Feeding For Toddlers and Picky-Eaters

Is feeding time a tedious time at home? Is your child refusing to eat most foods?
Feeding therapy will make eating easier for your child.

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Make Eating Fun and Enjoyable

If you’re getting frustrated with your child every meal time, you aren’t alone. Children may reject all forms of food (even tasty ones!) and some may be wary with eating in general.

For kids with feeding disorders, it can be all the more challenging. Feeding tubes and devices may help but it may make for a displeasing eating experience.

You may start to notice that feeding issues can rapidly turn into a desperate situation at home. It can result in poor weight gain, choking hazards, and an overall aversion to eating.

If you’d like your child to:

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gain their appropriate weight

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start eating more solid foods

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stop gagging or coughing during meals

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eat independently and happily

… then our speech-language pathologist can help you find and put in place the right solutions. You’ll create enjoyable meal time experiences and help your child build a healthier outlook on eating in no time.

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What Makes Proper Feeding Important

We may think it’s simple, but feeding is a very complex process for the body.

Different muscle groups are responsible for each stage of feeding. When these muscles are not working, it can lead to different feeding disorders. These disorders (such as cerebral palsy or childhood apraxia) can affect your child’s ability to suck or swallow foods, eat from a spoon, chew or drink.

Some solutions to pediatric feeding and swallowing disorders (or PFD) introduce tools such as feeding tubes. However, introducing new tools may also make your child wary of eating, resulting in the opposite effect.

Feeding therapy can help put your child at ease with the feeding process. They will build a more positive relationship to feeding and become independent during snack times and meal times.

Is feeding therapy only for those with feeding disorders?

Feeding disorders can go beyond the abilities to physically eat. There could also be mental or psychological concerns that can affect a child’s eating habits and behaviors.

For example, picky-eating can be tedious for both parent and child and may also require feeding therapy intervention.

Have A Picky-Eater At Home?

For many households, picky eating might be a normal occurrence for their children. But, your troubles during your child’s feeding time may say different things.

Pickiness can go beyond favoring certain foods. Your child may also:

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reject major food groups or eat only their favorite foods

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refuse to try new types of food

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become very fussy or throws tantrums when trying to sit them down to eat

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eat slowly and consume less (leading to weight loss)

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vomit or gag when food is present

There could be many reasons for extremely picky-eating. One of these is sensory issues or overload. This happens when a child experiences too much stimulation, including the sights, tastes and textures of food. Particular disorders such as ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) or even ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) may also be the cause.

While it’s possible to search for tips and tricks online, it can grow incredibly frustrating to try many things and not have them work.

Your therapist can help get to the root of your child’s eating habits aversion. With a personalized plan, you will see significant progress with your child’s feeding habits.

What can I expect from a feeding therapy evaluation?

At an evaluation, your speech-language pathologist will ask about your child’s developmental history and family background. They will also ask about their feeding routines and preferences, along with your goals for the speech therapy.

After this initial interview your therapist will observe how your child eats. In an online session, this would be required through a live call or a recording. This initial assessment process will help them create a custom plan for your child’s feeding success.

Feeding Therapy for Children

Speech-language pathologists (SLP) help with a wide variety of disorders, including feeding therapy.

They can help you help your child with:

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eating and swallowing safely

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encouraging them to explore food textures and try a wider variety of foods

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looking out for their reactions or cues on their liked and disliked foods

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prepare meals more suitable and healthy food for your child

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introduce food in a positive manner

With consistent efforts, you and your child will head towards happier and stress-free meal times soon.

OUR SERVICES

How Apheleia Speech Therapy Can Help

Online speech-language therapy will help ease the process of stroke recovery at home for you and your loved one. Our speech therapists will aid you in supporting your loved one’s speech and language recovery.

Therapy for Picky-Eaters

Understand more of your child’s food aversion and help them be more open to more foods and healthy eating.

Feeding/Swallowing Therapy

Help your child get comfortable with suitable eating methods and be more at ease during feeding.

Lauren Templeton

Owner & Speech-Language Pathologist

Get Started and See How it All Works

Fill out the form below to be taken to a short questionnaire. You can also send us an Email or text/call us at (613) 707-9211.

**By filling out this form you consent that we may contact you at the email and/or phone number provided.

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