Anais Villaluna, SLPD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CLC

Anais Villaluna, SLPD, CCC-SLP, BCS-S, CLC is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Board-Certified Specialist in Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. She provides care across outpatient, inpatient and specialty care settings, with clinical expertise in supporting children who have complex feeding and swallowing disorders through interdisciplinary, family-centered approaches.

Anais brings a comprehensive skillset spanning clinical care, quality improvement and implementation science. She has advanced training in the delivery and interpretation of instrumental swallowing evaluations, including Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and Videofluoroscopic Swallow Studies (VFSS), which she uses to guide individualized, evidence-based dysphagia management.

Anais is a peer-reviewed author and national presenter, with work focused on advancing implementation strategies, improving care coordination, and strengthening service delivery systems for pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders. She regularly shares her expertise at state and national professional conferences.

Anais holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and is a Certified Lactation Counselor by the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice

In addition to her clinical and academic efforts, Anais holds national and international leadership roles focused on advancing equitable, evidence-based care for children with pediatric feeding disorders. Her work centers on bridging the gap between research and practice through clinician education, systems-level collaboration and advocacy to improve access and outcomes for medically complex children and their families.

Personal Statement

My philosophy of care focuses on improving outcomes for children through interdisciplinary collaboration and strong partnerships with families. I have partnered with gastroenterology and occupational therapy to establish a Multidisciplinary Feeding Clinic that provides coordinated care for children with complex feeding needs. I have also collaborated with otolaryngology to expand access to nonradiologic instrumental swallow evaluations using FEES, offering additional options for comprehensive dysphagia management when medically indicated.

These programs allow our team to evaluate and manage the complex interplay of medical, developmental, and behavioral factors contributing to feeding and swallowing difficulties – delivering comprehensive, evidence-based care tailored to each child and family. My experience across outpatient, inpatient and specialty care settings uniquely positions me to support families at different stages along their feeding journey, from concerns in early infancy to long-term management of complex conditions.

My clinical approach is rooted in cultural responsiveness, family-centered care and evidence-based practice. My advanced training in implementation science, quality improvement and culturally responsive care further guides my commitment to advancing systems of care for pediatric dysphagia.

Clinical Interests

· Pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders across medically complex populations

· Interdisciplinary management of swallowing disorders

· Developmental and neurologically based dysphagia (e.g., cerebral palsy, global delays)

· Structural airway abnormalities and airway protection in dysphagia management

· Feeding refusal, selective eating, and tube weaning

· Tracheostomy and dysphagia management

· Clinical swallow evaluations and interpretation Instrumental assessments, including FEES and VFSS

· Interdisciplinary care planning and family-centered feeding support

Education

Organizations

Board Certification

American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders

* Texas Children’s Hospital physicians’ licenses and credentials are reviewed prior to practicing at any of our facilities. Sections titled From the Doctor, Professional Organizations and Publications were provided by the physician’s office and were not verified by Texas Children’s Hospital.

Research interests

· Health services research in pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders

· Implementation science and evidence-based practice integration in dysphagia care

· Process improvement and quality improvement in pediatric dysphagia service delivery

· Standardization and clinical impact of thickened liquids in pediatric populations

· Training and clinical competency in instrumental swallowing evaluations (FEES, VFSS)

· Structural airway abnormalities contributing to pediatric dysphagia Interdisciplinary care models and systems-level change to improve access

· Culturally responsive care and equity in pediatric feeding disorder management

Villaluna, A., & Dolby, C. Dysphagia Service Delivery in the Educational Setting: Pediatric Feeding Disorder and the Culturally Responsive Clinician. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, (2024). 55(2), 423–433