Hosting the SOS Approach to Feeding Training Conference

Thank you for your interest in hosting the SOS Approach to Feeding course: When Children
Won’t Eat: Picky Eaters vs. Problems Feeders. Assessment and Treatment Using the
SOS Approach to Feeding.

The 4-Day Basic Training Conference is specifically designed for professionals who are
interested in learning the SOS Approach to Feeding program for assessing and treating
children with feeding difficulties. The Basic Training Conference provides a comprehensive
understanding in the theory of the SOS Approach, as well as an in-depth understanding of how
children learn to eat and to not eat, general and specific feeding treatment strategies, details of
the assessment of feeding disorders and how to conduct an SOS Approach to Feeding therapy
session. This course includes didactic materials in a Power Point format, along with video
review of children’s eating difficulties and direct participation of attendees in eating, breathing
and posture exercises. (Please see the agenda provided as a separate attachment for the
specific topics covered as a part of this training.)

In order to help you make the best-informed decision about hosting an SOS Training
Conference, we ask that you review the following information and attachments in full. These
guidelines and requirements are designed to help create an optimal learning experience for the
course participants.

- Course Schedule
- Hosting Agency/Site Responsibilities
- Speaker’s Fees
- Course Objectives
- Speaker Information

Once you have reviewed all of the information provided, please contact our Business Manager,
Lisa Hake at lisahake@sosapproach.com with any additional questions you may have or to
reserve your conference dates.

Thank you so much for your interest in hosting an SOS Approach to Feeding Training
Conference.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kay A. Toomey and Staff

Conference Requirements, Agenda and Speaking fees outlined in the following document are
subject to change without notice. Final requirements, agenda and speaking fees to be reflected
in the contract submitted by Toomey & Associates once the host reserves and confirms the
conference dates.

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 When Children Won’t Eat: Picky Eaters vs. Problems Feeders
Assessment and Treatment Using the SOS Approach to Feeding
(SEQUENTIAL ORAL SENSORY)

4 DAY BASIC SOS APPROACH TO FEEDING TRAINING SEMINAR

Schedule

Days 1-4 = 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, with two 15-minute breaks and 1 hour for lunch each day.
(Please contact the Business Manager if your site cannot accommodate these times).

PLEASE NOTE: The SOS Approach to Feeding conference is presented in English. If

translation is required, the Host is responsible for arrangement and payment of translation
services. Please notify the conference coordinator if a translator will be used during the
conference.

Hosting Agency/Site Responsibilities:

1. Expense and Logistical Arrangements

a. For 0-199 Registrants = travel expenses (Business Class travel for out-of-the-country
speaking engagements), lodging and food for all days (including traveling days) for 2
speakers; 2 hotel rooms (queen sized-beds) required; printing of handouts;
audiovisual equipment fees; room/site arrangement & fees; all speaker transportation
needs; snacks and refreshments during breaks for the attendees; VISA fees (if
required), publicity and registration (brochure and website); conference
demonstration foods.

b. For 200 or more Registrants = travel expenses (Business Class travel for out-of-the-
country speaking engagements), lodging and food for all days (including traveling
days) for 3 speakers; 3 hotel rooms (queen sized-beds) required; printing of
handouts; audiovisual equipment fees; room/site arrangement & fees; all speaker
transportation needs; snacks and refreshments during breaks for the attendees;
VISA fees (if required), publicity and registration (brochure and website); conference
demonstration foods.

2. Audiovisual Needs =
 Please see attached Audiovisual Requirements Document.

3. Food Supplies Requirements =

 Please see attached Demonstration Food Requirements Document.
 If the exact Demonstration Food is not available, Host will need to arrange for
appropriate substitutions that can be found locally. Substitution food will require
verification and approval from Dr. Toomey at least one month prior to the conference
start date.

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 4. 2021 Speaker’s Fees = the fees will be tiered based on the number of individuals
registered for the Seminar. The fee pays for both speakers.

