What is Feeding Therapy?
Is mealtime a battlefield each night? Does your child have a limited number of favorite foods, and refuse new ones? Is it picky eating or a separate condition? Feeding and mealtime challenges are common, particularly for young children— and feeding therapy can work to address these concerns at any age.
Read on to learn how occupational therapy at Therapy Smarts can help your family to thrive!
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What is Feeding Therapy?
Feeding therapy is a dimension of occupational (or sometimes speech) therapy that addresses feeding concerns arising from a child’s oral motor, sensory, behavioral, or medical condition.
Signs of Feeding Disorders
There are a number of reasons why a child may struggle with mealtime. Perhaps they have a sensory processing issue with something on their plate, or struggle with swallowing. Some additional signs that your child may struggle with a feeding concern include:
- Refuses entire food groups or has a very limited food repertoire (picky eating that’s extreme).
- Gags, coughs, or chokes frequently while eating.
Trouble chewing, managing textures, or using utensils. - Difficulty transitioning from bottle to solids or from purees to table food.
- Takes an extremely long time to eat or avoids meals.
- Exhibits extreme sensitivity to certain textures, smells, or tastes.
- Displays anxiety, meltdowns, or stress around mealtimes.
- Has weight gain concerns or nutritional deficiencies
An occupational therapist can assess the strength of a child’s oral motor skills and utilize sensory-based approaches to habituate them to new foods.
Wondering About Developmental Milestones?
Have questions about your child’s development, or wondering if a certain diagnosis may be a fit? Try out our developmental screening tool— it’s a fast, free way to get a snapshot of your child’s progress on his or her developmental milestones.