Feeding Therapy
Feeding difficulties have identifiable causes: oral-motor, sensory, medical, behavioral, or a combination of these. Feeding therapy establishes which of them apply to your child, and treats them directly.
- We assess chewing, swallowing, food acceptance and the structure of mealtimes.
- Treatment is graded and pressure-free. Exposure advances at your child tolerance, never by force.
- Parent coaching is part of the plan, because most meals happen at your table, not ours.
Jump to:
- What feeding therapy is
- When an evaluation is warranted
- What an evaluation involves
- What we treat
- Parent coaching
- How to begin
- Questions parents ask
What feeding therapy is
Feeding therapy addresses how a child accepts, manages and swallows food. We assess oral-motor skill, meaning the strength and coordination needed to chew and swallow safely, alongside sensory responses to texture, temperature and smell, and the routines that shape mealtimes.
From that assessment we set functional goals: expanding the range of accepted foods, progressing from purees to solids, moving from bottle to cup, improving chewing efficiency, or building tolerance for remaining at the table.
Food is introduced through structured exploration, touching, smelling and handling, before any tasting is expected. Forced intake is associated with increased refusal and heightened distress, so it has no place in treatment.
When an evaluation is warranted
- A limited food repertoire, or one that is narrowing over time.
- Gagging, coughing or choking during meals.
- Refusal of entire food groups, textures or temperatures.
- Continued reliance on purees beyond the expected age.
- Meals that consistently extend well beyond thirty minutes, or end in distress.
- Concerns about weight, growth or nutritional intake raised by your pediatrician.
- Difficulty transitioning from bottle to cup, or from liquids to solids.
What an evaluation involves
- Clinical history. Medical background, feeding history and current intake, reviewed with you.
- Observed meal. We watch your child eat, and we look at how the meal itself is structured.
- Oral-motor assessment. Chewing, swallowing, and tongue and jaw coordination.
- Sensory profile. How texture, temperature, smell and presentation affect acceptance.
- Findings and plan. We explain what we found and what we recommend, and you leave with it in writing.
What we treat
Reducing gagging, coughing and aspiration risk during meals.
Systematically expanding the range of accepted foods and textures.
Strength and coordination for chewing and managing solid textures.
Bottle to cup, purees to solids, and age-appropriate progression.
Tolerating the table, the meal and the routine surrounding it.
Coordinated with your pediatrician, gastroenterologist or dietitian.
Parent coaching
Therapy sessions account for a small fraction of a child weekly meals. Parent coaching is therefore part of the treatment plan rather than an addition to it.
We work with you on mealtime structure, seating and positioning, how food is presented, and how to respond to refusal. Recommendations are specific, limited in number, and reviewed at each visit so they can be adjusted to your household.
How to begin
- Contact us. Describe your child current intake and what a typical meal looks like.
- Evaluation. We assess oral-motor skill, sensory response and mealtime dynamics.
- Individualized plan. Functional goals, reviewed with you and coordinated with your child physician.
For coverage, here are the plans we work with.
Questions parents ask
Is this simply selective eating?
Selective eating and a clinical feeding difficulty can present similarly. The distinguishing factors are the size of the accepted repertoire, whether it is narrowing, the presence of oral-motor or sensory findings, and the degree of distress involved. An evaluation establishes which applies.
Will my child be made to eat?
No. Forced intake increases refusal and is not part of our practice. Exposure is graded to your child tolerance and advances from there.
My child gags on certain textures. Is that sensory?
It may be sensory, oral-motor, medical, or a combination. Distinguishing between them is the purpose of the evaluation, and the reason we coordinate with your child physician.
How does this relate to occupational therapy?
Sensory processing affects both. Our occupational and feeding therapists work in the same clinic and share findings when a child is seen by both. More on occupational therapy.
What does it cost?
Costs and payment, explained plainly, including private pay and Step Up.
Keep reading
- Reducing mealtime distress at homePractical changes to structure, presentation and routine.
- Developmental signs by ageWhen it is worth requesting an evaluation.
- Five therapies, one teamHow our disciplines coordinate around a single child.
- What therapy costsCoverage, private pay and Step Up, explained plainly.
Concerned about your child eating?
Describe what mealtimes look like at home and we will tell you whether an evaluation is warranted.