What is Feeding Therapy?
To put it simply - feeding therapy works on eating and drinking. Children who struggle with dysphagia, oral aversion, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), or even picky eating could benefit greatly from feeding sessions with a trained occupational therapist or speech therapist.
Whether your child is working on weaning off a feeding tube, or is avoiding slimy green foods, feeding therapy addresses the oral motor and sensory skills needed for food exploration, chewing and swallowing.
When is Feeding Therapy Recommended?
If your child is experiencing any of the below difficulties, then a feeding therapy evaluation may be warranted:
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Difficulty chewing or swallowing food
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Difficulty drinking liquids
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Coughing, choking, gagging or vomiting on foods or liquids
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Refuses to eat certain food textures or has difficulty transitioning from purees to solid foods
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Refuses to tolerate or try a new food
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Lengthy mealtimes or is fussy during mealtimes
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Has difficulty transitioning from a gastric tube feedings to oral feedings
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Picky eater with less than 30 total foods in their rotation or less than 5 different foods in each food category (fruit, vegetable, protein, carb, etc)
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Mealtimes are stressful for the child and parent(s)
What does a session look like?
First, an evaluation will be conducted to obtain feeding and medical history, assess present feeding skills, and discuss feeding therapy goals. Follow up sessions are designed to be highly engaging and interactive so that parent, child and therapist work together to maximize therapeutic potential. My approach to feeding therapy is heavily focused on parent involvement and follow through, because while feeding progress does not happen overnight, it can be exercised during each meal and snack time of every day!
Sessions can be conducted in person in your home or via video visits. I have served many families via video visits and in person, and I have found both avenues to be very effective.
