First Bite #177 – March 23, 2022
The Purpose of Play in Treating Pediatric Feeding Disorder
(.1 ASHA and AOTA CEUs) For more info, click here.
Course Description
In this episode, Michelle is joined by her partner in podcast joy Erin Forward, MSP CCC-SLP, CLC, to discuss the purpose of play in treating pediatric feeding disorder (PFD). Erin, who holds a Basic DIR® Floortime Provider Certification and a TBRI® Trained Practitioner, shines in this live 60-minute episode dedicated to her favorite topic, play! Did you know that play has a therapeutic purpose and role in treatment, especially for pediatric feeding disorder? Yes, yes it does, in a dynamic and fantastic way! Join the ladies of First Bite as they shed light on the purpose of play for feeding, and share some of their favorite resources to learn more from in the future.
Objective
By the end of this PodCourse, participants will be able to identify and describe:
- Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD) and the therapeutic interpretation of play.
- 3 strategies to implement play into treatment for pediatric feeding disorder.
- 3 evidenced-based resources to learn more about play and its therapeutic role.
Co-Presenter

Erin Forward, MSP CF-SLP
Erin currently resides in Greenville, SC but grew up in Rochester, NY where her family still resides. Erin attended the University of Pittsburgh for her Undergraduate degrees in Communication Science and Disorders and Psychology, and completed her Master’s degree in Speech Pathology at the University of South Carolina. She has worked in a variety of settings including early-intervention/home-health, NICU in a children’s hospital, and an outpatient feeding clinic. Erin currently works for a non-profit outpatient speech clinic, where she specializes in pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders.
Erin is the Co-Host of the wildly acclaimed PodCourse/PodCast “First Bite: Fed, Fun, Functional a Speech Therapy”, sponsored by Speechtherapypd.com. Erin is passionate about engaging in interprofessional practice for her patients and advocating for attainment of functional independence for patients and their families, all done with a little bit of fun and joy. She believes that if you tell a child they can do something, they can do it, which is what makes working with children so rewarding, as they inspire her every day.