped in the birth canal, and it took a team of doctors pulling very hard on a set of forceps to get the baby out. In the midst of pulling, the forceps --->Read More...

INFANT CARE TIPS FOR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS PART 1
Providing child care for infants is a task not to be taken lightly. Besides general care of the infant, you are also there to support the infant’s social and emotional health. To get expert tips for infant daycare, Own A Daycare looked to Diane Bahr, Speech-Language --->Read More...

INFANT CARE TIPS FOR CHILD CARE PROVIDERS PART 2
Providing child care for infants is a task not to be taken lightly. Besides general care of the infant, you are also there to support the infant’s social and emotional health. To get expert tips for infant daycare, Own A Daycare looked to Diane Bahr, Speech-Language --->Read More...

"SUCCESS BOX" ORGANIZATIONAL STORAGE SYSTEM FOR VISUAL SUPPORTS
It started as a project to create a tool that promoted organized and consistent use of visual supports for individuals with special needs (e.g., pictures used --->Read More...

QUICK TIPS TO IMPROVE A CHILD'S COMMUNICATION
Talking comes to most children quite easily, and it is amazing to think the foundation of our complex language abilities are developed by age four – without effort! However, when children --->Read More...

WHOLE BRAIN EDUTAINMENT
What an honor to be asked to compose a blog for Ages and Stages®, LLC. I had the privilege of connecting with Diane and her business recently in a speech-language pathology group. Diane was kind enough to --->Read More...

WHAT BABY FOOD JARS DON'T TELL YOU ABOUT INTRODUCING FOODS
Parents often receive little instruction about “when and how to introduce foods and liquids” to their babies. They mostly rely on their pediatricians who give them the best information they have during
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FOOD ALLERGIES IN DAYCARE: PRESCHOOL FOOD ALLERGY PREVENTION
Food allergies are common in young children. Daycare providers must be aware of food allergies and have a food allergy plan in place in order to keep kids safe.
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GLUTEN SENSITIVITIES AND GLUTEN-FREE FOODS
So many people are avoiding foods with gluten these days due to celiac disease or food sensitivities, for behavior management or for other personal reasons. I have been on and off of a gluten-free diet for
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THE VALUE OF COORDINATING EARLY INTERVENTION, PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY, AND PARENT FOLLOW-THROUGH IN THE TREATMENT OF FEEDING
Sometimes a feeding problem is the result of small issues gone unnoticed or untreated in the hopes that things will get better or a child will outgrow feeding challenges. Before parents know it, they are tied to limited
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MULTICULTURAL FEEDING TREATMENT IN THE BIG APPLE: TAKING THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND AND LEARN
I work in early intervention in New York City where I go into children’s homes to provide services. There are an estimated 300 cultures or nationalities living in New York City. Each culture has not only its own
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THE GREEN MONSTERS TO THE RESCUE!
It’s not easy dealing with a picky eater. You know the ones who only eat breads, crackers, and chips or what others refer to as the “white diet” and refuse to eat
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WAIT... FOR... IT... ADVICE FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WHO ARE "PICKY EATERS"
As a speech language pathologist who specializes in feeding, one of the most important strategies that I teach to parents and caregivers is the power of waiting. Children need time to organize
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APPROPRIATE FOOD PLAY TO ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO EAT
No matter the reason behind a child's food aversion or picky eating, food-play is usually recommended as part of the solution. Most of us can remember being told to stop
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PARTY DAY: CHILDHOOD FOOD ALLERGIES, AN SLP MOM'S EXPERIENCE
Party days should be fun for everyone involved. They are the time for laughing, sharing, loving, and celebrating momentous occasions. As a mom of a child with food allergies, parties are
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THE IMPORTANCE OF A RELATIONAL FOCUS IN FEEDING THERAPY
As a speech-language pathologist (SLP) running a feeding therapy program, I train graduate students, work with parents, and help kids learn to enjoy
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REVIEW OF THE BOOK "HELPING YOUR CHILD WITH EXTREME PICKY EATING" BY KATJA ROWELL, MD AND JENNY MCGLOTHLIN, MS, SLP
As an author of a couple of books on feeding, motor-speech, and mouth development, I read many books and articles on these topics. I was thrilled when I received the new book
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LEARN ABOUT FREE COLORING BOOK "CHEWING CAN BE TRICKY: KEEPING CHILDREN SAFER AT MEALTIME"
Over the years, it has been my passion to increase safety with feeding and swallowing for adults and children alike. This pediatric-based project (i.e., the Chewing Can Be Tricky coloring book) arose from conversations with
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PEDIATRICIAN AND FEEDING SPECIALIST JOIN FORCES TO TEACH PARENTING IN THE KITCHEN
Raising a Healthy Happy Eater: A Stage-by-Stage Guide to Setting Your Child on the Path to Adventurous Eating: Pediatrician Nimali Fernando, MPH, MD and Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP (aka Dr. Yum and Coach Mel) have
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MOVING FROM BREASTFEEDING TO FORMULA
The following is an interview with Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP, CIMI (Published Author and International Presenter on Feeding, Motor Speech, and Mouth Development) by Cintia Saporito (Journalist in Argentina).
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FIVE FACTS THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU ABOUT FPIES
Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) is a condition primarily affecting infants and young children that wreaks havoc on the gastrointestinal tract. According to the FPIES Foundation,
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FEEDING INFANTS WITH RECESSED JAW (RETROGNATHIA) AT THE BREAST OR WITH THE BOTTLE
Infants with recessed jaws/retrognathias present with unique feeding challenges and are sometimes misdiagnosed with ankyloglossia or tongue tie. This is of particular concern
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A TRANSITIONAL SNACK FOR THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION: THE EAT BAR
As a parent or caregiver, we often use a combination of acquired information and intuition to help guide us as we transition a child from pureed foods to solid foods. When we finally
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THAT ADORABLE THUMB! UNDERSTANDING THE THUMB SUCKING HABIT
That adorable baby with the thumb in the mouth – this is truly a precious sight to behold. But, what happens when this habit continues a bit too long, such as in a 5-year old child? Should parents --->Read More...

WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT COMPENSATED SPEECH IN AN ADULT WITH ANKYLOGLOSSIA: A SHORT CASE STUDY
Ankyloglossia (i.e., tongue tie) is often discussed with regard to childhood speech and feeding disorders. However, I would like to share some insights I gained while working with an adult who had --->Read More...

THE TWO-POINT MODEL OF JAW MOVEMENT DURING SPEECH
Jaw movement during speech was generally described as pure translation or pure rotation of a single point on the jaw. In pure translation, the jaw simply translates in some direction, usually as the principal --->Read More...

TETHERED ORAL TISSUE: WHAT IS THAT?
Tethered oral tissues are abnormal tissues of the tongue, lips, and cheeks. They are frequently referred to as frenula. However, professionals in the areas of dentistry, medicine, and child development --->Read More...

WHAT EVERY PARENT NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT MOUTH DEVELOPMENT FROM BIRTH: WHAT CAN GO WRONG AND WHY
What Parents Need to Know Mouth development begins in utero and progresses very quickly in the first six-months of life. It is during the first year of life that health and development issues can arise due to negative --->Read More...

TEACHING A BABY TO SUCK POST TONGUE-TIE RELEASE
It’s very frustrating to any parent when a newborn infant has trouble sucking post-frenectomy/frenotomy (i.e, tongue-tie release/revision). However, a re-training suck technique can be taught once --->Read More...

NEWBORN AND EARLY MOUTH DEVELOPMENT
The structures and functions of a newborn baby’s and young infant’s mouth can affect the life-long processes of feeding and speech. While many parents (and professionals) may be unaware, problems --->Read More...

FACIAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EATING
Biting, chewing, and swallowing involve a great number of bones, joints, and muscles, all working together from the very first time we start experimenting with these processes inside our mother´s womb. Swallowing the amniotic fluid --->Read More...

SYNOPSIS OF DR. KEVIN BOYD'S 2016 ANCESTRAL HEALTH SOCIETY (AHS) VIDEO LECTURE ON PRE- AND POST-NATAL RETRO-GNATHIA
Certain malocclusion phenotypes, like high-vaulted palates, retro-gnathic jaws, etc. are often co-morbid with chronic diseases like Obstructive Sleep Apnea and associated Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD). --->Read More...

CLEFT LIP AND PALATE: TIPS FOR BREASTFEEDING AND FEEDING
What is cleft lip and palate, what produces these, and how do they affect infant feeding? Cleft lip and palate are malformations of the face and upper jaw, and the --->Read More...

TETHERED ORAL TISSUE MANAGEMENT
If we look over the many procedures and methods we employ to treat infants and toddlers in dentistry as well as medicine and listen to the various blogs and groups, I find it interesting that there is no other topic --->Read More...

SENSORY ORAL-MOTOR TOYS TO SATISFY THE URGE TO CHEW AND BITE
Sound familiar, “She is of school age and still mouths everything in sight?” This overwhelming urge to chew and bite has no age limit and needs to be satisfied by providing safe, --->Read More...

