The Untethered Podcast™

As pediatric therapists, we know that our time with a child is only one small piece of the puzzle. Real, lasting progress happens when parents and caregivers feel confident carrying strategies into everyday family life. Yet, navigating parent communication can sometimes feel like its own clinical challenge.

In this episode, Hallie sits down with Johanna Stadtmauer, MS, CCC-SLP, a pediatric speech-language pathologist, feeding therapist, and owner of Ready Stadt Speech. Johanna shares her passion for family-centered care, breaking down how clinicians can intentionally weave counseling skills and active listening into their daily practice to meet parents exactly where they are.

They explore how Johanna uses innovative practice models like caregiver classes to build a supportive local community, and dive into how private practice owners can leverage social media and AI tools responsibly without losing the human connection that defines excellent therapy. Whether you’re looking to deepen your rapport with families or want actionable insights on clinical entrepreneurship, this interview offers a refreshing, holistic roadmap.

About the Guest: Johanna Stadtmauer, MS, CCC-SLP

Johanna Stadtmauer is a pediatric speech-language pathologist, feeding therapist, and the owner of Ready Stadt Speech, serving families in Northern Bergen County, New Jersey. Specializing in the early stages of speech, language, feeding, and literacy development, Johanna is also an SLP consultant and advisor.

As both a clinician and a mother to three young children, she brings a uniquely relatable perspective to child development, helping parents feel genuinely empowered rather than overwhelmed.

Key Topics & Takeaways

Counseling Skills in Action: Moving past rigid clinical updates and incorporating active listening to facilitate goal-focused, empathetic conversations with caregivers.
Building Community Beyond the Table: How designing and promoting local caregiver classes transforms isolated parenting struggles into shared community experiences.
Responsible Tech Integration: Navigating the role of AI in modern practice—using tools like Glint to support administrative tasks or visual creation while fully preserving human judgment and clinical intuition.
Grounding in Your "Why": Why keeping your core mission at the forefront is the ultimate guide for sustainable private practice growth and marketing alignment.
The Multidisciplinary Approach: Empowering families by fostering a holistic care team that treats the whole child.

Soundbites

"Be transparent with families about what to expect. True collaboration starts with setting clear, honest expectations."
"AI can support but it can never replace human connection. Our empathy and clinical intuition are irreplaceable."
"Know your 'why' to guide your practice and growth. When things get complex, your core mission is your compass."

Timestamps

02:18 The Importance of Communication in Therapy
05:25 Navigating Challenges in Therapy
11:11 Building Community Through Caregiver Classes
14:38 Marketing and Positioning in Private Practice
19:09 The Absolute Importance of Human Connection
22:42 Navigating AI in Therapy Responsibly
27:44 Understanding Your Why
31:32 Building a Holistic Care Team
33:58 Empowering Families in Therapy
37:48 The Journey of an SLP Entrepreneur

Links & Resources

Visit Johanna’s Website: readystatsspeech.com
Follow Johanna on Instagram: @ReadyStadtSpeech

WORTH A LISTEN: CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY

Episode 371: When You Screen a Child and Think 'Now What?'
Episode 372: From Guessing to Growth: How a Clear Framework Transformed My Practice

STAY CONNECTED & GROW YOUR PRACTICE

Join the conversation: Get behind-the-scenes insights, clinical pearls, and real conversations over on Substack.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When a child struggles with feeding, it’s easy to get laser-focused on oral-motor exercises or sensory strategies. But what if the root cause isn't a lack of coordination, but a struggle to breathe?

In this solo episode, Hallie Bulkin dives deep into a critical, yet frequently missed, component of pediatric feeding therapy: airway screening. Airway issues often hide in plain sight, quietly undermining feeding progress and leaving clinicians wondering why their traditional treatment plans have stalled.

Hallie breaks down the undeniable connection between airway health, posture, and feeding mechanics. She highlights the specific signs of airway obstruction every therapist should look out for, outlines clear referral pathways, and explains why screening the airway is fully within your scope of practice. If you want to elevate your clinical outcomes and treat the whole child with true clarity and intention, this episode is a must-listen.

