Who we help
At FirstSTAGES Feeding Specialists, we support both parents and professionals navigating the complexities of pediatric feeding disorder (PFD). Whether you're a caregiver seeking help for your child or a clinician looking to deepen your skills, we're here to guide you with evidence-based strategies and compassionate support.
We help Parents
Feeding challenges can feel overwhelming, isolating, and stressful. We help parents of infants, toddlers, and older children who struggle with feeding—whether it’s latching issues, picky eating, weight gain stress, feeding aversion, mealtime anxiety, or navigating feeding tubes. Through gentle, responsive strategies and personalized plans, we help families build confidence and create more peaceful mealtimes.
We help Infants & Children
Infant
Feeding Therapy
Toddler
Feeding Therapy
Older Child
Feeding Therapy
We help Professionals
Whether you’re a speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, or another pediatric professional, FirstSTAGES provides tools and mentorship to grow your feeding expertise. We offer live webinars, recorded courses, and case-based mentorship to help you confidently support your clients with practical, evidence-informed care. Together, we’ll build the skills and confidence you need to create lasting change for the children and families you serve.
Mentoring
CEU Courses
Ann Marie Presberg
MS CCC-SLP
Founder of FirstSTAGES Feeding Specialists
Developer of the Nurtured Feeding Approach™
Creator of the FirstSTAGES Age & Evidence Based Guide & Feeding Calculator
With over 25 years of experience, Ann Marie Presberg is a nationally recognized expert in pediatric feeding disorders. She has dedicated her career to helping infants, toddlers, and older children overcome complex feeding challenges with compassion and expertise.
Ann Marie is the founder of FirstSTAGES Feeding Specialists and the creator of the Nurtured Feeding Approach™, a responsive, holistic method for evaluating and treating feeding issues. At the heart of this approach is nurturing the intuitive, reciprocal trust between parent and child—restoring connection and confidence within the feeding relationship. She is also recognized for her innovative development of the FirstSTAGES Age & Evidence-Based Guide and the FirstSTAGES Feeding Calculator—tools that provide detailed analysis of typical feeding patterns, flow rate, daily weight gain, and intake based on an infant’s age and weight in kilograms. Her clinical training spans NICU, in-patient and out-patient hospital care, Early Intervention, and private practice. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Marquette University and a Master of Science from Gallaudet University.
At the heart of her work is a belief: the child often reveals the “why” behind their feeding difficulties—and when we slow down and listen, we uncover the root cause. This guides the correct steps to intervention, ensuring progress is both effective and respectful of the child’s needs. Ann Marie closely collaborates with parents and other professionals so that feeding goals are met with confidence and care.
Outside of her professional life, Ann Marie loves spending time with her husband and their five lively boys.
