Guest Blogger
Dawn Winkelmann
Dawn Winkelmann, M.S, CCC-SLP is a Speech Language Pathologist and Feeding Specialist with over 17 years of experience treating children with swallowing and feeding disorders. She is most recognized for her innate ability to coach parents of children with picky eating habits as well as parents struggling with feeding a medically fragile child.
Children who have difficulty eating often leave parents feeling rejected after meals. Dawn is passionate about helping parents through this difficult journey. She guides parents in a supportive and nonjudgmental way that helps families reconnect during mealtime.
Dawn lectures across the United States educating parents whose children possess a variety of picky eating challenges as well as children who are tube fed and who have either been diagnosed with Autism or Down syndrome.
Dawn is the Clinical Director at her clinic, Spectrum Speech & Feeding, LLC located in beautiful Newport Beach, California. She is busy working on another feeding workshop for parents! For more information please visit SpectrumSpeech.com.
In her free time, she is also a professor for the Speech Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) program at Santa Ana College because she feels it is vital to ensure the future of her profession with competent, passionate therapists who will continue nourishing our children into the future.
Dawn lives in scenic Dana Point, California with her amazingly supportive husband, Roberto and her very talented therapy dog, Abby. (Spoiler Alert -- More on Abby in my blog post series!)
www.spectrumspeech.com/
Product Recommendations: What REALLY Works? A Feeding Specialist’s Perspective
As a parent, have you ever thought to yourself “I wish there were some practical tools out there to help me feed my kids!”? Look no further! I will show you my top 4 favorites that are on the walls and in my cabinets at my therapy clinic!
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Amazing Abby-Super Dog!
Have eating fears? Don’t worry super dog is here! (The image has not been altered; this picture was taken while en route to rescue a picky eater.) Meet Abby, my amazing blue heeler! My clients and mother-in-law call her, a “healer”. Abby is a working dog by breed and she is definitely a working dog [...]
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Strategies to Support Picky Eaters BEFORE your Holiday Meal
Stress, panic and fear…the holidays are here! The next two months are usually the most stressful for parents of children with picky eating habits. Tensions are oftentimes high during this season and dining in the homes of extended family members can make a parent feel like they have to hover over their child’s every move [...]
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Positive Language = Positive Results
You lie in wait for your child’s reaction. She sees the new food on her plate. She smells it, and then stabs it with a fork. You’re holding your breath… and… YES she tried it! You are so excited your picky eater just ate a bite of this new food and you shout from the [...]
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The Life of a Feeding Specialist: Why I do what I do
I’ve gotten my nose broken from a flinging arm, a fractured rib from a fleeing kick, a black eye from a flying Sippy cup to name a few injuries. I’ve also spent countless days covered in either: vomit, breast milk, food or other. If you are a parent reading this, you may be thinking, “What’s [...]
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