When Jonathon* faced serious feeding and swallowing difficulties, his Firstchance Speech Pathologist, Melanie, turned to the F-Words for Child Development framework to guide the next steps.

Working closely with Jonathon’s parent, Melanie used the F-Words Life Wheel to identify what mattered most to the family. Together, they chose to focus on Function (improving Jonathon’s ability to eat safely and comfortably), Family (ensuring his parent felt confident and supported), and Future (prioritising Jonathon’s long-term health and wellbeing).

Through respectful, trauma-informed conversations, Melanie explained the functional impact of Jonathon’s feeding challenges and advocated with his school to address how these issues were affecting attendance. This collaborative process helped the family navigate a difficult decision—the insertion of a PEG to support Jonathon’s nutrition and overall health.

Today, Jonathon is brighter, more comfortable, and thriving, an outcome made possible by focusing family priorities and using the F-Words framework to guide care.

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