Get Permission Institute

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United States
Northbrook, IL
Get Permission Institute

Training and supporting pediatric feeding professionals.

04/03/2026

What is the “Get Permission Approach” to feeding?

It is a responsive, sensitive, and supportive approach to feeding therapy. Get Permission strategies lovingly support children and their families. The Get Permission Approach enables you to view children and families holistically and collaborate with caregivers to create positive changes at mealtimes.

Thanks for being here! Visit our website to learn more about us 💜💚

04/02/2026

Meet Karen!

Karen Dilfer, OTR/L, MS, is a Co-Founder & Senior Instructor at GPI.

Karen is an occupational therapist, feeding specialist, and food enthusiast. She has a strong pediatric background and loves to help children with motor, sensory, and mealtime challenges.

A Chicago native, Karen enjoys discovering new restaurants and cooking with friends and family. She is a founding member of the Chicago Feeding Group, a non profit organization that seeks to support parents and professionals who work with children who struggle to eat. Karen was recently featured in the Chicago Tribune.

Karen has a bachelor of science degree from Calvin College and a master’s of science degree from Washington University in St. Louis. She is Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) trained and has also completed post-graduate education in Sensory Integration.

Karen trained under Marsha Dunn Klein at Mealtime Connections, LLC, in Tucson, Arizona. Karen is a contributing member to the Get Permission team and regularly teaches Get Permission workshops and webinars. She maintains a private practice and actively treats children with feeding challenges. You can learn more about her work at eatwithkaren.com

Check out Karen's courses in our On Demand library:
Feeding in Infancy & Toddlerhood: Learning Through Opportunity
Hybrid The Get Permission Approach to Tube Feeding with Love
Assessment of "Picky" Eaters

04/01/2026

Feeding therapy starts with bringing the peace. How can we begin to decrease mealtime stress? Mealtime pressure? Mealtime battles?

We start with empathy. Watching and learning from the child. Listening to the parent. And finding the best for THEIR needs from there.

03/31/2026

5 STAR REVIEW FOR OUR GPI ESSENTIALS COURSE:
Feeding in Infancy & Toddlerhood: Learning Through Opportunity

Comment FOUNDATIONS to learn more about this course!

03/30/2026

Have you taken advantage of our FREE resource Dear Parent: Navigating Challenging Mealtimes with Anxious Eaters? Therapists, pass this along to parents!

Marsha Dunn Klein, a pediatric feeding expert, will help you find a path to mealtime peace and enjoyment. After this workshop, you will better understand your child and know exactly which factors influence mealtimes. Marsha will share insight on mealtime relationships, roles, opportunity, motivation, pressure, rehearsals, change happens, and celebration.

03/26/2026

Meet Stephanie!

Stephanie Cohen, M.A., CCC-SLP, CLC is a Co-Founder & Senior Instructor at GPI. Stephanie is a speech-language pathologist and lactation counselor in private practice who has worked with children with complex medical needs and their families for more than 20 years.

Stephanie has advanced training in feeding and swallowing; she specializes in working with the 0-3 population and is passionate about helping families of children with feeding challenges find ways to make mealtimes more successful and enjoyable.

Stephanie has bachelor of arts and master of science degrees from Northwestern University. She maintains a private practice in Northbrook, IL and is a credentialed evaluator and provider in the IL Early Intervention program.

Stephanie speaks about a variety of topics, including typical and atypical feeding development, responsive feeding, and trauma-informed feeding assessment and treatment. She enjoys mentoring, collaborating, and teaching. Stephanie’s first children’s book, My First Learn-To-Talk Book, was released in June 2022. Stephanie is also the author of the My First Learn-to-Talk board book series (Sourcebooks).

Stephanie lives in Northbrook, IL with her husband and three children.

Check out her courses in our On Demand library including:
Feeding in Infancy & Toddlerhood: Learning Through Opportunity
Caregiver Coaching at Mealtimes
The Power of Communication

03/25/2026

Don't forget to check out our Voices from Lived Experiences series!

At the Get Permission Institute, we believe it is our responsibility to seek a deeper understanding of the experiences children and families who have experienced feeding challenges or who have had feeding therapy in their lives. One of the best ways to do this is to listen to those who have lived experiences. In this series, the founders of GPI interview individuals who have experienced feeding differences, mealtime challenges, and/or feeding therapy. These rich conversations help us to better understand the profound impact feeding differences can have on daily life. Join us as we listen and learn together!

Comment VOICES to learn more

03/24/2026

5 STAR REVIEW FOR OUR GPI ESSENTIAL COURSE: The Get Permission Approach to Anxious Eaters, Anxious Mealtimes.

Comment AEAM to learn more about this course!

03/23/2026

Every family has their own routines, structure, rituals, and expectation for what an "ideal" mealtime looks like for them.

Who are we to change what they like about mealtimes? Can we work together with them to find the happy medium between what the child is seeking and what the family desires as a joyful mealtime?

Let's be curious! Ask questions! Check in frequently on how mealtimes are going.

03/21/2026

Meet Marsha! (Does she really need an introduction? We don't think so!😂)

Marsha Dunn Klein OTR/L, M.Ed., FAOTA, is a Co-Founder & Senior Instructor at GPI.

Marsha is a pediatric occupational therapist who has specialized in pediatric feeding for over 50 years.

She has co-authored Pre-Feeding Skills, First Edition, Pre-Feeding Skills: Second Edition, Mealtime Participation Guide, and Homemade Blended Formula with Suzanne Evans Morris, Ph.D., CCC-SLP. She co-authored Feeding and Nutrition for the Child with Special Needs with Tracy Delaney.

Marsha is a fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association. She holds a Masters of Education with emphasis on special education from the University of Arizona, and is trained in Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT). Her bachelors of science degree in Occupational Therapy is from Sargent College of Boston University.

Her newest book is Anxious Eaters, Anxious Mealtimes: Practical and Compassionate Strategies for Mealtime Peace.

Marsha presents to professional communities nationally and internationally. She is a food celebrator and is passionate about supporting children and their families.

Check out Marsha's courses on our website:
The Get Permission Approach to Anxious Eaters, Anxious Mealtimes
Hybrid Get Permission Approach to Tube Feeding with Love
Rethinking Our TRY IT! Strategies
and many more!

Address

Northbrook, IL

Website

http://www.getpermissioninstitute.com/

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