Audrey R, BS, RDN, LDN

My Story

My passion for the special needs community and my love of dietetics crossed paths in January of 2016. After completing 1200 supervised practice hours through Chicago Head Start and other pediatric community programs, I was fortunate to work as a behavioral therapist while studying for the board-certified dietetics exam. This work changed my life and shaped my career. It was here I realized that as a dietitian, I could support a child’s growth and development through positive reinforcement and nutrition education in a peer motivated setting. Nutrition therapy, when combined with psychosocial stimulation and family-directed interventions, produces significantly better long term improvements in growth and cognitive development (Source: Pediatric Nutrition Support Core Curriculum, 2015). It is a true honor to work at Blue Bird Day, they helped make my dream job a reality and I couldn’t be happier.  

My Blue Bird Day

The best part about working at Blue Day is our multidisciplinary team approach to a child’s development. One of my fondest memories to date happened when completing a client’s progress report, I asked a physical therapist colleague about posture related to nutrition therapy. Suddenly, the entire room was engaging in a discussion while answering all of my questions. My report was complete and I left with a better understanding of a child’s development from the perspective of multiple disciplines.