THE PURPOSE OF BABY TEETH
Teething can be a painful process for both little ones and their parents. As I watched my children’s teeth erupting, I began to wonder, “What is the purpose of baby teeth?” Babies go through all of the pain just to have them --->Read More...

THEORETICAL FOUNDATION OF THERAPEUTIC SPEECH MASSAGE (AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE)
This blog is an excerpt from an article written by Dr. Elena Dyakova, the author of the book Therapeutic Speech Massage (2013). Dr. Dyakova has developed massage techniques that can be systematically applied --->Read More...

CLINICAL APPLICATION OF RESEARCH TO TREAT SLEEP APNEA USING OROPHARYNGEAL EXERCISES
Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by repeated episodes of breathing stops/starts while sleeping. People with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) demonstrate weakness and dysfunction of the oral and --->Read More...

WORLD OROFACIAL MYOFUNCTIONAL SCIENCE DAY & THE HISTORY OF OMT
Our blog this month was submitted by Franklin Susanibar, Speech Therapist in Peru. Franklin provided us with an Editorial by himself, Irene Marchesan (Speech Therapist in Brazil), and Ricardo Santos (Speech Therapist in Portugal). --->Read More...

SNORING IN PREGNANCY: RISKS, REASONS, AND REMEDIES
One of the best things a woman can do to increase her chances of a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby is to breathe well to optimally oxygenate herself and her baby. Unfortunately, many women, --->Read More...

THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE AIR
We know the importance of nasal breathing yet many of our patients still mouth breathe, even after the removal of adenoids and tonsils (adenotonsillectomy). It’s not always as simple --->Read More...

VAN RIPER IS ALIVE AND WELL AT ASHA CONNECT!
The ASHA Connect conference was held in Minneapolis, MN July 8th-10th, 2016. This conference was a new concept bringing together school, private practice, and healthcare speech-language pathologists (SLPs). SLPs from across --->Read More...

HOW A BLOCKED NOSE LEADS TO A BROKEN HEART
Breathing - it’s a crucial aspect to life. We all know we need to do it. And, we do it every day until our last breath. But most people are unaware that breathing --->Read More...

MOUTH BREATHING: A PREDICTOR OF FUTURE HEALTH PROBLEMS IN BABIES
Interview with Diane Bahr (DB) by Lisa Bowen (LB), Breathing Educator, Breathing Retraining Center, San Rafael, CA, USA                                         --->Read More...

POOR SLEEP, MOUTH BREATHING, AND CONCENTRATION PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN
Contemplate this child's story. It is so easy for children to fall through the cracks, whether it is due to medical complacency, ignorance, or arrogance. Please make sure every parent knows --->Read More...

A CASE STUDY - EFFECT OF ORAL SENSORY-MOTOR TREATMENT ON EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE: PART 1
This descriptive study is about the use of oral sensory-motor treatment including neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT) and oral placement therapy (OPT) for a three-year-old male client diagnosed with --->Read More...

A CASE STUDY - EFFECT OF ORAL SENSORY-MOTOR TREATMENT ON EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE: PART 2
Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson coined the term Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) and explained the use of her therapeutic tools in her 2009 book Oral Placement Therapy for Speech and Feeding. According to Merkel-Walsh and Bahr (2014), --->Read More...

A CASE STUDY - EFFECT OF ORAL SENSORY-MOTOR TREATMENT ON EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE: PART 3
The present case study focused on the principles of traditional Neuro Developmental Therapy (NDT) for cerebral palsy and flaccidity in addition to oral placement therapy (OPT). These involved thermal stimulation, --->Read More...

A CASE STUDY - EFFECT OF ORAL SENSORY-MOTOR TREATMENT ON EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE: PART 4
The outcomes of the therapy were assessed regarding the overall change in receptive and expressive language levels at three points in time. After the baseline evaluation, three evaluations were done with three-month
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THE SILENT ORAL INFLUENCE ON YOUR CHILD'S SPEECH PRODUCTION
With our kids, we typically focus on mouth movement: speaking, eating, drinking, chewing, and swallowing. But, what about the times when the mouth isn’t moving: When it’s at rest? Do the in-between resting --->Read More...

RISING MALOCCLUSION AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
What are the Causes of Malocclusion? It’s widely accepted that the teeth and jaws are at the mercy of the muscles of the lips, cheeks, and tongue and that --->Read More...

TEETH GRINDING IN ADULTS
Teeth grinding in adults is a topic that comes up frequently. So, here is a summary of what we know about it. First things first, we need to differentiate between --->Read More...