For a 4 Day Basic Conference (U.S. Dollars)

- $18,000.00 if 75-99 attendees at the Seminar*
- $19,000.00 if 100-199 attendees at the Seminar*
- $20,000.00 if 200-299 attendees at the Seminar * (more than 200 registrants, 3
speakers are required)
- $21,000.00 if 300+ attendees at the Seminar * (more than 300 registrants, 3
speakers are required)

** NOTE: Speaking fees are subject to change without notice. Final speaking fees
to be reflected in the contract submitted by Toomey & Associates once the host
reserves and confirms the conference dates.

5. Management of the Continuing Education Units is the responsibility of the Host. Toomey
& Associates, Inc. will provide you with all of the information needed to create the
brochures and to request the CEU’s well in advance of the conference.

6. Parent Attendee Requirements - Please be aware that the training conference is created
and intended for professionals rather than parents of children with feeding issues. While
parents may attend one of the conferences, they must attend with their child’s feeding
therapist. This allows their therapist to assist the parent(s) in understanding the
information provided in the conference and ensures that the conference stays on
schedule for the other professionals attending the conference.

Course Objectives, Presenters, Non-Disclosures and Speaker Bio

OBJECTIVES:

1. Identify oral, sensory, motor, cognitive and emotional developmental milestones key to feeding.
2. Recognize and describe the major reasons why children won’t eat, as based on learning theory
principles.
3. Identify physical, behavioral, motor, oral-motor, and sensory factors as a part of a Feeding
Assessment.
4. Apply behavioral and social learning principles, and systematic desensitization strategies to
feeding problems.
5. Create and implement a S.O.S feeding program for toddlers and young children, in group and
individual treatment formats.

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(Presenters to include Dr. Toomey and one or two of the following individuals)

PRESENTERS:

Kay A. Toomey, PhD

(Pediatric Psychologist; President of Toomey & Associates, Inc.; Clinical Consultant to the
Feeding Clinic at STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder)

Erin Ross, PhD, CCC-SLP

(Neonatal and Pediatric Speech Pathologist; Assistant Clinical Professor at University of
Colorado; Faculty at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions; President, Feeding
FUNdamentals, LLC)

Bethany Kortsha, MA, OTR/L

(Pediatric Occupational Therapist; Pediatric Feeding Specialist)

Kelly Fitzpatrick, CCC-SLP

(Pediatric Speech Pathologist; Pediatric Feeding Specialist)

Lindsay Beckerman, MOT, OTR/L

(Pediatric Occupational Therapist; Pediatric Feeding Specialist)

Deborah Lagerborg, CCC-SLP

(Pediatric Speech Pathologist; Pediatric Feeding Specialist)

Amanda Foster, MS CCC-SLP

(Pediatric Speech Pathologist; Pediatric Feeding Specialist)

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Dr. Kay A. Toomey – Paid Consultant for Nestle Infant Nutrition (Gerber division);
Unpaid Medical Professional Council Member for Feeding Matters, (formerly P.O.P.S.I.C.L.E.);
Paid Speaker for Education Resources, Inc.;
Paid Speaker for STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder

Dr. Erin Ross – Paid Consultant for Nestle Infant Nutrition (Gerber division);
            Unpaid Medical Professional Council Member for Feeding Matters, (formerly P.O.P.S.I.C.L.E.);
            Intellectual Property Owner, SOFFI MethodSM;
            Paid Speaker for Education Resources, Inc.;
            Paid Speaker for STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder

Bethany Kortsha – Paid Speaker for Education Resources, Inc.;

Paid Speaker for STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder

Kelly Fitzpatrick - Paid Speaker for Education Resources, Inc.;

Paid Speaker for STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder

Lindsay Beckerman - Paid Speaker for Education Resources, Inc.;

Paid Speaker for STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder

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STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS (continued)

Deborah Lagerborg – Paid Speaker for Education Resources, Inc.;

Paid Speaker for STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder

Amanda Foster – Paid Speaker for Education Resources, Inc.;

Paid Speaker for STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder

BIOGRAPHICAL STATEMENTS:

Dr. Kay A. Toomey is a Pediatric Psychologist who has worked with children who don’t eat for almost
30 years. She has developed the SOS Approach to Feeding as a family centered program for
assessing and treating children with feeding problems. Dr. Toomey speaks nationally and internationally
about her approach. She also acts as a consultant to Gerber Products. Dr. Toomey helped to form The
Children’s Hospital – Denver’s Pediatric Oral Feeding Clinic, as well as the Rose Medical Center’s
Pediatric Feeding Center. Dr. Toomey co-chaired the Pediatric Therapy Services Department at Rose
Medical Center prior to entering private practice. Dr. Toomey acted as the Clinical Director for Toomey
& Associates, Inc.’s Feeding Clinic for six years and SOS Feeding Solutions at STAR Institute for eight
years. Dr. Toomey is currently the President of Toomey & Associates, Inc., and acts as a Clinical
Consultant to the Feeding Clinic at STAR Institute.

