Hema Desai, MS-CCC-SLP, BCS-S is an inpatient speech pathologist at CHOC Children’s Hospital, treating children with feeding/swallowing disorders in an acute care setting and on the Multidisciplinary Intensive Feeding Team since 2006. She provides education to hospital staff regarding feeding/swallowing concerns in children and mentors graduate students and new staff.  Hema also provides annual guest lectures regarding pediatric feeding/swallowing at Chapman University and has presented lectures about pediatric feeding/swallowing disorders at state and national conventions. 
Course Description:
With medical care and technology advancement, there are higher survival rates of premature infants and infants born with complex medical conditions leading to increased prevalence in pediatric dysphagia. Additionally, dysphagia can also be acquired later in childhood, as in traumatic brain injuries.  Children with dysphagia are at high risk for nutritional deficits, which can impair their cognitive and physical development.  Working with medically fragile infants and children with dysphagia is challenging, as each child's presentation is individual. It is important to be able to identify and understand the underlying factors of dysphagia and use treatment strategies appropriately to ensure safety for oral feeding and reduce detrimental effects of the swallowing disorder.
This course will discuss etiology of swallow deficits in medically fragile infants and children.  Evidenced-based treatment options will discussed to guide best practice with this population.  Additionally, this course will give realistic options to implement evidence-based treatments to improve dysphagia and sensory-motor function to support efficient swallow function.  
Objectives:
1.) Discuss the etiology of dysphagia associated with common diagnosis in the medically fragile infant and pediatric population
2.) Understand the evidence for treatment strategies for dysphagia in the infant and pediatric population
3.) Identify realistic treatment strategies to manage pediatric dysphagia
Instruction Level:  Intermediate
Half day conference - free with membership    8:30 - 11:45 am - 3 CE's
Continental Breakfast provided