OROFACIAL MYOFUNCTIONAL DISORDERS (OMDS) VS. PEDIATRIC FEEDING DISORDERS: WHAT’S THE BUZZ ABOUT?
Recently, I gave a webinar with the same title as this blog for TalkTools. The purpose of this webinar was to clarify some confusion being discussed on social media. Here, I discuss the topic in a written format. --->Read More...

THE CURRENT BIG PICTURE ON THE TREATMENT OF MOUTH BREATHING AND ITS COMPLICATIONS
I’m concerned about what currently seems to be misconceptions given to dentists and others about mouth breathing causing enlargement of the tonsils and adenoids. I’ve posted a bit about it recently, but now I have more to discuss. --->Read More...

MOVING BEYOND TRADITIONAL ORTHODONTICS
I grew up in the field of orthodontics. Although my father, also an orthodontist, introduced me to the importance of how a patient’s improper swallowing and breathing affected the bite, there were --->Read More...

THE INFORMATION AVALANCHE: SOME MOTHER'S DAY MUSINGS
The “Information Avalanche” is one reason I wrote the book Nobody Ever Told Me or My Mother That! Everything from Bottles and Breathing to Healthy Speech Development (and the FREE PARENT BOOK GUIDES). --->Read More...

PARENTING AND STRESS
Parenting and stress go together like peanut butter and jelly. You just can’t have one without the other. Parenting stress begins with pregnancy (or even earlier for people with --->Read More...

PARENTING IS NOT EASY, AND
Kids in the House has an extensive parenting video library with over 9,000 videos. It is an educational website that strives to help parents and caregivers become better at parenting by educating, inspiring, and entertaining. --->Read More...

A 17-DAY NICU QUANDARY: ONE FAMILY'S EXPERIENCE
I would like to tell you about one family’s NICU (neonatal intensive care) experience from which we can hopefully all learn. I will also present some recommendations at the end of the article for parents who --->Read More...

SUPPORTING FAMILIES WITH BIRTH TRAUMA: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
A young woman recently called me about helping her with her birth experience. Someone she knew told her about my approach to healing difficult births. Her story was familiar: the birth did not go as planned; the pain was --->Read More...

TEACHING SOUND AWARENESS AND PRODUCTION FOR SPEECH AND READING
I would like to share with you a combination of activities I use with preschool and school-aged children for speech sound production and sound-symbol awareness. While I know that many --->Read More...

CUED ORAL READING: A SIMPLE WAY TO HELP CHILDREN WITH CHILDHOOD APRAXIA OF SPEECH (CAS) AND OTHER ORAL MOTOR BASED COMMUNICATION DISORDERS DEVELOP CLEAR SPEECH, BETTER LANGUAGE, AND IMPROVED LITERACY SKILLS
Children with oral motor weakness and/or incoordination (e.g., childhood dysarthria) and/or speech motor planning disorders (i.e., childhood apraxia of speech) usually have unclear speech. And, a high percentage of these children have --->Read More...

HOW TO TREAT A LATERAL LISP
With a lateral lisp, air is forced over the sides of the tongue for sounds like /s/, /z/, “ch,” and “sh” instead of over the front of the tongue. This results in a slushy kind of --->Read More...

A NON-TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO SPEECH-LANGUAGE INTERVENTION THROUGH YOGA
Expecting kids to sit nicely through a speech-language therapy session is often a challenge because kids are inherently built to move and explore their worlds as they learn. Have you ever wondered how you might --->Read More...

A MOTHER’S MOTIVATION TO HELP CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA
I was (and am) one of THOSE moms. I did monthly Ages & Stages Questionnaires on both of my typical, healthy, breastfed, full-term babies. My friends politely smiled when I told them that. Then, to my amused friends shock, --->Read More...

WHAT MY OWN ILLNESS TAUGHT ME ABOUT TREATMENT (PART I)
I experienced liver, kidney, and respiratory failure and was a very lucky person to have been given a liver transplant that saved my life. During this process, I learned SO much from personal experience and --->Read More...

WHAT MY OWN ILLNESS TAUGHT ME ABOUT TREATMENT (PART II)
FROM DIANE BAHR: In August, we heard the first part of Mae Ann’s awe inspiring and insightful story regarding her illness, recovery, and resulting treatment insights (during a liver transplant). Here is the rest of her story. --->Read More...

THE JOURNEY OF AN SLP MOM~
In this life we all have our journey….. Having had a beloved independent aunt without sight taught me that function was the key for autonomy and optimizing skills despite personal challenges. --->Read More...

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A QUADRIILINGUAL SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST
I am a speech-language pathologist practicing in an acute care hospital providing in-patient and out-patient services. I am going to use my story to tell you about the work I do and --->Read More...