Dr. Erin Ross is a Speech Pathologist with a Doctoral degree in Clinical Sciences – Health
Services Research. She completed a two-year post-doctoral training in the Section of Nutrition
and is a Clinical Instructor in the School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, at the
University of Colorado Denver. Dr. Ross has over 25 years of experience working in the NICU
within several HealthONE hospitals, and with children when she was at the SOS Feeding
Solutions clinic in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Ross is the creator of the SOFFI MethodSM, a feeding
program for use in the NICU. She has specialized in the development of feeding skills, and the
etiology and treatment of feeding and growth problems in infants and very young children from
initial hospitalization through the first 5 years of life. 

Bethany CF Kortsha, MA, OTR/L received her Master of Arts degree in Occupational Therapy from
The College of Saint Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota. She completed her master’s thesis on Autism
and feeding challenges using the SOS Approach to Feeding. Bethany currently works as a Pediatric
Feeding Specialist at the Feeding Clinic at STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder with Dr. Lucy
Jane Miller. She is also the Director of Clinical Mentorship for Toomey & Associates, Inc. Prior to joining
STAR Institute and Toomey & Associates, Inc., Bethany worked as a member on a multidisciplinary
team in a day treatment clinic for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, SPD, emotional/behavioral
disorders, and feeding problems. Additionally, Bethany has completed the STAR Institute’s Intensive
Mentorship Program and is a certified DIR Floortime Provider.

Kelly Fitzpatrick, CCC-SLP received her Master of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and
Disorders from The University of Memphis. She currently works as a Pediatric Specialist and Speech
Pathologist for Rocky Mountain Health and Human Services. She specializes in feeding difficulties in
children 0-5 years old and those who are G-tube dependent. Prior to her position with RMHHS, Kelly
acted as the Assistant Clinical Director of SOS Feeding Solutions at the STAR Institute for Sensory
Processing Disorder with Dr. Lucy Jane Miller. Kelly began her career in a pediatric outpatient hospital
setting using the SOS Approach to Feeding program. Kelly has also completed the STAR Institute’s
Intensive Mentorship Program and is a certified DIR Floortime Provider.

Lindsay Beckerman, MOT, OTR/L received her Master of Occupational Therapy degree from The Ohio
State University. She currently works as a Pediatric Feeding Specialist at the Feeding Clinic at the
6 3/18
STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder with Dr. Lucy Jane Miller. She specializes in feeding
difficulties in atypical learners, including children and teens with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, and
multisensory processing difficulties. Prior to joining STAR Institute, Lindsay worked as a member of a
multidisciplinary team with Autism Spectrum Disorders, SPD, emotional/behavioral disorders and
feeding problems. Additionally, Lindsay has completed the STAR Institute’s Level 1 and Level 2
Intensive Mentorship Programs and is a certified DIR Floortime Provider.

Deborah Lagerborg, CCC-SLP received her Master’s in Speech Language Pathology from the
University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. During her graduate studies, she focused on feeding
disorders and dysphagia in infants and children. Deborah currently works as a Pediatric Feeding
Specialist and Speech Pathologist for Developmental Disabilities Resource Center. Prior to this
position, Deborah worked at a Pediatric Feeding Specialist at SOS Feeding Solutions at STAR Institute.
Deborah began her career in a pediatric outpatient hospital setting, working primarily with infants and
children with feeding disorders. She also spent time working in the NICU as part of a multidisciplinary
team, supporting premature infant development and early feeding experiences. Deborah’s passion is to
work with the families, empowering parents to support their own child’s development and success.

