What is feeding therapy?

 My son doesn’t like green beans.  According to my husband, it is because he is smart.  But what happens when your child doesn’t like any food that is green…or orange…or too soft…or too hard?  Is your child just a picky eater, or could there be a bigger problem?

According to The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association feeding and swallowing disorders are described as “problems gathering food and getting ready to suck, chew, or swallow it.”  Signs and symptoms of feeding or swallowing disorders include failure to accept different textures of food, long feeding times (over 30 minutes), coughing or gagging during meals, less than normal weight gain or growth, and difficulty chewing.  If you notice these symptoms in your child, it might be time to discuss your concerns with your pediatrician. 

What happens next?  If feeding therapy with a speech-language pathologist is recommended, an evaluation is completed to look at movement and strength of muscles used during eating as well as an observation of eating to examine posture, behavior, and oral movements during chewing and swallowing. If therapy is then recommended, treatment may target increasing strength of mouth, increasing lip and tongue movements, improve chewing ability, accepting a variety of foods, and/or improving ability to drink from a cup or straw.

Our goal is to have happy, healthy kids who are able to enjoy the social and nutritional benefits of meals with families without the stress!