Feeding Therapy

Help your infant with oral motor skills, starting solids, or problem-solving issues with eating.

Help your toddler or older child gain confidence and comfort around food.

Help your child with medical concerns to increase their ability to eat and engage with feeding skills.

Individual services are provided by a licensed occupational therapist with advanced training in oral-motor development, sensory-based feeding difficulties, medical complexities, and social-emotional and behavioral difficulties surrounding eating/feeding.

Feeding Therapy: Services

Feeding Therapy Information

Deciding if feeding therapy is right for your child?

If you have any questions, or feel your child might benefit from feeding therapy,
contact today to discuss a Wonderland Therapy Feeding Evaluation today!

Does my child need Feeding Therapy?

Your child may benefit from a feeding evaluation if your child:

has difficulty with breastfeeding/nursing or bottle feeding
has difficulty transitioning to solid table foods
has sensory difficulties with foods
- is resistant to accepting new textures
- has a hard time with the smell or look of food
frequently gags on food
has a selective diet or food refusals
has "picky eating" lasting more than a few weeks
feeding causes stress at family mealtimes
- for child and/or caregiver
experiences reflux, choking, gagging, or vomiting during or after meals
has difficulty transitioning off bottle or drinking from cups or straws
Frequently drools or has open mouth position during the day/night
has a medical condition leading to feeding difficulties
- receives nutrition/hydration through tube feedings (ng-tube, g-tube, etc)
- relies on nutritional supplements (pediasure, etc)
- is underweight for his/her age (i.e. diagnosis of Failure to Thrive (FTT))

Feeding Evaluation

Feeding Evaluation will include:

Review of medical, feeding, and overall development history
Oral skills assessment
Sensory Processing assessment
Motor skills assessment
Observation of feeding/eating
Parent Questionnaire
Individual recommendations, which may include:
- mealtime suggestions, home-based activities, sensory and/or motor skill activities, and/or seating recommendations
Recommendations for on-going treatment plan
Goal setting with child and family

Medical Conditions

Research has supported that patients with the following diagnoses and/or medical histories can benefit from feeding therapy services:

Individuals with:

Autism Spectrum Disorders
Sensory Processing Difficulties
Developmental Disorders
Down Syndrome
Cerebral Palsy
Genetic Syndromes
Pre-term birth
Failure to thrive/low weight
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Cleft Lip/Palate
Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders
Respiratory disorders
Cardiac Conditions

Feeding Therapy: List