Feeding Therapy
Copyright 2010 Educational Consultants Group | Last updated: January 7, 2015
(813) 373-0016
What is a feeding disorder?
A pediatric feeding disorder refers to a condition in which an infant or child fails to consume enough nutrients to promote growth.
Twenty-five percent of all children experience some feeding difficulties. The child may have had limited experience with eating, have difficulty eating, or simply refuse to eat. This can be a fairly common problem in infants and toddlers and more common in children with developmental disabilities.
When do feeding problems usually occur?
Feeding and swallowing problems most often occur in children with complex medical diagnoses (such as prematurity, reflux, complications secondary to tube feeding and disorders of the digestive system), anatomical or structural abnormalities (such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia or tracheo-esophagael fistula), allergies, or oral-motor dysfunction.
What are the symptoms indicating when to see a specialist?
The following symptoms may indicate the presence of a feeding disorder:
Growth issues such as failure to consume enough nutrients to promote growth. (Reflux is often associated with this.)
Oral-motor concerns including abnormal suck-swallow-breathe synchrony, prolonged feeding time (over 30 minutes), and excessive fluid loss during feeding.
Swallowing concerns such as frequent episodes of gagging, coughing, or choking while eating; difficulty managing saliva; noisy or gurgling respirations after eating; or a diagnosis of aspiration.
Difficulty transitioning from breast to bottle, baby foods, and solids, as well as from tube feedings to oral feedings.
Active food refusal with any consistency and disruptive mealtime behaviors.
Feeding Therapy Services
Evaluation
Therapy
Consultation
Call Us Today! Your Child Will Be Glad You Did!
We provide diagnostic and treatment planning for children whose congenital or acquired medical and developmental needs and oral-motor, feeding, and behavioral difficulties have affected their feeding and growth.
The Speech Pathologist works with each child and family to address the multiple factors involved with eating. Family education and training are provided.
The feeding program offers outpatient feeding services with the Speech Pathologist, which usually involves weekly visits.
The goal of outpatient therapy is to meet children’s needs not only by addressing the oral-motor, sensory, and dietary needs, but also by helping caregivers develop and implement an effective home-based feeding program.
Consultative services may also be provided to families and therapists in outlying areas following an initial evaluation. These visits would be treated as a follow-up for additional therapeutic suggestions for those accessing local services and/or when therapy services cannot be obtained.
