This is the second half of Hallie’s conversation with Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP, CIMI. In this episode, Diane talks about feeding methods and when to introduce straws, cups, and spoons. They also discuss tongue function technology as it relates the IOPI and SmartPalate devices.
About the Guest: Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP, CIMI
Diane Bahr is a certified speech-language pathologist, international speaker, infant massage instructor, and business owner with nearly 40 years of experience treating children and adults with feeding, motor speech, and mouth function problems. She is the author of Oral Motor Assessment and Treatment: Ages and Stages, Feed Your Baby and Toddler Right, and Nobody Ever Told Me (or My Mother) That!.
Key Topics & Takeaways
- Speech vs. Feeding Mechanics: While speech and feeding share common muscle groups, clinical research demonstrates little functional movement crossover; targeting improvements requires direct work on specific functions like eating, drinking, or speaking.
- Collaboration with Pediatricians: Pediatricians serve as general medical practitioners and often lack specialized checklists for subtle oral motor or airway issues; therapists can support them by constructively bridging clinical knowledge gaps.
- The Problem with Sippy & 360 Cups: Sippy cups hold the tongue in a downward position and promote front-to-back jaw movement, whereas open cups and proper straw drinking encourage up-and-down jaw stability and active lip drawing.
- Tongue Thrust Considerations: True tongue thrust is never normal and frequently functions as a structural compensation to open a compromised airway.
- Biofeedback & Smart Palates: Smart palatometry provides precise biofeedback on tongue placement and intraoral pressure, assisting clinicians in identifying hidden restrictions and refining swallow mechanics.
Quotes & Soundbites
“We don’t want to tell pediatricians what to do; we want to walk beside them and just fill in some of those blanks for them.”
“In order to get eating, drinking, and speaking, you need to work on eating, drinking, and speaking.”
“When you thrust your tongue, you open your airway—it’s often a structural compensation, not just a habit.”
Topics Discussed & Timestamps
- 00:00 – Episode Introduction & Guest Overview
- 01:14 – Medical Disclaimer & Podcast Intro
- 01:51 – Early Vowels, Consonants & Speech Sound Milestones
- 02:51 – Introducing Solids: AAP vs. WHO Guidelines (4–6 Months vs. 6 Months)
- 03:41 – Proper Spoon Feeding, Open Cups & Safe Baby-Led Weaning Foods
- 04:12 – Open Cup Drinking Research & Tube Feeding Considerations (NG vs. G-Tube)
- 06:05 – Intraoral Pressure, Soft Palate Function & Case Case Studies
- 07:05 – Cerebral Palsy vs. Autism Misdiagnoses & Motor Movement Shifts
- 08:14 – Full-Body Reflexes, Moro/Startle Response & Back-to-Sleep Safety Observations
- 09:47 – Supporting Pediatricians with Specialized Functional Checklists
- 11:00 – Medical System Disjointedness & Building Airway-Centric Multidisciplinary Care Teams
- 12:55 – Personal Reflections: Tonsils, Turbinates, and Airway Interventions
- 14:26 – Tongue Thrust Red Flags, Airway Compensations & Jaw Protrusion
- 16:03 – Epigenetics & Lower Jaw Retrusion in Modern Infants
- 16:53 – Why Sippy Cups & 360 Wow Cups Are Problematic for Tongue Posture
- 18:18 – Proper Straw Drinking Progression, Lip Blocks & Honey Bear Cups
- 20:25 – Jaw Grading for Vowels, Speech, and Feeding Mechanics
- 21:03 – The Non-Speech Oral Motor Exercise Controversy & Research Overview
- 22:20 – Muscle Cross-Over Research & Task Analysis in Therapy
- 22:58 – Smart Palatometry (SmartPalate) & Biofeedback Applications
- 25:21 – Palatometry for Tongue Tie Identification & Swallow Mechanics
- 26:11 – Mentorship, Life-Long Learning, and Professional Development
- 29:16 – Ray Kent’s Narrative Review Research & Oral Exercise Frameworks
- 31:02 – Historical Influences: Bosma, Weyson, Morris, and Clinical Mentors
- 32:38 – Closing Remarks, Contact Info & Episode Wrap-Up
Links & Resources
- Diane Bahr’s Website: agesandstages.net (Free downloadable checklists & topic guides)
- Free E-Course: Email Diane directly at dibahr@cox.net to request her free course on newborn/infant mouth development.
- Books & Publications Mentioned:
- Feed Your Baby and Toddler Right by Diane Bahr
- Nobody Ever Told Me (or My Mother) That! by Diane Bahr
- Oral Motor Assessment and Treatment: Ages and Stages by Diane Bahr
- Jaws: The Hidden Epidemic by Sandra Kahn & Paul Ehrlich
Worth a Listen: Catch Up On Part 1
- Episode 16: Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP, CIMI – Part 1
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