My name is Maureen Flanagan, and I am a licensed and certified pediatric speech/language pathologist with more than 40 years’ experience in the industry. My extensive training has enabled me to help children diagnosed with a variety of challenging conditions including feeding disorders, autism spectrum disorder, auditory processing disorder, social language disorders, communication disorders, receptive/expressive language disorders, apraxia, and dysarthria.

My services include screenings, full evaluations, individual and group therapy, consultations, and home programs. My goal is always to develop the best plan to treat the whole child, and I frequently draw on my training in PROMPT, NDT philosophy, and Sensory Integration Theory to do so. I am also a craniosacral therapist, Bowen practitioner, and certified children’s yoga instructor.

In addition to my work as a therapist, I have written two books “Improving Speech and Eating Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: an oral motor program for home and school” and “Strategies for A Successful Mealtime.”  I have also spoken at conventions including the Milestones Conference and have hosted several feeding webinars, most recently for the Autism Asperger’s Publishing Company. I have also designed and manufactured The Step Up Cup, a child’s cup with all features needed for successful drinking.

Many of the autistic children I have treated have exhibited sensory integration disorder, which affects their ability to process information through their auditory, tactile, visual, proprioceptive, vestibular, and kinesthetic systems. Proper integration is essential for any home or clinic program and is the basis of my treatment approach at Sweet Bay Magnolia Academy. My books, which have been purchased for every student, suggest activities that will help your child when he/she is under-stimulated or over-stimulated. For example, if the child is under-stimulated prior to therapy or a mealtime, I suggest:

If the child is over-stimulated prior to therapy or a mealtime, I suggest:

• Try a weighted vest
• Rock slowly in a rocking chair
• Roll up in a blanket
• Use lavender in a diffuser

It is also important to pay attention to the treatment environment and ensure that the following conditions are in place:

• Keep auditory information short, grammatically correct, and at times repetitive so children can better understand what will happen next.
• Keep visual information to a minimum.
• Use a picture-based or written schedule to help children predict their schedules.

Another way to prepare a child for therapy or a meal is to provide predictable tactile input. This decreases an autistic child’s fight/flight/freeze response. I have developed a protocol, known as the oral sensory diet, that does just this. It is an oral motor program that provides predictable, tactile input that assists with oral awareness, oral discrimination, oral stability, separation of movement and sequencing of oral movements. The oral sensory diet is used with many of the children at Sweet Bay Magnolia Academy and can be easily incorporated into a home program.

Many of the parents that I have worked with have found my therapy techniques to be extremely helpful. Some comments are: “By using the “first-then” approach to mealtime, my four-year-old is now experimenting more with food than ever before.”, “The “Oral Sensory Diet” has been extremely helpful for both improved eating and speech for my child!”, and “These treatment strategies can be incorporated easily into the child’s daily routine at home.” I look forward to helping you and your child achieve their full potential.