Pediatric Feeding Essentials:
12-Hour AOTA-Approved Training for OTs & SLPs

Foundational Training (Introductory Level) 

Spring 2026 cohort is full. Join the waitlist to be notified when the next 2026 Cohort opens for enrollment.

This 12-hour AOTA approved course provides evidence-informed, practical education on evaluating and treating pediatric feeding disorders (PFD). Participants gain skills in responsive, trauma-informed care, interdisciplinary collaboration, goal-setting, and clinical reasoning to address medical, sensory, oral-motor, and behavioral feeding needs.

Format

This is a live, virtual course totaling 12 instructional hours delivered across 11 live sessions (10 one-hour sessions and one two-hour final session). Recordings will be available for 30 days for any sessions a participant is unable to attend live.

To receive CEU credit, participants must:
  • Attend at least 8 of the 11 live sessions, and
  • Complete all 12 hours of content in full (live or by recording).

Target Audience

Occupational Therapists, Speech-Language Pathologists, and Allied Health Professionals working with infants and young children with pediatric feeding challenges.

Category

Occupational Therapy Service Delivery, Professional Issues, Foundational Knowledge

Instructional Method

Virtual lectures and video demonstrations. Interactive discussions and case studies. 
Exposure to five current pediatric feeding assessments within a clinical reasoning framework. Downloadable handouts and clinician-ready templates

A few words about this course

Feeding is more than food — it’s connection, regulation, and relationship.

Pediatric Feeding Essentials equips therapists with the essential knowledge and practical tools to support families with confidence and compassion. Each week introduces focused content including assessment tools, foundational feeding concepts, oral-motor and sensory principles, early ARFID patterns, tube-feeding considerations, and caregiver coaching strategies—so therapists can immediately apply what they learn.

Through case discussions, guided reasoning activities, and mentorship-style support, participants develop a clearer clinical framework and a more confident approach to feeding challenges across home health, early intervention, and outpatient settings.

You will learn:

  • Foundations of PFD 
  • Medical Considerations 
  • Feeding Skill Development
  • Feeding Readiness
  • Sensory Processing and Interoception
  • Oral-Motor Skills
  • Responsive Feeding & Behavior
  • Trauma-Informed Care & ARFID
  • Tube Feeding & Transitions
  • Neurodiversity
  • Goal Writing 
  • Clinical Reasoning and Collaboration

Learning Objectives

1. Describe the current consensus definition and four-domain model of Pediatric Feeding Disorders (PFD).

2. Identify medical, sensory, and oral-motor factors that influence feeding challenges in infants and young children.

3. Explain responsive and trauma-informed strategies that can be applied to the assessment and treatment of pediatric feeding disorders.

4. Discuss functional, family-centered goals and intervention plans for children with feeding difficulties.

5. Describe effective collaboration with interdisciplinary teaming approaches to support comprehensive feeding care.

COMPLETION REQUIREMENT

Participants must complete all 12 hours of course instruction. Each session (whether attended live or by recording) must be viewed in its entirety. No partial credit will be awarded.

Participants must complete a post-course evaluation and content exam with a passing score of 70% to receive credit.


DATES:  2026

March 4:     5-6pm MST
March 11:   5-6pm MST
March 18:   5-6pm MST
March 25:   5-6 pm MST
April 1:       5-6 pm MST
April 8:       5-6 pm MST
April 15:     5-6pm MST
April 22:     5-6pm MST
April 29:     5-6 pm MST
May 6:        5-6 pm MST
May 13:      5-7 pm MST (2 hours)
                    *11 live sessions 

AGENDA:  60 Minute Session Structure

Topic Overview/Teaching (40 min)

Case Discussion/Clinical Application (15 min)

Closing and Wrap up (5 min)

CANCELLATION POLICY


• Learner Cancellation: Full refund available if cancellation is received at least 7 days before the first webinar start date. No refunds after the course begins.

• Organization Cancellation: If the course is cancelled by Pediatric Feeding Essentials, all registrants will receive a full refund.

• In the event of inclement weather or other event resulting in the inability for a live course to be provided within the scheduled time, an alternate date will be provided. In the event that the learner is not able to attend, no alternate date will be provided.

Please contact Pediatric Feeding Essentials for any special needs or accommodations requests: wendy@pediatricfeedingessentials.com

Instructor: Wendy Alexander, OTD, OTR/L

Wendy is an occupational therapist with over 25 years of experience specializing in pediatric feeding. She has worked across early intervention, home health, and school-based settings and founded Pediatric Feeding Essentials™ to address the growing need for practical, evidence-based feeding training. Wendy is passionate about responsive feeding, trauma-informed care, and strengthening clinical reasoning in complex feeding cases. She is dedicated to mentoring therapists and helping them build confidence, clarity, and competence in pediatric feeding assessment and intervention.

Financial Disclosure: Wendy is the founder of Pediatric Feeding Essentials™ and receives financial compensation related to the development and delivery of this continuing education course.

Non-Financial Disclosure: Wendy has no relevant non-financial relationships to disclose.
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Testimonials & Course reviews

"Such a practical and useful course!" ~Robyn


"This has been my favorite course I've ever taken, and I've learned sooo much about a topic I knew barely anything about." ~Katherine

"I loved the case studies at the end to put into practice what we learned that week". ~ Dominique

"Unbelievable course, thank you so much for this." ~Haley

This professional development activity is being provided as a co-sponsored event: HOST: Pediatric Feeding Essentials, LLC

Aspire OT is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development and an AOTA APP Approved Sponsor. Co-sponsor PD activity approval ID# 13645. This Hybrid activity is offered at 1.2 CEUs, Introductory Level, Occupational Therapy Service Delivery, Professional Issues, Foundational Knowledge. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

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