Pediatric Feeding Therapy
Adult Feeding Therapy
The ability to eat is one of our most fundamental yet complex needs. If a child or adult is having difficulty eating or is refusing to eat, it can impact all other areas of their life. Our Feeding Clinic staff includes speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists that are passionate about determining the best treatment options to improve feeding and swallowing habits, as well as quality of life. We often collaborate with physicians, dietitians, and other specialists to provide the most well-rounded treatment plan.
Assessment and Treatment Options
An in-depth assessment that will involve a speech-language pathologist and/or an occupational therapist. This evaluation will typically take up to 2 hours including face-to-face feeding time and therapy room time, as well as write up and follow-up discussion with the parents to outline major findings and next steps.
Listed below are some indicators that your child may benefit from a Pediatric Feeding Assessment and Treatment:
- Fussy and/or Picky Eaters with overactive gag
- Sensory-Behavioral feeding concerns
- Poor weight gain or failure to thrive
- GI tract re-construction surgeries
- Chewing and swallowing concerns
- Neurological disorders: related facial muscle weakness, low tone, spasticity, and cerebral palsy
- Prematurity
- NG-tube or G-tube Feeders
- Cranio-facial anomalies such as cleft-lip and palate
Pediatric Feeding Treatment
Feeding Therapy – “Food School”
Our lead speech-language pathologist is trained in the SOS Approach to Feeding. This is a play-based approach that allows the child to learn at their readiness level and progress through the 32 steps involved in eating. While playing, we are teaching children the skills they need to eat a wide variety of food types and textures using natural, social reinforcers.
Food School may occur in Individual Feeding Therapy sessions or Group Feeding Therapy sessions. Parents will have an active role in Individual Feeding Therapy sessions and will gain the necessary skills to move forward with generalizing the skills learned to their home.
Group Feeding Therapy participants will be chosen based on the appropriateness of the children that could benefit from this type of approach. A full Feeding Evaluation must be completed prior to joining a group.
For more information about the SOS Approach to Feeding, please visit: https://sosapproach-conferences.com/about-us/the-sos-approach/
Adult Feeding Evaluations
Bedside Swallowing Evaluations are completed at TheraCare by trained speech-language pathologists. All assessments review medical history and current nutritional status, along with providing a thorough assessment of all stages of swallowing. These assessments typically take 1-1.5 hours.
Adult Swallowing Treatment
Individual swallowing treatments for adults are designed to increase safety of the client’s swallowing function. Recommendations may include modification of diet textures, strengthening exercises, changes in posture/positioning, or other compensatory strategies.
Swallowing Treatment may be recommended as a result of:
- Brain Injury
- Cancer
- Impaired motor and sensory skills
- Parkinson’s Disease
- ALS and other neurological disorders
- Stroke
Do you have questions about feeding and swallowing therapy?
Give us a call today. We look forward to hearing from you soon!