INTERVIEW: Elodie- Speech Pathologist, Feeding Therapist, Dog Mum, Forager, Gardener.
- Kathryn Fransz
- Apr 9
- 6 min read
Our recent article about paediatric dysphagia and paediatric feeding disorder (PFD) wouldn’t be complete without the perspective and weigh-in from a paediatric Speech Pathologist and feeding therapist. Although Speech Pathology is a growing profession, there are so many little specialist areas that vary hugely from others. So today, Elodie has taken the time to speak with us about her clinical knowledge and her experience working in the area of paediatric dysphagia and PFD, how she works with her patients and their families, what the shared mealtime means to her and the role that food plays in her life. Her effervescent and joyful spark that oozes through her dialogue shows us how she finds fun, curiosity and empowerment white working with paediatric dysphagia and PFD.
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The Fourth Place recently posted a feature article on paediatric dysphagia and paediatric feeding disorder. Can you tell us a little bit about your clinical background? What is your experience in this specific area of speech pathology?
I graduated from Curtin University and within a few months I moved to the South-West of Western Australia. Here I was managing eating/feeding and communication across the lifespan in a number of settings- community, outpatient and inpatient. After a few years I relocated to the Outer East of Melbourne and began working in a community health service, and later into paediatric rehabilitation and neonatal inpatients in the special care nursery. In these settings I established a feeding assessment and treatment clinic for children 6 months - 5 years, and have worked in a multidisciplinary high-risk feeding clinic for newborns and beyond. In the level of special care nursery I work in, a lot of the babies are “feeders and growers”. This means our role is to maintain their stability and look at supporting neurodevelopmentally safe and appropriate feeding skills. Across my career I have had a focus on working within public health and supporting more vulnerable populations.
Having worked with both adults and children in your career, how do you find working with the paediatric population different from working with adults?
Both adults and children come with their unique triumphs, complexities and challenges. I have found it incredibly rewarding since working more specialized in paediatrics and neonatal care in the last few years. I have participated more closely in multidisciplinary work, looked at holistic management of a family unit, and realised a huge amount of advocacy is involved. On a more personal note I have found it hopeful, playful and have experienced a deep sense of pride in my clients’ growth. In Paediatrics I have come across the most empathetic, fun, and knowledgeable health practitioners you could meet.
Can you weigh in on the value of a multidisciplinary team when working in your field?
There is tremendous value! Although speech pathologists hold a high level of expertise in feeding and swallowing, one of the aspects I enjoy about this area of practice is the fact that it is one perceived skill, function, occupation (however you would describe it) has many, many facets and having a team of dynamic perspectives working towards one goal is an important part of understanding and supporting care.
I honestly know l couldn't work as effectively in supporting our patients and families without the support of my colleagues, namely the doctors, nurses, dietitians, lactation consultants, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.
What is your favourite part about working in paediatrics with feeding disorders and dysphagia?
Definitely supporting families, keeping children safe, and seeing parents become empowered!
How important would you say working with parents and the family unit is when treating paediatric dysphagia and feeding disorders?
It is the crux, the foundation, the cornerstone, that is to say it is essential. A shared understanding of a child and their families’ values, culture, resources, neurodevelopmental and medical needs, provides the context in which we can address their goals and concerns together.
What are your thoughts on the shared mealtime and how it impacts a child’s development?
A shared mealtime can be, simply put, eating with others such as at home with families, or in other natural settings a child will experience such as a playgroup, school or child care. Shared mealtimes are a valuable tool in shaping a child's feeding experiences. In addition to having all of the social communication, emotional bonding and sensory exploration- observing other people eat actually fires off mirror neurons in the child’s brain, which supports the mapping of motor skills and emotional responses - for example, if you were visiting a different country and offered a food you had never seen to be eaten with utensils you had never used – you would probably look around and learn through imitation. Or if you saw someone take a bite of an apple, look disgusted and spit it out, you might be less likely to eat the apple that you have.
These shared mealtimes shape our responses and perceptions of eating. Positive mealtime experiences increase the likelihood a child will continue to participate in eating in a way that is meaningful to their context – this includes children who are enterally fed (fed through a tube).
What does the shared mealtime mean to you and can you tell us about your relationship with food?
Hey I love shared mealtimes. Shared mealtimes allow me to exist and participate in a number of roles - is it lunch with friends, a work after, a family gathering… It can also be a way of expressing closeness e.g. Have you tried this before? Can I offer you a drink? Have you eaten? You’ll take some leftovers?
My relationship with food allows me to decompress after a long day, to build excitement for an upcoming occasion, to celebrate with loved ones, continue traditions, represent culture, and express my creativity. While cooking I think about how and where my produce got to me, what that means in the cycle of seasons, who taught me a particular technique, and how using pots, cauldrons, knifes, pailas, grinding, blending, drying, essences/extracts, mixing or rolling something out by hand, feels as if it imbues it with a certain sentiment (cue Como Agua Para Chocolate or “Like Water For Chocolate”).
What role do you think food plays in the preservation of your culture?
I find food and culture inextricably linked. Growing, cooking and eating food is a reflection of my community’s history, traditions, and way of life. The ingredients, cooking methods, and how/when/where we eat are very much influenced by the historical and traditional availability of resources, geography, climate, and at times social and political structures. I find in this way food is a powerful expression of cultural and collective identity. There is an important ingredient to cooking which is time – the same goes for preserving culture and spending time with those who pass down traditions. To participate in something is to keep it going, keep it thriving.
What is your favourite go-to recipe and why?
I do struggle to stick to the same recipe every time.. the urge to change/add/subtract something on the fly is too irresistible. That being said, it's a big pot of savoury lentils with onions and whichever veggies are on hand.
I do want to give a mention to a special afternoon I had at a family-friends’-neighbours’-house (foodie people know how I got here)... with her mother who grew all of her own produce, she taught me how to make stuffed zucchini flowers the traditional Cypriot way.
If you had any tips for a parent preparing meals for a child with dysphagia or a feeding disorder, what would they be?
Prioritise progress, and not perfection.. Hopefully you have identified foods that are part of your regular home meals that can minimise your workload of food preparation. Yes you can follow a structure of one protein + one carb + one fruit/veg + drink, with overlapping of one safe and one new texture or taste (if that's what works for you!), but sometimes our expectations of perfection can lead to unnecessary pressure on both parent and child. I say sometimes good enough is good enough! If that means sometimes lunch is tinned spaghetti - you’ve offered something and provided the opportunity for your child.
Probably nothing new when it comes to parenting, but where possible only focus on advice from yourself and your child's care team. Eating is one of those things that, everybody eats… everybody has an opinion… although this can be well-meaning (ahem, that one judgy person from the supermarket), I believe on the whole it can be very overwhelming. Some of the early feedback I get from parents is that they finally feel “listened to”.
It’s okay to ask for help! And it's okay if you don’t have all the answers. Parents are expected to uptake a huge amount of medical, historical, developmental, social, cognitive information when it comes to understanding and managing their child's condition - you are not alone and help is out there.
Where possible, surround yourself with people and professionals that celebrate the little wins your child makes. These people will be on your team and validate everything you have done to support your child's progress!
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A big thank you to Elodie for sharing her thoughts and experiences! She was also generous enough to share some useful resources that might be of interest or help to anyone involved in managing paediatric dysphagia or paediatric feeding disorder.
Useful Links:
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