Great strategies and Melanie was a super dynamic presenter!
therapist in Indiana
Wonderful course with functional strategies and tools!
therapist in San Francisco
Very informative, useful course with strategies I can use during sessions
therapist in New York City
This was one of the best trainings I've ever attended
therapist in New York

When Dr. Yum and Coach Mel presented the research on Dr. Yum's Preschool Food Adventure at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s National Conference, the immediate response from the audience was “How can we get this? We need this!”

This seminar provides professionals and parents concrete, practical tools to help their child who struggles with eating. Parents of kids with feeding disorders and picky eating difficulties face challenges at breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack time. They often spend the day worried about how much their child will consume, unsure of how to help them learn to eat more variety and concerned about the child’s nutritional health.

Studies have shown that as parental stress increases, positive parent-child interactions decrease. Yet, a consistent, positive feeding relationship between parent and child is essential to making progress in feeding therapy. Providers and professionals who treat children for feeding difficulties want to know how to support both the child and the family with practical strategies within the family’s everyday routines.

What approach can parents take that will provide them with steps to bring joy back to the family table while the child’s feeding development improves over time? A child’s relationship with food always influences family dynamics and a family-centered approach to treatment is essential to achieve progress in feeding skills, whether the child is “just a picky eater” or has been diagnosed with a pediatric feeding disorder. A full course description is below.

Please note: This special professional package includes TWO essential trainings. The first is Feeding Development: Understanding the Spectrum of Eating in Children - presented by Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP along with three top experts in the field, pediatrician Dr. Yum, a registered dietitian, and a psychologist specializing in pediatric anxiety. Upon successful completion, SLPs will receive 1 ASHA CEU and all professionals will receive a certificate noting 10 continuing education hours. The second is the two-hour Dr. Yum's Preschool Food Adventure Video training modules. Upon successful completion, you will receive a certificate indicating you are a certified Dr. Yum Project Preschool Food Adventure instructor.

What settings are appropriate for the Dr. Yum Preschool Food Adventure Professional Packages? A wide variety of settings, including preschool classrooms inclusive of children with special needs, Head Start and Early Head Start programs, obesity clinics for preschool-aged children, Food Bank programs, and more.

Speech-Language Pathologist/Occupational Therapist Package

What's Included

  • 10 hour webinar training: Feeding Development: Understanding the Spectrum of Eating in Children presented by Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP along with three top experts in the field, pediatrician Dr. Yum, a registered dietitian, and a psychologist specializing in pediatric anxiety.
  • 1 ASHA CEU
  • Certificate noting 10 continuing education hours
  • Dr. Yum's Preschool Food Adventure Standard Kit:
    • Dr. Yum Video Training modules with training certificate
      • Private practice professionals utilizing the Adventure in an early childhood education facility will be provided with free training for up to four teachers at one specific facility
      • SLPs and OTs employed by a school district, please contact Jessica@doctoryum.org for more information on how to share your kit among your classrooms
    • Feedback and support throughout the year from the Dr. Yum Project Team
    • Link to training videos for unlimited viewing
    • 90-day access to specialized training - Feeding Development: Understanding the Spectrum of Eating in Children for one viewer
    • Instructor Manual
    • Curriculum books containing 24 monthly lessons featuring a fruit or vegetable with family-tested recipes that can easily be prepared without the need for a kitchen.
    • Circle time experience and extension activities for each lesson
    • Seasonal Party Toolbox: includes ideas for healthy parties with recipes
    • Parent Manual (English and Spanish)
    • Parent feedback sheets for each lesson (English and Spanish)
    • Monthly e-letters for professionals and parents
    • “Dancing in the Kitchen” Music
    • EZPZ Happy Mat to present foods at Circle Time
    • 6 Kuhn Rikon kid-safe “dog knives”
    • 6 colorful cutting mats
    • Yum Scores for kids to use to talk about how food tastes
    • “Raising a Healthy, Happy Eater,” an award-winning book, and a top seller in Children’s Health written by Dr. Nimali Fernando and Melanie Potock (2nd edition 2022)
    • “Adventures in Veggieland” by Melanie Potock with more recipes and healthy eating tips
    • “You are Not an Otter The Story of How Kids Become Adventurous Eaters!" takes children on a food adventure, exploring all the ways that animals eat!
    • “Broc and Cara’s Picnic Party” - a delightful kids’ book on healthy eating
    • “Broc and Cara’s Gut Book” which explains the microbiome and health to kids
    • Window cling to display in your teaching facility and graphic for your website to announce to families you are participating in the Dr. Yum Food Adventure

Do you have more than one SLP/OT on your team that will be using your kit with you? We want to support you by offering a significantly discounted rate for the 10-hour required training please contact Jessica@DoctorYum.org with "Additional SLPs" in the subject line for more information. If you have any additional OT's or SLP's at your agency who would like to be trained to use your agency's Adventure kit, please email Jessica@DoctorYum.org with the subject line "Additional Professionals at my Agency" for a personal discount code.

Purchase process & What to Expect

Ready to order a Dr. Yum’s Preschool Food Adventure Professional Package? Professionals who are considered for participation must receive training and sign paperwork to begin the adventure. Here are the steps you will need to take to receive the curriculum kit:

1. Fill out this contact form CONTACT FORM »

2. Go to our store to proceed with your purchase. Within the continental US, shipping is included in the cost of the kit. Contact us via email at Jessica@DoctorYum.org if you need to pay by check. Your purchase contributes to the work of our nonprofit which is supported by grants and donations. We are excited to welcome more professionals from across the country to the adventure! Email Jessica@DoctorYum.org TO PURCHASE OT PACKAGE PURCHASE SLP PACKAGE FROM STORE »

The Dr. Yum Preschool Food Adventure undertakes a unique approach to introducing fruits and vegetables in a joyful and mindful way. Using a multi-sensory approach, we encourage children to participate at their own comfort level. Our video training modules teach how to speak to children about healthy foods using new language and techniques. It is essential to the success of this program!

3. When steps 1 and 2 are successfully completed, the Dr. Yum Project team will send an invitation to set up your personal YAMS (Yum Account Management System) account where you will find access to the Dr. Yum Video Training modules, quiz and Participation Agreement. Once you complete the Dr. Yum Video Training modules, pass the Dr. Yum quiz, and sign the Participation Agreement, the curriculum kit will be shipped. Upon successful completion of the Dr. Yum quiz, you will receive a certificate indicating you are a certified Dr. Yum Project Preschool Food Adventure instructor. You will then have 90 days to complete the Feeding Development: Understanding the Spectrum of Eating in Children course and pass the quiz to earn 1 ASHA CEU and a certificate noting 10 continuing education hours.

You’re joining a community of professionals. We want to stay in contact and keep sharing. We ask that as a member of this community, you update us each year with the current contact information. Periodically, let us know how your clients are enjoying the adventure! Email us anytime at Jessica@DoctorYum.org