Amanda Foster, MS CCC-SLP, received her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from
Massachusetts General Hospital IHP. For over 15 years, Mrs. Foster has worked with children with a
variety of diagnoses in school, clinic, hospital, and early intervention settings. She began her feeding
career in 2005 at Toomey & Associates, Inc. and then moved to the STAR Center with Dr. Toomey. In
2010, Mrs. Foster started a private practice specializing in providing feeding support for families in their
homes and in community settings. Currently, she is the Lead Speech and Feeding Therapist at a multi-
disciplinary pediatric clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to presenting The SOS Approach to Feeding
with Toomey & Associates, Inc. Mrs. Foster has lectured on swallowing disorders at Metropolitan State
College in Denver, Colorado. She also regularly presents on speech and feeding disorders at parent,
teacher, and professional seminars.

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 When Children Won’t Eat:
Picky Eaters versus Problem Feeders
Assessment and Treatment Using the SOS Approach to Feeding

4 DAY – CONFERENCE COURSE AGENDA

DAY 1:
7:30am to 8:00am Registration

8:00am to 10:00am I. Introduction

A. Prevalence
B. What do we know from the Research?
C. Tenets of SOS

10:00am to 10:15am Break

10:15am to noon D. Top 10 Myths

II. Feeding Theory - How children learn to AND not to eat

A. Learning Theory
1. Application to Feeding
2. Feeding Therapy options
12:00pm to 1:00pm Lunch

1:00pm to 3:00pm A. Learning Theory

3. Feeding Video

III. Feeding Skills

A. Myth 1 = Breathing
B. Motor milestones

3:00pm to 3:15 pm Break

3:15pm to 5:00pm C. Oral-Motor milestones

D. Neurosensory

DAY 2:
8:00am to 10:00am III. Feeding Skills - continued
E. Steps to Eating
F. Developmental Food Continuum

10:00am to 10:15am Break

10:15am to noon F. Developmental Food Continuum – continued

G. Cognitive Development

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DAY 2 continued:

12:00pm to 1:00pm Lunch

1:00pm to 3:00pm III. Feeding Skills - continued

H. Psychological Developmental Stages

IV. General Treatment/Interventions

A. Strategies for Family Meals

3:00pm to 3:15pm Break

3:15pm to 5:00pm A. Strategies for Family Meals - continued

B. Preventing Food Jags

V. Assessment of Feeding Problems

A. Assessment Process
B. Referral Candidates
C. Reasons Children Won’t Eat

DAY 3:
8:00am to 10:00am V. Assessment of Feeding Problems - continued
D. Child Factors
E. Environmental Factors
F. Parent Factors
G. Practice Videos

10:00am to 10:15am Break

10:15am to noon VI. The SOS Approach to Feeding – Therapy Sessions

A. Systematic Desensitization
B. Cues to Eating

12:00pm to 1:00pm Lunch

1:00pm to 3:00pm C. Language Use

D. Therapy Format - Child
E. Therapy Format – Parent

3:00pm to 3:15pm Break

3:15pm to 5:00pm F. SOS Data

G. Building a Food Hierarchy
- using food as your therapy tools

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DAY 4:
8:00am to 10:00am VI. The SOS Approach to Feeding – Therapy Sessions - continued

G. Building a Food Hierarchy - continued

H. Hierarchy Strategies

10:00am to 10:15am Break

10:15am to noon H. Hierarchy Strategies - continued

12:00pm to 1:00pm Lunch

1:00pm to 3:00pm I. Video Practice: Progression Within Session

J. SOS Data

3:00pm to 3:15pm Break

3:15pm to 5:00pm VII. Managing Maladaptive Behaviors

A. Overview
B. Preventing “problem” behaviors
C. Intervention strategies - basic
D. Emotion Based Discipline

VIII. The SOS Approach to Feeding - Audience Practice

A. Video Practice: Progression Across Sessions

** Participants are expected to attend the course for the entire length of each day (8:00 am to
5:00 pm, Days 1-4) in order to receive their Certificate of Attendance and their full CEU credits.
Participants will miss crucial information needed to be able to correctly use the SOS Approach
to Feeding program if they come late or leave the course early. Please make all travel
arrangements to ensure you do not arrive late or need to leave early on any day.

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