Hearing that Speech-Language Pathologists provide treatment for feeding and feeding disorders often comes as a surprise to most people. However, Speech-Language Pathologists can help your child with a variety of feeding skills including: chewing, spoon feeding, cup/straw drinking, expanding their diet, and moving food around in their mouth safely to avoid gagging or choking. Although feeding disorders are most commonly identified in children ages 3 and older, feeding therapy can begin as early as birth with breast/bottle feeding. Speech-Language Pathologists work closely with dietitians, occupational therapists, and lactation consultants, as needed to provide wholistic support to families and children. Feeding difficulties can include:
- Gagging
- Choking
- Coughing
- Wet vocal quality
- Moving food in the mouth
- Chewing/stuffing
- Low food intake
- Limited diet (restricted variety)
- Transitioning to different levels of foods
- Limited nutritional intake
- Any child whose caregivers are stressed and/or struggling to feed them
If you have concerns about your child’s ability to eat a variety of foods, or questions about feeding development, contact us! We’d love to give you more information and answer any questions specific to your child.