Feeding Program
Creating positive food experiences
Are mealtimes stressful for your child and by extension, the whole family? If your child is having difficulty transitioning to solid foods, refuses to try new foods, or gags on specific food tastes or textures, feeding therapy at Aspire may be something to consider.
In the simplest sense, feeding therapy helps children learn how to eat better. Feeding therapists can work on developing the oral motor skills needed to manage foods safely and effectively in the mouth and addressing sensory processing challenges that may be impacting a child’s ability to incorporate new food tastes or textures.
The ultimate goal of feeding therapy is to create positive food experiences and establish regular and nutritious meals that are enjoyable for the entire family.
How it works
Aspire’s feeding therapy is provided by occupational and speech therapists who have additional training and experience in feeding and swallowing evaluation and intervention. Depending on your child’s unique needs, one or both of these therapists will be present for evaluation and treatment sessions.
Our experienced therapists provide feeding therapy evaluation and intervention for children experiencing any of the following problems:
Frequent food refusal
Inadequate weight gain/failure to thrive
Coughing, choking, gagging, or vomiting during meals
Difficulty chewing, swallowing, or managing food in his/her mouth
Pocketing food between gums
Avoiding specific textures or tastes
“Picky Eating” (Less than 20 accepted foods in diet)
Distress or behavioral reactions surrounding mealtimes or new food experiences
Feeding time taking longer than 30 minutes for infants and 30 to 40 minutes for toddlers or young children
Feeding evaluation
Before your child’s initial evaluation at Aspire, we’ll ask you to complete a feeding intake form with information about your child’s feeding history and current food intake. On the day of the evaluation, therapists will get to know your child, gather additional information, and complete a feeding trial where they can watch how your child eats, drinks, and engages with a variety of foods. We’ll work closely with your child and family to determine the source of your child’s difficulties and develop a specific plan for addressing these underlying barriers to meet your family's goals.
Feeding therapy sessions
During feeding therapy sessions, our therapists aim to make the entire process of eating less stressful and more enjoyable for your child by using a play-based and child-led approach to food exploration. We encourage parents and caregivers to be involved, and we will provide support, strategies, and parent education to improve your child’s ability to eat a variety of foods safely and consistently and to decrease mealtime stress for the entire family.
For more information about Aspire’s feeding program or to request a free consultation please contact us.
Since working with Kendra, [my daughter] has significantly improved her feeding skills, [she] is choking less and chewing more efficiently. [My daughter] loves her weekly visits to Aspire and is always looking forward to eating with Ms.Kendra. After going to so many doctor appointments to get to the bottom of what was going on, Kendra gave us amazing suggestions that I believe helped us go to the right doctor to get the answers we needed.
Thank you Kendra and Aspire Therapy we appreciate all you do."
- Parent of Aspire Client