Making Sense of Responsive Feeding Therapy: Trauma Informed Care for Infants

Tiny cues. Meaningful connections. A more responsive approach to infant feeding.

Guest: Ramya Kumar, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S

Earn 0.10 ASHA CEUs for this episode with Speech Therapy PD

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In this episode of Making Sense with Madi, Madi Metcalf, MS, CCC-SLP, is joined by Ramya Kumar, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, a board-certified swallowing specialist and neonatal feeding specialist, to discuss trauma-informed care in infant feeding therapy.

Ramya shares how responsive feeding approaches can support infants while honoring their cues, comfort, and individual needs. She and Madi discuss why caregiver involvement is such an important part of infant feeding therapy and how clinicians can build trust and support families throughout the process.

The episode also explores what it means to provide trauma-informed care for both infants and caregivers, including how past medical and feeding experiences can shape feeding interactions. Clinicians will learn ways to approach infant feeding with greater sensitivity to the family's experiences while supporting responsive, relationship-centered care.

About the Guest: Ramya Kumar, MS, CCC‑SLP, BCS‑S, is a board‑certified speech‑language pathologist and neonatal feeding specialist with more than 13 years of experience caring for medically complex infants and children across NICU, inpatient, and outpatient settings. She holds advanced certifications in swallowing disorders, neonatal therapy, lactation, developmental care, and trauma‑informed practice, and is recognized for her expertise in infant feeding, nutrition, and developmental care. Ms. Kumar has served as a NICU Developmental Specialist at a Level 3 NICU in Arizona, where she led multidisciplinary developmental care initiatives, supported quality improvement and benchmarking efforts, and provided neuroprotective, family‑centered care for hospitalized infants. She is also the Director of Arizona NICU Follow‑Up Specialists, where she provides specialized feeding and developmental services for NICU graduates and collaborates closely with physicians, dietitians, and allied health professionals to support infants and families across the hospital‑to‑home transition.

Show Notes:

Contact Madi Metcalf: LinkedIn, Instagram, Function First

Contact Ramya Kumar: LinkedIn, Instagram

SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach

Beyond Behaviors, Second Edition: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children’s Behavioral Challenges

Brain-Body Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids

Pediatric Feeding Disorder: Consensus Definition and Conceptual Framework

B.D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D. Handouts

Feeding Problems in Young Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Sweden

The Worry Cycle of Feeding: Part I for Adoption Month

Manual and alternative therapies as non-pharmacological interventions for pain and stress control in newborns: a systematic review

The relationship between chronic paediatric feeding disorders and caregiver stress

“I was so worried about every drop of milk” – feeding problems at home are a significant concern for parents after major heart surgery in infancy