Co-founded by the nationally-recognized team Marsha Dunn Klein, Stephanie Cohen & Karen Dilfer—the Get Permission Institute Team loves children, good food, & brings decades of experience to pediatric feeding and mealtime success.
Marsha Dunn Klein
OTR/L, M.Ed., FAOTA
Co-Founder & Senior Instructor
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.
Karen Dilfer
OTR/L, MS
Co-Founder & Senior Instructor
Karen Dilfer 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
Stephanie Cohen
M.A., CCC-SLP, CLC
Co-Founder & Senior Instructor
Stephanie Cohen 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.
BreAnne Robison
OTR/L, M.S.
Instructor & Community Engagement
Bre is an occupational therapist who loves feeding and loves children! She received her Bachelors in Psychology from the University of Arizona and then worked in the public school systems for two years as a special education aid, while providing respite and habilitation to children with special needs. She went on to complete her Masters in Occupational Therapy at A.T. Still University in Phoenix.
After graduation, Bre completed the Marsha Dunn Klein Feeding Fellowship Program. Since then she has continued working at a local pediatric outpatient clinic utilizing the Get Permission Approach as well as working as part of The Get Permission Team by assisting with marketing and administration.
Bre resides in Tucson, AZ with her husband and two children.