What Is Feeding Therapy?

Many children are known as picky eaters—but if your child consistently struggles at mealtimes, they may have a swallowing disorder, also known as dysphagia. Studies have found that 35% of children experience feeding and swallowing problems. These conditions are even more common in children with developmental disabilities, with the frequency rising to 80%.

Feeding therapy helps children develop healthy eating habits to make mealtime less stressful. Our providers at Davies Institute for Speech & Hearing will work with your family to make eating easier for your child.

Would My Child Benefit from Feeding Therapy?

Feeding therapy may help your child if they:

• Have difficulty chewing or swallowing foods, often swallowing food in whole pieces or refusing to swallow certain types of food
• Often gag, choke or cough while eating
• Are irritable during mealtime or push food away
• Refuse to eat certain food textures, temperatures or flavors
• Refuse to try new foods
• Seem congested or vomit during or right after eating
• Take longer than a half hour to eat for infants, or more than 40 minutes for toddlers

How Does Feeding Therapy Work?

Our provider will work with your family to address underlying difficulties to help your child enjoy a healthy, age-appropriate meal. We’ll create space for safe food exploration as we build a treatment plan based on your child’s unique needs.

Therapy may focus on developing oral skills so patients are better able to chew, sip, suck or swallow while eating; increasing the variety of food a child is willing to eat; and reducing negative feelings toward eating that may have developed because of allergies, illness, sensory aversions or limited oral skills.

How Long Will Treatment Take?

The number of sessions and their length will depend on your child’s needs. Often, patients are seen for 30-60 minutes, once or twice a week. Our team will work alongside your family to ensure your child receives the necessary treatment to make lasting progress.