Feeding Matters Volunteer Spotlight is a monthly Q & A series that shares the stories of our growing network of change agents, the driving force behind our vision to create a world where children with pediatric feeding disorder will thrive. This month we bring you Dierdre Muldoon.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do.
I am an assistant professor, speech language pathologist, and board certified behavior analyst. I teach classes to graduate and undergraduate students in communication sciences and disorders. I also work in clinics – one is a multi-disciplinary evaluation clinic and the other is a feeding clinic that focuses primarily on children with challenging behavior and feeding/mealtime differences. I spend time in feeding clinics training and coaching parents who are invested in the health and well-being of their child on a daily basis; as a professional daily intervention is often not possible, and relying on parents is efficacious.

What motivated you to become involved with Feeding Matters?
I was motivated to get involved with Feeding Matters as a way to engage with other professionals who are as interested in feeding and mealtime difficulties as I am. I am also interested in volunteering because I feel that the area of behavior management in oral phase and oral preparatory dysphagia is not well represented in speech-language pathology. Feeding Matters offers a variety of ways in which to disseminate evidence based practices and research that I believe will be helpful for many professionals.

How have you volunteered with Feeding Matters?
I am working on the resource committee. We are currently working on updating the information on the Feeding Matters website. I have reviewed the information and shared the reviews with the committee. I have also reviewed articles for the website. I meet with committee members every two months as we continue to update the information for professionals and parents.

What has been your favorite part of volunteering with Feeding Matters?
I have enjoyed getting to work with other professionals who share the same professional interests as me. I have also enjoyed working with the professionals at Feeding Matters as they have been accommodating and open to all of the suggestions that we, as a committee, make. I am also enjoying the challenge that the work presents – the area of pediatric feeding disorders is changing with the new diagnosis and I am enjoying learning and staying up to date with the research.

What sets Feeding Matters apart from other organizations?
I think that the way that Feeding Matters is encompassing parents and professionals and their unique perspectives is helpful. It is important that all professional and parent voices are heard and accepting and listening to evidence and practices is hard, yet embraced by Feeding Matters. The virtual conference also sets Feeding Matters apart.