Key Topics & Takeaways

Airway in Scope: Why airway screening is not a luxury or a sub-specialty—it is a foundational part of your clinical scope as a feeding therapist.
Signs of Airway Obstruction: Recognizing the red flags of compromised breathing, from subtle mouth breathing and poor daytime posture to severe nighttime sleep disturbances.
Feeding Mechanics & Tongue Position: How an unsupported airway forces compensatory tongue resting positions, instantly disrupting the mechanics required for safe and efficient chewing and swallowing.
The Posture Connection: Why children with airway issues alter their head and neck alignment just to breathe, and how this compromised posture stalls feeding progress.
Navigating the Referral Pathway: Knowing exactly when to step back and coordinate care with an ENT or airway-focused specialist before proceeding with direct feeding intervention.

Soundbites

"Airway screening is not outside your lane - it is a vital part of your scope as a feeding therapist."
"If a child is struggling to breathe, their nervous system will always prioritize oxygen over eating. Tongue position impacts feeding mechanics, but airway dictates tongue position."
"We cannot out-therapy an airway obstruction. Sleep disturbances and daytime breathing struggles will always affect feeding outcomes."

Timestamps

01:15 Why Airway Screening Matters
03:00 The Biggest Mistake Feeding Therapists Make
06:01 Why Airway Is Often Missed in Training
09:00 What Airway Dysfunction Looks Like
12:00 The Medical System's Blind Spot
15:02 Airway Screening: What to Look For
18:00 Real-World Case Results & Outcomes
21:00 How to Start Screening for Airway Issues
24:00 Final Thoughts & Resources

Download the Packet here: https://www.feedthepeds.com/f-a-s-t-myo-screening-packet-3

WORTH A LISTEN: CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY

Episode 371: When You Screen a Child and Think 'Now What?'
Episode 369: The 4 Layers of Feeding: How to Finally Know Where to Start

STAY CONNECTED & GROW YOUR PRACTICE
Join the conversation: Get behind-the-scenes insights, clinical pearls, and real conversations over on Substack.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When looking into tethered oral tissues, it is easy to focus entirely on visual structural appearance. However, judging a restriction by looks alone frequently misses the true clinical picture. Real progress happens when healthcare providers shift the diagnostic paradigm away from what a tie looks like and focus entirely on how it affects dynamic function over a patient's lifespan.

In this episode, Hallie sits down with Dr. Richard Baxter, DMD, MS, FAAPD, a board-certified pediatric dentist, founder of the Alabama Tongue-Tie Center, and lead author of the bestselling book Tongue-Tied. Dr. Baxter shares his personal and professional insights into the complexities of identifying oral restrictions, moving past basic anatomical definitions to explore how a tiny string under the tongue can alter systemic, long-term health.

About the Guest: Dr. Richard Baxter

Dr. Richard Baxter is a board-certified pediatric dentist, a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), a Diplomate of the American Board of Laser Surgery, and the founder of the Alabama Tongue-Tie Center. As an internationally recognized speaker and creator of the Tongue-Tied Academy, he has dedicated his career to educating healthcare providers and parents on the structural and functional impacts of oral restrictions. Having experienced a tongue-tie himself and treated his three daughters as infants, his dedication to the field is deeply personal. He resides in Birmingham, Alabama, with his family.

Key Topics & Takeaways

Symptoms Over Appearance: Why a visual exam never tells the full story and why diagnostic protocols must prioritize symptom functional profiles over pure aesthetics.
Groundbreaking Research in Complex Profiles: Dr. Baxter shares fascinating insights from recent research surrounding oral restrictions and their structural correlations to cerebral palsy.
Buccal and Lip Ties Exploded: Clarifying the distinct functional impacts of cheek and lip restrictions, and how they play a role in infant feeding dynamics.
The Interdisciplinary Standard: Best practices for post-operative care, follow-up timelines, and maintaining clear, collaborative communication lines across the therapy team.

Soundbites
"Common does not mean normal.
" "Digestion starts in the mouth."
"Untie the shoelaces for proper function."

