PFD in the Schools: Lessons from Wisconsin with Jennifer Eggert and Dawn Merth-Johnson

Guests: Jennifer Eggert and Dawn Merth-Johnson

Earn 0.1 ASHA CEU for this episode with Speech Therapy PD: https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/lessons-from-wisconson

Do you dream about working with pediatric feeding disorders in the public schools, but aren't sure where to begin? Or, have you recently been asked to do so and are truly hesitant to start? Well, if you answered "Yes" to either one of those scenarios, then don't fret, because "First Bite" has you covered, thanks to the "forward-thinking" of leaders in Wisconsin. So, be inspired by your SLP colleagues Jennifer Eggert and Dawn Merth-Johnson, as they share the dynamic interprofessional practice team they built at the Wisconsin state level, the systematic steps they took during the 2024-2025 school year to implement the initial evaluation and treatment of pediatric feeding disorder protocols, and how they plan to engage in implementation science to tweak and grow for the 2025 -2026 school year. By the end of this hour, you will have functional steps to start in your district/state, too!

Guests:

Jennifer Eggert, MS, CCC-SLP, C/NDT, has dedicated her entire career to providing evaluation and treatment for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children with a range of congenital and acquired diagnoses. Jennifer's focus has consistently been in the area of oral-motor and feeding disorders. She has served for 20 years as an instructor in the University of Wisconsin system and at Marquette University, teaching a variety of undergraduate and graduate-level courses, in addition to providing both on- and off-campus student supervision. Jennifer is the outgoing president of the Wisconsin Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Association (WSHA).

Dawn Merth-Johnson, MA, CCC-SLP, is an Education Consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, specializing in speech-language services and assistive technology. She brings 29 years of clinical and supervisory experience across various settings, including schools, long-term rehabilitation facilities, state agencies, and university programs. Dawn presents at both state and national conferences on topics related to leadership, advocacy, and clinical practice. She serves as Wisconsin’s ASHA Co-State Education Advocacy Leader (Co-SEAL) and is the ASHA SEAL Champion for the Midwest region.