Feeding Therapy
What is Feeding Therapy?
- Feeding therapy uses specialized approaches designed to address many concerns surrounding food refusal and selectivity. Feeding therapy is a learning experience that helps children develop feeding skills and expand their food preferences in a positive environment.
- Although many people may tell you that “all kids are picky,” the reasons behind your child’s pickiness may include oral-motor difficulties and/or sensory aversions. Our therapists are trained to identify the underlying causes and provide individualized strategies for therapy and home.
- We treat feeding difficulties by making feeding therapy a positive experience. During feeding therapy, we use a number of games, toys, and dishes to make eating a fun and positive experience. We are committed to helping every family improve their child’s growth and relationship with food.
If You Identify a Feeding Problem in your Child
Picky eating is when a child refuses food often or eats the same foods repeatedly. A child may be a picky eater, such as aversions due to sensory processing, poor strength, and coordination, or not being physically capable of chewing. A picky eater includes but is not limited to:
- Restricted range or the variety of foods is fewer than 20 different foods
- Cries and “falls apart” when presented with new foods
- Refuses entire categories of food textures
- Frequently eats a different set of foods than the rest of the family during meal times
Early treatment is recommended for any child suspected of being a picky
eater. If your child’s feeding difficulties are left untreated, it can
lead to constipation, growth problems, nutritional deficiencies, and
elimination of food that they eat too frequently.
TEAM 4 Kids – Making Food Your Child’s Best Friend
At TEAM 4 Kids, our experts begin with an evaluation process that assesses your child as a whole. We consult with a multidisciplinary team to ensure that all the reasons why your child won’t eat are identified and treated. Our Team consists of Speech-language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Feeding Therapists, Behavior Analysts, and Physical Therapists. We are all committed to helping every parent improve their child’s growth and relationship with food.
Interested in our groups or classes?
Feeding groups are beneficial for children who have a limited amount of food in their diet and are open to the idea of interacting with a variety of food in a peer setting. Each month, our feeding group food lists follow a food theme to assist with familiarizing your child with a variety of food.
Please RSVP to sign up for our FREE theme night events.
What can I expect during a group feeding therapy session?
During group therapy sessions, we provide 5 different foods that may include fruits, vegetables, and proteins that are all linked together using characteristics of the food to assist with exposing your child to a variety of food. The feeding groups provide the opportunity to practice eating and engaging with same aged peers that are focusing on the same skill. This is great for building a child’s confidence with friends and food!
Do you provide written reports of my child’s progress?
Will my insurance cover the cost of therapy?
How do I schedule an appointment?
What are your hours?
We are open at all locations Monday-Friday from 7:30 am-6:00 pm.