Emily Homer
MS, CCC-SLP
Empowering School-based SLPs to Embrace Addressing Pediatric Swallowing and Feeding Disorders in the School Setting



disclosures
Financial:  Emily recieves royalties from Plural Publishing for Management of Swallowing and Feeding Disorders in Schools as well as from Medbridge Education for videos. Emily receives compensation for presentations to school districts and professional organizations on this topic. Additionally, Emily is recieving an honorarium from Simon Says for this presentation. 

Nonfinancial: Emily is a consultant with and for SLPs in their school districts, and state departments of education on this topic with no financial gain. She also participates in the Arkansas Easter Seals Outreach Program/Arkansas Dept. of Education committee for establishing guidelines for addressing swallowing and feeding.
about the presentation

This presentation aimed at equipping Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) in educational settings with essential knowledge and skills to tackle swallowing and feeding disorders among children. It highlights the critical role of SLPs in early identification, assessment, and intervention, advocating for a multidisciplinary approach involving educators, parents, and healthcare professionals. This presentation delves into the nuances of pediatric swallowing and feeding disorders, outlines the expanded role and responsibilities of school-based SLPs, and provides practical assessment strategies and intervention tools tailored for the school environment, all aimed at enhancing the health, well-being, and academic performance of affected students.

LEarner outcomes
  • Describe what SLPs need to know about swallowing and feeding in the school setting
  • ​Identify what school districts can do to address swallowing and feeding disorders in the school setting
  • ​Define how SLPs can advocate in the school setting for their swallowing and feeding clients
meet the presenterS
Emily M. Homer, MA, CCC-SLP, Consultant, Swallowing and Feeding in the Schools. Coordinator of the Speech-Language-Hearing Therapy Program in St. Tammany Parish Public Schools in Louisiana for many years where she was instrumental in starting a swallowing and feeding team procedure. She was recognized as a Fellow of the Association by ASHA in 2018 and was the 1999 recipient of the Louis M. DiCarlo Award for the establishment of an interdisciplinary dysphagia team in her school district. Since the procedure was first established, St.Tammany Parish Schools have successfully implemented the Students Eat Safely: Follow the Forms procedure. This procedure has since been shared and subsequently implemented in districts throughout the country! The majority of her 40 years in the field of speech-language pathology have been in the public school setting. She has presented nationally at ASHA conventions, ASHA Schools conferences, and ASHA teleconferences. Ms. Homer has recently published a book, Management of Swallowing and Feeding Disorders in Schools by Plural Publishing, as well as, articles on dysphagia in schools in Language, Speech and Hearing Services in the Schools; Seminars in Speech and Language; The Communication Disorders Casebook: Learning by Example; and Survival Guide for School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists, and Division 13 and 16 newsletters. She has also been featured in the ASHA Leader and Advance magazine. Additionally, Ms. Homer served as the chairman of ASHA’s working committee on dysphagia in the schools.

Time ordered agenda
5 min: Introduction
10 minutes: What you Need to Know About Addressing Swallowing and
Feeding Disorders in the School Setting
20 min What Can a School District Do?
15 min Advocating for Swallowing and Feeding Services in your District
10 min Roadmap for improving Knowledge and Skills
disclosures
Financial: Emily recieves royalties from Plural Publishing for Management of Swallowing and Feeding Disorders in Schools as well as from Medbridge Education for videos. Emily receives compensation for presentations to school districts and professional organizations on this topic. Additionally, Emily is recieving an honorarium from Simon Says for this presentation. 

Nonfinancial: Emily is a consultant with and for SLPs in their school districts, and state departments of education on this topic with no financial gain. She also participates in the Arkansas Easter Seals Outreach Program/Arkansas Dept. of Education committee for establishing guidelines for addressing swallowing and feeding.