Feeding Therapy

We at Therapy Innovations have highly skilled therapists who are trained in evaluating and treating children with a variety of feeding and swallowing disorders. Difficulties with feeding and swallowing can occur at any step in the feeding process from accepting foods and liquids into the mouth to the food moving into the stomach and intestines. The prevalence of children with feeding disorders is estimated to be 30%–80% of all children who have developmental disorders (Arvedson, 2008; Brackett, Arvedson, & Manno, 2006; Lefton-Greif, 2008; Manikam & Perman, 2000).

This a very high. However, rest assured that our therapists are trained in the best methods and feeding therapy techniques to help you and your child gain the skills and confidence needed to increase food acceptance, improve motor skills needed to eat efficiently, and reduce overall mealtime anxiety.

Feeding therapy varies greatly from child to child depending on the symptoms and cause of your child’s feeding/swallowing difficulties. If feeding therapy is recommended for your child, you will play an instrumental role in your child’s success. A specialized home program will be designed for you and your child based on their needs. Goals in therapy often focus on:

• Strengthening oral motor skills needed for drinking, chewing, and swallowing (making the muscles of the mouth stronger, increasing tongue movement, improving sucking skills);
• Expanding diet to include more variety and types of foods;
• Reducing food refusal and poor oral intake;
• Transitioning from a G-tube or tube feeding to an oral diet; and/or
• Improving overall weight gain and growth.

In addition to traditional feeding therapy, our therapists have been trained in a variety of specialized feeding programs and techniques including SOS therapy, VitalStim therapy, and kinesthetic taping.