Paediatric Disability Made Practical: A Dietitian's Guide to Confident, Effective Care

Paediatric Disability Made Practical: A Dietitian's Guide to Confident, Effective Care
Working in the paediatric disability space can feel complex but it doesn't have to feel overwhelming. This practical, confidence-building online learning module will help dietitians cut through the noise by focusing on the common themes that unite our work across hundreds of different diagnoses.

You'll learn how to adapt your nutrition assessment and management skills to diverse disability presentations, support children with feeding differences, and navigate complex case studies with clarity and purpose. Through real-world examples, practical strategies, and a collaborative approach, you'll leave with a clear, adaptable toolkit and the confidence to deliver impactful, sustainable care for the children and families you support.

This online module is brought to you by Dietitians Australia's Capacity Building in Disability for Dietitians Program and is hosted by Shannyn Thatcher (APD).

This module content was originally delivered as a full-day, live workshop. Key takeaways from the workshop have now been reimagined into an online, self-paced learning module available on the Learning Portal.

Application into practice:

This module aims to:

- build confidence in applying practical, adaptable strategies to support children with diverse disability presentations
- recognise the shared challenges that can impact nutrition care including communication differences, regulation differences, altered mobility, and other disability-related factors
- identify what matters most when working with specific disability groups, for example the key questions to ask, signs to look for, and tools to use
- apply foundations in feeding difference management including strategies for supporting children with limited food variety or intake
- prioritise and plan effectively in complex scenarios, such as clients with multiple disabilities, mixed feeding methods, and large care teams
- maintain sustainability in practice by setting realistic expectations, using collaborative approaches, and protecting professional boundaries in complex cases

Speakers:

Shannyn Thatcher is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD), feeding therapist, and highly sought-after educator with specialised expertise in paediatric disability nutrition. Founder of The RealEat, she has over five years' dedicated experience supporting children and teens with complex disability across Australia and New Zealand, with expertise in neurodevelopmental conditions, trauma-informed mealtime support, blended tube feeding, and complex feeding decisions. Shannyn is passionate about equipping dietitians with the skills, confidence, and clarity to thrive in the paediatric disability space. Her work blends evidence-informed practice with practical, real-world strategies that dietitians can apply immediately, no matter their starting point. She partners closely with families and multidisciplinary teams, modelling person-centred, neurodiversity-affirming, and strengths-based care.

A recognised leader in disability nutrition, Shannyn regularly presents at national conferences such as Dietitians Unite, and contributes to platforms including Dietitians Australia, Dietitian Connection, and Education in Nutrition. She also consults on clinical training and patient pathways in community and hospital settings. Above all, Shannyn believes dietitians are uniquely positioned to create brilliant, affirming care for families, and with the right support, they can feel empowered to provide exactly that.

Natalie Santelli is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) with advanced expertise in paediatric disability nutrition and complex feeding. She brings both deep clinical knowledge and a grounded, practical approach that supports dietitians and care teams working in this space. At The RealEat, Nat leads some of the most complex paediatric feeding cases, specialising in tube feeding (including J-tubes and blended G-tubes), paediatric feeding disorders, ARFID, sensory based aversions, and faltering growth. Skilled in blending multiple feeding approaches, she ensures care is accessible and consistent across home, school, clinic and telehealth settings.

Her background includes work in the formula room at John Hunter Hospital, delivering therapy across diverse environments, and creating professional development materials for national dietetic platforms. She has completed over 140 hours of advanced paediatric CPD and mentors clinicians with The RealEat, helping to build skill and confidence in others. Nat is especially known for bringing care teams together, collaborating with therapists, educators, support workers, and hospital teams to create smooth transitions from hospital to home. Calm and clear in emotionally complex situations, she helps families feel safe when feeding decisions are high-stakes, ensuring care is coordinated, affirming, and family-led.

Ana Dvarakesa is an early-career Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) with a dedicated focus on paediatric disability and complex feeding care. She brings both her lived insight as a recently trained clinician and her growing influence as a practitioner delivering affirming, responsive care to children with significant feeding challenges. Ana supports families navigating a wide range of feeding concerns, including rare genetic conditions, sensory-based feeding differences, mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. She draws on responsive feeding, the AEIOU integrative framework, and trauma-informed practice to guide her approach, helping children build safe, sustainable relationships with food.

Alongside her clinical work, Ana contributes to sector-wide improvement. She has delivered education sessions to schools and parent groups, supported interdisciplinary teams in feeding care, and expanded her expertise through significant professional developing in ARFID, paediatric feeding disorders, and inclusive care within the NDIS. She is particularly skilled in helping families from lower socioeconomic backgrounds access creative, often-overlooked supports that improve their quality of life. Recognised by colleagues as an emerging leader, Ana combines sharp clinical intuition with a rare ability to translate her recent learning journey into tools, language, and ideas that resonate with other early-career clinicians ensuring they feel seen, supported, and confident in paediatric disability care.

Continued professional development:

This module may be worth 4 CPD hours if the activity aligns with your CPD learning goals. Member CPD logs will be updated automatically in the days following the event.

Access details:

New registrants will be automatically uploaded to the Learning Portal. Instructions for accessing the module will be included in the order confirmation email. Registrants will have access to the module for 12 months from their enrolment date.

Pricing:

Dietitians Australia members: $0 | Non-members: $0

The fee for this course has been subsidised by the ILC Grant - Capacity Building in Disability for Dietitians Grant.


By registering for this module you are stating that you agree to the Terms and Conditions.
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