II. Interdisciplinary Occupational Therapy Conference: Feeding Functions

I would like to draw your attention to the 2nd Occupational Therapy Interdisciplinary Conference in Ostrava on the theme “Feeding Functions: A Different Perspective, a Shared Goal”, where I will also be giving a talk on 11 April entitled “Primary Reflexes and Their Impact on Speech Development and Feeding.”

Primary (primitive) reflexes are automatic movement patterns that play a key role in a child’s early development. However, if they persist beyond the appropriate developmental period, they may negatively affect a range of areas—including orofacial motor skills, feeding, and speech development.

The lecture will offer a different perspective on feeding disorders and speech development difficulties from the standpoint of neurodevelopmental maturity. It will focus on reflexes that directly influence the orofacial area (e.g., rooting and sucking reflexes, the Babkin response), as well as those that affect it indirectly through postural control and sensory integration (e.g., the tonic labyrinthine reflex—TLR, the Moro reflex, and the asymmetric tonic neck reflex—ATNR).

The aim of the lecture is to provide participants with an interdisciplinary framework for understanding the links between persistent primary reflexes and difficulties in feeding and speech development, and to present options for therapeutic intervention.

More information about the conference can be found on the following website.

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This year’s conference theme is feeding function in broader clinical and psychosocial contexts. Feeding is a complex process that affects not only health status but also a patient’s quality of life. The goal of the conference is to create a space for interdisciplinary discussion and the sharing of experience across professional fields that address this topic in everyday practice. The meeting aims to bring together specialists from different professions—occupational therapy, physiotherapy, medicine, dentistry, speech and language therapy, psychology, nutritional therapy, and nursing—and to support the exchange of current knowledge as well as practical approaches that lead to improved quality of patient care. The conference is intended for physicians, dentists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nutrition therapists, psychologists, speech and language therapists, nurses, students, and other professionals with an interest in feeding and its wider clinical implications.

In addition to a high-quality professional programme, participants can once again look forward to good refreshments and lunch, creating a pleasant setting for informal networking and interdisciplinary discussion.

The event will be accredited with credits by professional organisations.