Timestamps
00:00:00 – Intro Hook: The Shoelace Analogy breakdown.
00:01:03 – Guest Welcome: Dr. Richard Baxter joins the show.
00:02:43 – Clinical Debate: Treating oral restrictions based on symptoms vs. appearance.
00:06:51 – Collaborative Care: How a therapist should present a concise, one-page case review to a doctor.
00:09:13 – The Post-Op Rule: Why myofunctional therapy is essential (The knee surgery comparison).
00:11:51 – Clinical Truths: Why "common" does not mean "normal" when tracking snoring or mouth-breathing.
00:13:08 – Complex Case Study: Dr. Baxter's landmark research on tongue-tie releases in children with Cerebral Palsy.
00:20:27 – Digestion & The Nervous System: How poor swallowing mechanics trigger chronic fight-or-flight states.
00:26:49 – Emerging Research: Survey insights on identifying and treating Buccal (cheek) ties globally.
00:32:24 – The Bed-Wetting Link: The surprising connection between airway stress, heart peptides, and nocturnal polyuria.
00:48:28 – Reclaiming "No-Man's Land": Why releasing ties between 6 months and 4 years old is critical for core brain development.

Links & Resources

Read the Best Selling Book: Tongue-Tied by Dr. Richard Baxter
Explore Clinical Resources: Visit TongueTie.com
Watch and Learn: Tune into Dr. Baxter's YouTube Channel

WORTH A LISTEN: CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY
Episode 200: Functional Impact: When A Tongue Tie Is ACTUALLY A Tongue Tie
EP 348: Tongue Ties, Sleep Apnea & More: The Patient-Centered Approach to Airway Dentistry

STAY CONNECTED & GROW YOUR PRACTICE

Join the conversation: Get behind-the-scenes insights, clinical pearls, and real conversations over on Substack.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Making the leap from a school-based setting into a specialized pediatric feeding niche is an incredible professional transformation. But what happens when that career pivot collides with your own deeply personal parenting journey?

In this episode, Hallie sits down with Aerica Walsh, M.S., CCC-SLP, CPFT™, an ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist, pediatric feeding therapist, and the founder of Thrive Therapy Solutions. Aerica opens up about her unique path into the world of pediatric feeding—a journey that took a profoundly meaningful turn when her daughter was born with tongue and lip ties that impacted their early breastfeeding dynamic, followed by her son being born with Down syndrome and diagnostic feeding challenges.

They dive into the common medical misconceptions surrounding low tone and special needs, the reality of balancing deep grief with profound gratitude as a parent, and the heavy advocacy needed in hospital and NICU settings. This conversation is an invaluable mix of raw personal storytelling, actionable clinical advice, and a beautiful reminder of why compassionate, holistic, family-centered care always trumps generic medical protocols.

Key Topics & Takeaways

The Leap From Schools to Feeding: How Aerica navigated the transition from a traditional school-based SLP caseload into the highly specialized world of feeding therapy.
A Diagnosis in the Middle of Training: Aerica shares the emotional and clinical impact of receiving her child's Down syndrome diagnosis while completing her specialized CPFT™ program.
The "Low Tone" Misconception: A close look at why low muscle tone is so frequently misunderstood in children with Down syndrome, and how to look past a label to find functional solutions.
The Power of Pre-Feeding Skills: Practical strategies for supporting vital pre-feeding motor skills long before a child with special needs ever takes their first bite of solids.
Advocacy & "The Mama Gut": Why clinical reasoning and motherly intuition should always come before generic medical timelines in hospital and NICU environments.
Building Thrive Therapy Solutions: The challenges, rewards, and exact mindset shifts required to successfully launch your own specialized private practice while parenting children with additional needs.

Soundbites

"Low tone is often misunderstood in Down syndrome"
"Trust your mama gut over medical protocols"
"Find your niche and dive deep into it"

Timestamps
00:00 – Intro Clip
00:20 – Welcome to the Untethered Podcast
00:57 – Meet Aerica Walsh, M.S., CCC-SLP, CPFT™
02:10 – How Motherhood Led Aerica Into Feeding Therapy
04:35 – Pregnancy Expectations vs Reality
07:15 – Parenting a Child With Additional Needs
10:25 – NICU Experience & Early Feeding Challenges
13:40 – The Overwhelming Amount of Parenting Advice
15:00 – Identifying Feeding & Development Concerns
18:20 – Tongue Ties, Breastfeeding & Early Intervention
21:45 – Navigating Medical Professionals & Parent Advocacy
25:00 – Hospital Experiences & Emotional Impact
28:15 – Why Standardized Feeding Support Matters
30:00 – Gaps in Pediatric & Feeding Education
34:10 – Supporting Families Beyond Clinical Care
37:50 – The Emotional Side of Motherhood & Therapy
40:00 – Learning to Trust Your Parent Instincts
43:25 – Helping Parents Feel Seen & Supported
46:40 – Balancing Family Life & Professional Growth
50:00 – Building a Career in Feeding Therapy
52:30 – Advice for Clinicians Entering Feeding Therapy
55:00 – Investing in Education & Mentorship
57:00 – Final Thoughts & Outro

