Pediatric Feeding Therapy
Support for safe eating, swallowing, and nutrition development.
Pediatric feeding and swallowing therapy helps children overcome feeding difficulties and develop healthy eating habits.
Tailored therapy approaches address unique challenges:
- For infants: assessment and intervention includes determining the correct flow rate of formula or mothers’ milk and the ideal positioning for optimal feeding.
- For toddlers and preschoolers: therapy focuses on addressing oral motor skills and sensory sensitivities to establish safe and effective feeding patterns.
- For school-aged children: treatment emphasizes resolving texture aversions, expanding food variety, and building mealtime confidence.
- For children with medical conditions: therapy supports children with specific needs, such as those with feeding tubes or developmental delays, helping them transition to oral feeding when possible.
Verse Therapy offers evidence-based, personalized treatment delivered by experienced therapists through convenient virtual sessions.
Explore Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Therapy Options
Therapy options are personalized to address the unique needs of children with feeding challenges. Key treatments include:
Oral-Motor Skill Development
Therapy focuses on the use and function of the muscles needed for safe and effective chewing and swallowing, promoting better feeding outcomes.
Compensatory Strategies
Modification of flow rate through a selection of ideal bottle or nipple systems, changing positioning for feeding, or altering food temperature and consistency can improve feeding and swallowing.
Sensory Integration Techniques
Therapists help children manage sensitivities to textures, flavors, and temperatures, fostering a more diverse and enjoyable diet.
Behavioral Feeding Strategies
Therapy focuses on addressing mealtime behaviors and building a positive relationship with food through gradual exposure and positive reinforcement.
Parent and Caregiver Coaching
It is important to involve families to create supportive feeding environments at home and reinforce therapy goals during mealtime routines.
Technology-Assisted Learning
Digital tools may be used to engage children in practicing feeding techniques and tracking progress in a fun and interactive way.
Schedule a consultation today to determine how pediatric feeding therapy can help your family.
Benefits of Pediatric Feeding Therapy
Pediatric feeding and swallowing therapy improves a child’s ability to eat safely and effectively while reducing mealtime stress for families. Therapy outcomes are personalized to meet the unique needs of each child. Key benefits include:
Identifying the Correct Tool or Implement
The correct choice of bottle, nipple, cup, or body position can be critical in safe and effective feeding.
Enhanced Eating and Swallowing Skills
Therapy improves oral motor coordination, helping children chew and swallow food safely and efficiently.
Expanded Food Acceptance
Therapy helps children overcome sensory aversions and broaden their diet, ensuring balanced nutrition and healthier eating habits.
Reduced Mealtime Stress for Families
Therapy provides parents with strategies to create positive, stress-free mealtime experiences and address feeding challenges confidently.
Why Choose Verse Therapy for Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Therapy?
Verse Therapy’s unique approach to pediatric feeding and swallowing therapy services provides numerous advantages including:
Convenience
Virtual therapy removes the need for travel, making it simple for individuals and families to access top-tier pediatric feeding therapy.
Flexibility
Scheduling virtual therapy sessions can fit into diverse lifestyles and can accommodate work, school, or family responsibilities. This flexibility reduces stress for individuals balancing multiple commitments.
Accessibility
Virtual therapy ensures access to top providers regardless of location. This is particularly beneficial to providers in areas or regions with limited in-person therapy options.
Personalized Care
Virtual therapy provides one-on-one, customized sessions tailored to each child’s and families’ unique feeding challenges and goals.
What to Expect from Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
There are several stages to pediatric feeding and swallowing therapy including:
01Initial Consultation
Therapists assess feeding and swallowing challenges through observations, parent interviews, review of medical history, and evaluations of oral-motor, swallow, sensory, and behavioral factors.
02Personalized Treatment Plan
Therapy plans are tailored to each child’s unique needs, focusing on achievable goals that address compensatory strategies, oral-motor skills, sensory aversions, or behavioral concerns.
03Ongoing Sessions and Monitoring
Progress is regularly reviewed, with therapy techniques adjusted to support steady improvement in feeding and swallowing abilities.
04Long-Term Skill Development
Strategies are provided to help families maintain progress, including practical tips for mealtimes, at-home exercises, and caregiver training.
Meet Our Pediatric Feeding Specialists
April Jackson
April is a neuroaffirming Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in speech, language, and communication disorders. She uses culturally aware, evidence-based practices and promotes neurodiversity affirming communication skills, tailoring treatment plans to each client's unique needs.
Claudia Tweedie
Claudia has 15 years of experience helping families and young children enhance communication skills. She focuses on increasing speech and language abilities and addressing feeding concerns, striving to improve how children express and communicate their needs.
Victoria Hughes
Victoria is a Speech-Language Pathologist who specializes in helping children develop communication skills through a naturalistic, play-based approach. She emphasizes early language development, AAC, and caregiver involvement, creating fun, engaging sessions tailored to individual needs.
FAQs about Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Pediatric feeding and swallowing can be treated virtually, as much can be determined or improved through virtual observation and intervention. There may be a need to schedule follow-up medical appointments in the office, but therapy can largely be provided through a virtual platform.
Therapy for pediatric feeding and swallowing addresses both function and habits in order to improve the act of feeding and the experience and acceptance surrounding mealtime. This is done through the application of practical strategies and exercises as well as the formation of new habits.
It is advantageous to start therapy for pediatric feeding and swallowing as soon as difficulty is noted with feeding or swallowing. Results can be achieved more easily when intervention begins early.
Take the First Step Toward Better Feeding Habits
Pediatric feeding and swallowing therapy can be life-changing in terms of helping children and families overcome feeding challenges and build healthy eating habits.