Spotlight on: Jennifer McGlothlin

Jenny McGlothlin, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, is a certified speech-language pathologist and certified lactation counselor specializing in the evaluation and treatment of feeding disorders for children from birth through the teen years. She has been practicing for 20+ years and during that time, developed the STEPS feeding program at the Callier Center for Communication Disorders at the University of Texas at Dallas, where she works with families to foster feeding skills that will serve a child for a lifetime. Her passion is teaching children how to eat when they just can’t figure it out on their own. McGlothlin has been inducted into the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Hall of Fame for her work in the field. She also serves as the Vice President for Social and Governmental Policy for the TSHA, advocating for the profession and for the ethical treatment of consumers receiving speech and feeding/swallowing services.

McGlothlin teaches graduate-level courses on feeding and early child development, and supervises graduate students in their clinical rotations. She frequently provides feeding workshops for parents and continuing education seminars and webinars for therapists, nationally and internationally. She has co-authored two books, Helping Your Child with Extreme Picky Eating and Conquer Picky Eating for Teens and Adults with Katja Rowell, MD, and is a frequent guest on podcasts, television, and print media. As a mother of three school-aged children, McGlothlin makes family meals a priority amidst practices, games, and volunteer activities.

We asked Jenny:

Who are you?

I am a mother and spouse, a Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in feeding and motor speech disorders, a Certified Lactation Counselor, a researcher, a graduate student supervisor, a mentor, a writer, and an advocate.

What do you do?

I evaluate and treat children who have feeding/swallowing and communication disorders, from birth to teens, and specialize in young children aged newborn to 6. I work closely with parents from the first day we meet to determine how to best help their child. I provide differential diagnostic evaluations, serve as case manager for most of my patients, and work with a virtual multidisciplinary team of various specialists. During my work week, I provide evaluations, do individual intervention as well as run a group feeding therapy program where I partner with parents to help their child build the skills necessary to eat successfully. I also run a research registry at my university that serves as a study subject database for researchers and participate in feeding and speech-language research.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Well, usually my Tibetan Terrier Baxter! But truly, my children and my work are my driving forces, and while my kids’ busy lives keep me on my toes, require lots of organization, and bring me loads of joy, my work is fulfilling in a different way. During my career, I’ve been told “You saved our life” multiple times. Working with families to build a positive relationship around food and helping them achieve their goals for their child is truly one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

What one thing would you like ALL professionals working with feeding to know?

Children who are exhibiting “problem” behaviors during meals are communicating that there is a problem. It’s our job to get to the bottom of what that problem is and find solutions, whether that is through changing our approach to food or referring them for more thorough medical evaluation. I’ve never met a child who wasn’t eating well for no reason at all!