Links & Resources

Connect with Aerica: Follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thrivewithaerica/

WORTH A LISTEN: CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY

EP 343: Inside a Mission-Driven Pediatric Feeding Practice
Episode 361: Why Two Therapists Get Different Feeding Outcomes (And How to Fix It

STAY CONNECTED & GROW YOUR PRACTICE

Join the conversation: Get behind-the-scenes insights, clinical pearls, and real conversations over on Substack.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Navigating the world of tethered oral tissues (TOTs) can often feel like wading through murky waters. With so much conflicting information out there, it’s incredibly easy for clinicians to fall into the trap of letting a visual anatomical structure dictate their entire treatment plan. But looking at a tongue or lip tie doesn’t tell you the whole story.

In this solo episode, Hallie Bulkin dives deep into the complexities of diagnosing and treating tethered oral tissues during feeding evaluations. She pulls back the curtain on why presence does not automatically equal cause, and why a systematic, function-first approach is the only way to truly help your pediatric patients.

Whether you are feeling the pressure from families to provide quick answers or trying to differentiate between a primary and secondary driver of a feeding challenge, this episode is a crucial masterclass in clinical decision-making. Tune in to learn how to move past the anatomy trap and build ultimate confidence in your functional assessments.

Key Topics & Takeaways

The Murky Waters of TOTs: Why diagnosing and treating tethered oral tissues has become a clinical minefield, and how to navigate it safely.
Presence vs. Cause: A critical reminder that just because an anatomical tie exists does not mean it is the primary driver of the family's feeding struggles.
Common Clinical Traps: How relying solely on visual anatomy can lead to incomplete treatment plans and poor patient outcomes.
The Function-First Framework: Why evaluating dynamic feeding function is the only way to give structural anatomy its true meaning.
Primary vs. Secondary Drivers: Learn how to decipher when a tie is the root cause of a feeding issue versus when it is simply an incidental finding.

Soundbites

"Don't let anatomy lead your feeding plan."
"Presence does not equal cause."
"Feeding function gives anatomy its true meaning."

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction to Tethered Oral Tissues and clinical challenges.
01:24 – The murky waters of diagnosis and the role of anatomy.
02:32 – Understanding feeding challenges as multifactorial.
03:02 – Limitations of relying solely on anatomy.
04:22 – Common clinical traps in tethered oral tissue cases (Traps 1 & 2).
05:11 – Trap No. 3: Treating the restriction instead of the feeding pattern.
07:13 – Trap No. 4: Skipping a full feeding assessment because the tie feels explanatory.
07:50 – Pressure to provide quick answers and the importance of function.
08:15 – Shifting focus to feeding function over anatomy.
09:21 – Feeding function as the key to meaningful anatomy interpretation.
10:00 – Primary vs. secondary drivers of feeding difficulties.
11:50 – When ties are incidental and not the main issue.
12:10 – Assessing functional impact and developing confidence.
13:30 – The value of structured feeding assessment training.
14:37 – Empowering clinicians with feeding function knowledge & final wrap-up.

Links & Resources

Dive deeper with Tongue Tie Bootcamp

WORTH A LISTEN: CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY

Episode 348: Tongue Ties, Sleep Apnea & More: The Patient-Centered Approach to Airway Dentistry
Episode 363: Tongue Ties, Oral Habits & the Future of Airway Health

STAY CONNECTED & GROW YOUR PRACTICE

💬 Join the Conversation: Catch behind-the-scenes insights and daily clinical tips on

Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn
If this show has impacted your clinical practice, please leave a review. Your support helps us reach the therapists and families who need these answers most!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.