Food Exploring Speech PLLC

Stuttering & Resources

Food Exploring Speech PLLC specializes in “discovering tastes for picky plates” as well as

About Me

Regina Lleras M.S. CCC-SLP

I am a certified speech-language pathologist with over 15 years of experience across in-home, clinical, and preschool/school-based therapy settings. My career began as a special education preschool SLP, where I witnessed firsthand the importance of empowering children to explore and enjoy food. Today, I specialize in feeding and stuttering therapy, offering personalized, compassionate support for picky, sensory-sensitive, or anxious eaters. I guide children through food exploration, expand their food variety, and foster positive mealtime habits in individual or small group settings.

As someone who stutters, I am passionate about providing client-centered support for individuals who stutter and the families and professionals who support them. My approach combines training, education, and therapy rooted in empathy, lived experience, and evidence-based practice.

My therapy is family-centered, collaborating closely with clients and their families to create treatment plans that address individual needs and connect carryover to home and community environments. I also enjoy speaking at professional events, including college programs and school districts, on topics related to feeding, food exploration, and stuttering.

My personal experiences as a former picky eater and a person who stutters have shaped my career and drive my passion for helping others communicate confidently and enjoy new foods.

Stuttering

Speech Language

Food Exploring

  • Review the Steps to Eating
  • Use visuals and various tools / manipulatives to make exploring food a fun experience
  • Introducing solids

Feeding/Swallowing

  • Assess Oral Motor Skills
  • Techniques to improve biting and chewing
  • Strategies to modify food textures or eating habits to make swallowing easier and safer
  • Support for straw and cup drinking
  • Support for pill swallowing

Parent Training / Coaching

  • Review Division of Responsibility
  • Set up for success before mealtimes
  • Strategies on how to present preferred and non-preferred food items
  • Tips to avoid food jags
  • Food Chaining
  • Beginning Solids
  • Bottle/Breastfeeding
  • Provide referrals for additional support (OTs, PTs, vision therapists, airway-centric dentists, ENTs, or oral surgeons)
  • Collaborate with specialists to further assess functional impact of Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs)

We take a food exploring journey based on Dr. Kay Toomey’s Steps to Eating SOS Approach (Sequential Oral Sensory). It is a widely recognized method for helping children develop healthy eating habits, particularly those who struggle with food aversions, sensory sensitivities, or feeding difficulties. The approach focuses on helping children become comfortable with food in a step-by-step manner, addressing both the sensory and emotional aspects of eating. It is commonly used in therapy and with children who have difficulties with feeding, eating, or food acceptance. This approach is modified to meet the overall feeding needs of each food explorer.

The “division of responsibility” in feeding, developed by Ellyn Satter, is a strategy where parents are responsible for what, when, and where a child is offered food, while the child is responsible for how much and whether to eat it, helping them develop healthy eating habits.

Digital Downloads:

Download Here – TpT store

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& login to purchase visual resources.

“I highly recommend Ms. Regina Lleras for her exceptional work with my 4-year-old child in feeding therapy. Her use of themed activities, such as playful food-related games and social stories about mealtime, made each session engaging and enjoyable. She skillfully tailored her approach to fit my child’s current level of functioning, setting realistic and achievable goals that encouraged gradual progress. Ms. Regina demonstrated a keen understanding of behavior management, employing positive reinforcement and gentle redirection to keep my child focused and motivated. Her rapport with my child was impressive, fostering a warm and trusting relationship that made my child excited for each therapy session. The engaging materials and interactive tools used, from colorful utensils to sensory-rich foods, were thoughtfully selected to stimulate interest and participation. Ms. Regina’s ability to adapt her methods to my child’s evolving needs ensured consistent improvement. Her patience and creativity in addressing challenges were truly commendable. Overall, her dedication and expertise significantly contributed to my child’s growth and confidence in feeding. I wholeheartedly recommend Regina for her outstanding skills and compassionate approach in feeding therapy..”

– Jenna (Mom of a 4-year-old struggling eater

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Save the Date & Register!

Here are some of the upcoming workshops.

Register Here

The purpose of food exploring group lessons run by a speech-language feeding therapist (SLP) is to help children (often those with feeding or sensory challenges) develop positive relationships with food and improve their oral motor, sensory, feelings and communication skills related to eating. These lessons are often structured, play-based, and therapeutic in nature.

Goals:
1) Improve feeding skills
2) Desensitize Sensory Aversions
3) Build Social and Communication Skills
4) Support Mealtime Routines and Behavior
5) Empower Parents and Caregivers

Servicing All Abilities *Click above to Register*

Contact me:

Regina Lleras M.S. CCC-SLP

e-mail: foodexploringspeech@gmail.com

Instagram: @foodexploringspeech & @youcanstutterwithme

https://www.instagram.com/foodexploringspeech/

https://www.instagram.com/youcanstutterwithme/

text or call: (516) 729-8726

Located within Bloomspace at Blue Point

20 Montauk Hwy. Blue Point, NY

Suite 103