Pediatric psychologists who specialize in feeding disorder are rare — and even rarer in outpatient or home-based settings. In this episode of Coral Currents, Dr. Laura Austin breaks down how psychology fits into an interdisciplinary feeding therapy team: supporting caregiver acceptance, helping families implement home programs, navigating ABA involvement, and knowing when to refer for further medical screening.
This course is designed for SLPs, OTs, and other feeding therapy providers who want to understand when and how psychology can improve outcomes for children with PFD and their families — and how to talk to families about it.
Upon completing this course, learners will be able to:
- 1 Describe at least 3 ways a pediatric psychologist can support families and feeding therapy teams working with children with PFD
- 2 Explain the physical basis of PFD and describe how fear, anxiety, and maladaptive feeding patterns develop as secondary effects rather than causes
- 3 Identify at least 2 clinical indicators that suggest a referral to psychology or further medical screening may be warranted for a child in feeding therapy
- 4 Describe considerations for navigating ABA involvement in feeding therapy using a collaborative, feeding-therapist-led approach
| Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| 0:00–2:00 | Introduction — host and guest overview Not counted toward instructional time |
| 2:00–10:00 | The role of psychology in PFD: why it is underrepresented and why it matters Learning outcomes 1 & 2 |
| 10:00–18:00 | What psychology looks like in practice: parent support, provider collaboration, cultural considerations Learning outcomes 1 & 2 |
| 18:00–24:00 | Pacing, timelines, and helping families with acceptance Learning outcome 2 |
| 24:00–36:00 | Provider Q&A: navigating ABA involvement in feeding therapy Learning outcomes 3 & 4 |
| 36:00–46:00 | Provider Q&A: food as motivator — when and how to use external reinforcement Learning outcome 3 |
| 46:00–48:30 | Provider Q&A: when a child is stuck — ruling out medical and oral motor factors before addressing fear and anxiety Learning outcome 3 |
| 48:30–50:00 | Wrap-up and resources Not counted toward instructional time |
Total instructional time: approximately 46 minutes = 0.1 ASHA CEUs. Introduction and wrap-up segments are not counted toward instructional time.
To complete this course, all learners must:
- Listen to the episode in its entirety (approximately 50 minutes), accessible via Spotify
- Complete and pass a 4-question multiple choice post-course quiz with a score of 80% or higher. Unlimited retakes are permitted. Each question corresponds to one learning outcome.
- Submit the course evaluation
This course is designed for speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists working with pediatric clients with feeding disorders. It may also be of value to other members of interdisciplinary feeding therapy teams, including dieticians and early intervention providers.
Prerequisites: No prerequisites required beyond basic familiarity with pediatric feeding therapy practice.
Required materials: No additional materials required beyond a device capable of audio playback.
This course is available on demand through the Coral Currents podcast on Spotify. Access begins upon course registration. This course will remain available for ASHA CEUs through December 31, 2027. Registered learners will be notified by email if the course is updated or retired.
Dallas, TX
Dr. Laura Austin is a pediatric psychologist with over 23 years of specialization in pediatric feeding disorder. She spent 21 years working in an inpatient intensive feeding program in Dallas, TX, collaborating side-by-side with SLPs, OTs, dieticians, and physicians. She now operates Austin Petrie Psychology, an outpatient practice focused on children and families with PFD and ARFID. Dr. Austin is licensed to see clients via telehealth in 43 states through SPAC certification and is paneled with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and Cigna in Texas.
To request accommodations prior to this course, email support@joincoralcare.com with subject line "CE Accommodation Request."
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