Hosted by the Coordination of Care SIG

SOFFI: How to Support Parents and Infants During Early Feedings at Home or Other Settings 

When: Thursday, April 20 | 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Location: 
Zoom (Login will be emailed prior to the presentation)

Presenter: 
Kayla Warren, M.S., CCC-SLP

1.0 Ethics CEU will be available for attendance.

Summary:
SOFFI® is an integrated approach to supporting oral feeding in preterm and in infants who have complex medical issues, both in the NICU and in the Early Intervention setting. As with many early intervention techniques, it is valuable for Behavior Analysts to have a general understanding of the interventions in order to coordinate care and support feeding intervention.

SOFFI® provides a contextual frame that includes several assumptions. 1. Feeding is an interactive process that requires observation of an infant’s precursors and target behaviors during feeding. 2. Conducting caregivers interviews and preference assessments, using the results to contrive proper contingencies of reinforcement in order to shape the appropriate behavioral class. 3. Programming for generalization and maintenance.

The Coordination of Care SIG will host, Kayla Warren, M.S., CCC-SLP and Rodrigo Mendoza BCBA, LBA, to facilitate a training session inclusive of evidence-based information related to coordination of care, ethical guidelines for coordinating care, and guidelines to support BCBA clinical decisions for ABA treatment. The presentation will also provide a model of the interventions. Participants will encounter different relational contexts and discipline’s specific terms. The presenters will direct the participants’ attention to observable behavior. For example, the term homeostasis, the BCBA will learn to recognize precursors (signs of distress) as they relate to the establishment of an appropriate feeding routine.

Learning Objectives:

• Operationally define and behaviorally describe the difference between the terms "feeding" and "nourish" to support proper programming conditions.
• Operationally define and behaviorally describe feeding terms (i.e. homeostasis) in relation to infant feeding, and will be able to recognize and identify precursors (i.e. signs of distress) as they relate to the establishment of a successful feeding routine.
• Learn about private events involved in eating/feeding and how to program at least 1 intervention that could sustain positive feeding routines with the support of a feeding professional.
• Learn strategies for coordinating services with colleagues and other professionals, consistent with an interdisciplinary and team-based approach to care, in accordance with the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts 2.10 Collaborating with Colleagues.