First Bite with Michelle L.W. Dawson

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First Bite with Michelle L.W. Dawson

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If you're a pediatric SLP with more questions than answers when it comes to treating your medically complex/fragile pediatric patients, this podcast is for you!

08/19/2026

💜🎙️New Episode Alert 356🎉 “Training Pediatric SLPs for Community Impact” ✨🎧💜

In this episode of the First Bite podcast, host Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, is joined by Paula V. Pineda, SLPD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, bilingual speech-language pathologist, Chief Clinical Supervisor at Teachers College, Columbia University, and President of the ASHA Hispanic Caucus, for a thoughtful conversation about preparing pediatric SLPs to serve culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Drawing from their lived experiences, Michelle and Paula discuss how those experiences have shaped their clinical practice and highlighted important gaps in graduate training. Paula shares why cultural humility, authentic partnerships, and family-centered care are essential for effective pediatric practice while introducing evidence-based resources that support these approaches.

The episode also offers practical strategies for supporting bilingual and monolingual students, mentoring bilingual SLP trainees, creating more equitable clinical learning experiences, and strengthening community capacity through intentional training and collaboration.

🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/first-bite-fed-fun-functional-slp-insights/id1399630680?i=1000784093425

🎙️Listen on Spotify Podcasts Here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6HrQESHLgI63XC0LZgCMeB?si=PnKomoA4Rc6P5Hr8lvOnXg&utm_source=copy-link

🎥Watch on YouTube Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_W2v8z-dUA

✨💡Log into your Speech Therapy PD account to earn .1 ASHA CEU🤓✨

slpsofcolor

08/16/2026

💜In this week’s episode Heather requested that all 💜 donations be sent to Children’s Dyslexia Centers a charity of the The Scottish Rite Freemasonry to support their efforts in “making a difference in the life of a child.
We know that when parents understand dyslexia and feel supported, children flourish. Our goal is to make the learning journey a partnership built on trust, compassion, and shared progress.”

“WHAT WE BELIEVE: Families Are At The Heart of our Community. We know that when parents understand dyslexia and feel supported, children flourish. Our goal is to make the learning journey a partnership built on trust, compassion, and shared progress.”

😊 Thank you Heather for sharing this amazing organization with us 💜

🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/first-bite-fed-fun-functional-slp-insights/id1399630680?i=1000782713727

🎙️Listen on Spotify Podcasts Here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0YENYCJ8QswDZQRX4DNfQ1?si=9I0GcbZlScmRbk9LBgVyoQ&utm_source=copy-link

🎥Watch on YouTube Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l23q5DHDqc

💜Donate Here: https://childrensdyslexiacenters.org/donate/

✨🙋🏻‍♀️💜Thank you for lifting one another up!

speechtherapy

08/13/2026

✨💜 is officially ALL in Middle School!!!💜✨

🪿 is in 8th

🐻 is in 6th

And Miss Waffles 🧇 🐕 was bribed with a “Pup Cup” 🍦 for her picture this morning…. Maybe we should have bribed Daddy Dawson with coffee ☕️ 😂 Just Kidding 😂 These three simply can’t take a serious photo 🤭😂

💜Praying for a year of safety, joyful memories, growth in learning, growth in kind friendships, and the same for the teachers and staff too 💜 Lord thank you for today!!💜

08/12/2026

🎉🎙️New Podcast #355 “Language, Literacy, and the Path to Reading Success”🎙️🎉

In this episode of First Bite, Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP, is joined by Heather L. Ramsdell, PhD, CCC-SLP, CALT, QIT, for a passionate, research-backed discussion that positions speech-language pathologists as central to literacy development. Heather reframes dyslexia and reading challenges as reflections of underlying language and developmental profiles, explains how early oral language skills lay the foundation for reading, and discusses key early indicators of risk and the diverse developmental pathways that contribute to reading difficulties.

Throughout the episode, Heather also explores what structured language intervention looks like in SLP practice, the linguistic nature of spelling, practical strategies for advocacy, and ways to collaborate effectively with educators and psychologists. Whether you work in schools, early intervention, or private practice, this episode encourages SLPs to embrace their essential role in supporting literacy and confidently lead the conversation around reading success.

🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/first-bite-fed-fun-functional-slp-insights/id1399630680?i=1000782713727

🎙️Listen on Spotify Podcasts Here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0YENYCJ8QswDZQRX4DNfQ1?si=9I0GcbZlScmRbk9LBgVyoQ&utm_source=copy-link

🎥Watch on YouTube Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l23q5DHDqc

✨💡Log into your Speech Therapy PD account to earn .1 ASHA CEU🤓✨

08/10/2026

💜In this week’s episode Sharon, Ryan, and Katherine requested that all 💜 donations be sent to ASHFoundation to support their efforts in making research opportunities accessible for all 💜

“ASHFoundation supports innovators and sparks innovation in communication sciences. We give early support to promising students, researchers, and clinicians exploring bold ideas to transform the field and improve people’s lives.”

😊 Thank you Sharon, Ryan, and Katherine for sharing this amazing organization with us 💜

🎧Listen Here on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/first-bite-fed-fun-functional-slp-insights/id1399630680?i=1000781252052

🎙️Listen Here on Spotify Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7mHWQUNtLarKagh1LEsAN0?si=c8DJhUfXQwWOZzOpMacdNQ&utm_source=copy-link

🎥Watch Here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ad4TEu_zEw

💜Donate Here: https://www.ashfoundation.org/ways-to-give/

✨🙋🏻‍♀️💜Thank you for lifting one another up!

