Feeding Consulting
Feeding Therapy
Feeding challenges can arise due to various factors, such as anatomical issues, sensory sensitivities, or developmental delays. At Dymond we can help children and families with:
Complementary feeding & the transition to solids
Refuses to eat or is sensitive to certain food textures, flavors, or temperatures of foods.
Difficulty chewing foods or struggles to control and coordinate moving food around in mouth, preparing to swallow food.
Refuses or rarely tries new foods.
Has difficulty transitioning from gastric tube (G tube) feedings to oral feedings.
Negative mealtime behaviors (crying, arches, pulls away from food, tantrums at mealtimes or “shuts-down” and does not engage in mealtime).
The child has prolonged mealtimes, longer than 30 minutes for infants, and 30 to 40 minutes for toddlers or young children.
Transitioning to cup drinking/liquid intake
Utensil Use
Our occupational therapists help families create a safe & positive feeding environment, in turn increasing children’s participation in mealtime. We believe in improving physical needs and oral- motor development, introducing multi-sensory exposure of new foods, respecting the child’s eating responses, and diversifying their food choices to encourage a healthy diet.During feeding therapy, our therapists will work with your child to provide them with positive experiences and the skills they need to make meal time more enjoyable and nutritious.
Frequently Asked
Questions
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Common concerns include:
Refusing food or liquid
Failure to accept different food textures
Coughing or gagging during meals
Difficulty chewing
Excessive drooling while feeding
Gurgling, hoarse, or breathy voice during feeding
Frequent spitting or vomiting
Recurring pneumonia or respiratory infections
Less than normal weight gain or growth
Sensory processing difficulties
Delayed developmental milestones
Through evidence-based practice, OTs are able to provide a holistic approach to breastfeeding through a unique perspective as developmental specialist with significant training in anatomy, physiology, and sensory processing. Through this whole-body approach, OTs can educate and empower parents while supporting infants with & without developmental disorders in the natural progression of feeding by addressing internal and external factors, such as positioning, state regulation, oral motor skills, and more.
Speech-language pathologists are trained in the mechanisms of the swallow, oral motor development, and the management of dysphagia. SLP’s play a critical role in the management of feeding for those with complex medical needs while assisting parents in chairing their goals. SLP’s provide support to parents and infants by addressing pre-feeding skills, the physiology of the swallow, and how these factors may impact their ability to safely and adequately consume an age-appropriate diet.