If your child is a picky eater, failure to thrive, has trouble chewing, or is a tube-fed child, feeding therapy can help. Teaching Together is able to address a variety of eating problems and feeding disorders with babies, toddlers, children and young adults. These problems may include feeding tube dependency, food selectivity by texture (e.g. the child will only eat purees), food selectivity by type (e.g. the child will only eat protein), liquid dependency, oral motor skill deficits, and food refusal. Therapy is home-based, and can also be conducted at school and in the child’s community if necessary.
What makes Teaching Together unique is that I come to you and work with your family using your food and utensils. Teaching Together also follow your child’s individual feeding schedule and customizes therapy to their unique strengths and interests. This can ensure lasting results and reduce regression between visits. Follow-up will be conducted to ensure that skills are maintained and generalized to important people and places.
Pediatric Feeding Therapy will begin only after the child is deemed safe for behavioral interventions by the child’s speech pathologist, gastroenterologist, and other interdisciplinary team members. The first step is to conduct an evaluation. This will include a review of relevant medical records and in-home observation and data collection. Consultation with other professionals may be necessary as part of this process.
Upon completion of the evaluation, treatment goals and strategies will be recommended. During treatment, parents and other relevant adults will be trained to implement the plan. It is crucial that caregivers can do their “homework” between visits with the therapist. The therapist will work with your child in their natural environment such as home, school, and community. Throughout treatment, we will collaborate with the child’s physicians and therapists to maximize treatment success.
Typical feeding goals addressed: Establishing intake of solid foods and liquids; increasing the amount of food and liquids consumed; expanding the variety of child’s diet including liquids; teaching chewing and progressing texture, tube weaning; bottle weaning; minimizing food refusal; reducing pickiness; reducing mealtime duration; teaching and increasing self-feeding and making mealtime more positive.
To get started, please fill out this form. When there is availability to see your child, you will be contacted to schedule an initial evaluation and to gather relevant insurance and clinical information.
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