08/08/2026

💜In this week’s episode Tiffany, Sara, and Leslie requested that all 💜 donations be sent to the National Perinatal Association.💜

✨”NPA is an interdisciplinary organization of professionals, parents, students, and advocates who bring together people who are interested in perinatal care to share, to listen, and to learn from each other. We are building a community where all voices are heard with equity and respect as we work to improve perinatal care - TOGETHER.”✨

😊 Thank you Tiffany, Sara, and Leslie for sharing this amazing organization with us 💜

🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/first-bite-fed-fun-functional-slp-insights/id1399630680?i=1000779865525

🎙️Listen on Spotify Podcasts Here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0eoljYB5rr3irN8qJtPCVL?si=kiLE5Fn9S12nUBMMSo4KAw&utm_source=copy-link

🎥Watch on YouTube Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DCaU-OC9dA

💜Donate Here: https://www.nationalperinatal.org/donate

✨🙋🏻‍♀️💜Thank you for lifting one another up!

08/07/2026

🏃🏻‍♀️🎉 You’re Invited to join team “First Bite Fun Runners” to support the ashfoundationcsd for a virtual from 5k September 25-27, 2026🎉🏃🏻‍♀️

Register Here: https://runsignup.com/Race/Events/MD/Rockville/ASHFoundation5kVirtualWalkRun

✨ And select “Join a team”

✨🏃🏻‍♀️💜🎙️Then pick “First Bite Fun Runners”

We are celebrating the American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation (ASHFoundation) for its 7th Annual Virtual Walk/Run: Run the Legacy. Fund the Future—now part of an expanded celebration for our 80th anniversary.

Thanks for joining team “First Bite” 🏃🏻‍♀️✨💜🎉🎙️

08/06/2026

🎉🎙️New Podcast Episode “NICU to EI with the Hospital-to-Home Systems Change Team” 🤓🎉

The journey from the NICU to Early Intervention involves far more than a referral. In this episode of First Bite, host Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP, is joined by Tiffany Elliott, MS, CCC-SLP, CNT, IBCLC, NTMTC, Sara Circelli, MA, IMH-E, PMH-C, and Leslie Butterfield, PhD, PMH-C from HospitaltoHomeSystemsChange.org to discuss how perinatal mental health, caregiver well-being, and coordinated systems of care shape outcomes for NICU graduates and their families.

Blending lived experience with clinical expertise, the conversation explores how postpartum anxiety, depression, and trauma can influence caregiver engagement, readiness to learn, and participation in their child’s care. The guests also share practical strategies for strengthening communication between hospital and community providers and creating smoother transitions to Early Intervention.

If you work in the NICU, Early Intervention, or another pediatric setting, you’ll gain practical ideas for strengthening referral pathways, reducing the dreaded “service cliff,” and supporting families during one of the most vulnerable transitions they will experience.

🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/first-bite-fed-fun-functional-slp-insights/id1399630680?i=1000779865525

🎙️Listen on Spotify Podcasts Here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0eoljYB5rr3irN8qJtPCVL?si=kiLE5Fn9S12nUBMMSo4KAw&utm_source=copy-link

🎥Watch on YouTube Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DCaU-OC9dA

✨💡Log into your Speech Therapy PD account to earn .1 ASHA CEU🤓✨

08/04/2026

💜In last week’s episode Susan requested that all 💜 donations be sent to the ACLU to support their efforts in daring “to create a more perfect union — beyond one person, party, or side. Our mission is to realize this promise of the United States Constitution for all and expand the reach of its guarantees.”💜

😊 Thank you Susan for sharing this amazing organization with us 💜

🎧Listen on Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/first-bite-fed-fun-functional-slp-insights/id1399630680?i=1000778702235

🎙️Listen on Spotify Podcasts Here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2VXHUTvn9XITJsrC3QdYUQ?si=1zW1cKqNTm6L3Ibr_NNVEg&utm_source=copy-link

🎥Watch on YouTube Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMhO4JV1_KQ

💜Donate Here: https://action.aclu.org/give/join-the-aclu-multistep

✨🙋🏻‍♀️💜Thank you for lifting one another up!

08/03/2026

✨🎉Catch “First Bite” LIVE for an incredibly special episode on Thursday August 6th, at 7pm EST “Celebrating ASHFoundation: 80 Years of Advancing Clinical Practice”🎉✨

In this episode of First Bite, Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, FNAP, is joined by Sharon E. Moss, PhD, CCC-SLP, CAE, Executive Director of the ASHFoundation, along with past funding recipients Katherine M. Trice, BA, and Ryan McCreery, PhD, to celebrate the ASHFoundation’s 80th anniversary.

If you’ve been watching the news and wondering how research funding cuts might impact our field, take a breath. The ASHFoundation is stepping up. Together, they discuss how innovative funding initiatives, including the Need-Based Emergency Funding Program, are supporting students, early-career investigators, and the future of communication sciences and disorders. Katherine and Ryan also share their personal experiences, highlighting the impact of Foundation support on their research and professional journeys.

From emergency funding to the Virtual 5K and grassroots fundraising efforts, this episode highlights the many ways the ASHFoundation is advancing research, education, and innovation while bringing the professions together. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of the Foundation’s impact and how speech-language pathologists and audiologists can help support its mission.

🤓Log into your Speech Therapy PD account to register and earn .1 ASHA CEU✨

💜And if you are feeling inspired… then, sign up and join the “First Bite Fun Runners” ASHFoundation 5k team!! 🏃🏻‍♀️ Sign up in the LinkTree 🌳

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https://www.speechtherapypd.com/firstbite

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