Eating has been a growing concern with parents of young children. Feeding therapy helps children learn how to eat or how to eat better.
When your child is eating, there are times when he/she may;
- Gag at the sight and/or smell of the food
- Be a picky eater (likes to eat only specific food)
- Deny eating food altogether
- Spit the food out
- Tend to choke when trying to chew or swallow food
- Vomit at the taste of food
- Only be interested in bottle feeding
- Only eat with distractions like TV time, phones, videos
- Not feed themselves when they can
Feeding Therapy is your answer to these concerns!
How does this therapy approach work?
- It allows the child to break down the negative mental block with food.
- It creates new, successful and fun food experiences for children.
- It works through the sensory sensitivities that are hampering a child’s nutrition.
- It works on the child’s active participation during meal time.
- It works on the child’s oral motor impairments.
- It allows the child to learn the required hand skills to manipulate the food.
Are all these really a problem? Or are these children being difficult?
Feeding is not as simple as eating the food placed in front. It is an experience that begins with the smell of food, to seeing it, then picking it up, to putting it into the mouth, to chewing the food and then finally swallowing it.
This entire process therefore involves the use and coordination of many muscles to manipulate the food/liquid in the mouth.
Let’s go over this process in detail as described by stages;
Oral preparatory phase
- Lip closure
- Cheek tone
- Rotary and lateral jaw movement
- Rotary and lateral tongue movement
- Anterior bulging of the soft palate
- Tongue forms a bolus with the food
Oral Phase
- Bolus is held between the tongue and palate
- Tongue pushes bolus to the back of the mouth
- Tongue elevates and retracts, squeezing the bolus along the palate
- If tongue control is poor, food may go into pharynx (throat) and be aspirated
Pharyngeal Phase
- When food reaches anterior facial pillars, the pharyngeal phase is triggered
- Velum (soft palate) closes
- Larynx elevates (epiglottis flips, true and false vocal folds slam together)
- Tongue has a major role in triggering the swallow
Oesophageal Phase
- Begins when the Upper Esophageal Sphincteropens and the food is transferred to the esophagus
- Peristaltic action pushes the food down into the stomach
- This phase lasts 8-20 seconds
- Ends when the Lower Esophageal Sphincter opens and the food is passed into the stomach
Oral structure and Function of parts that work for feeding:
Lips
- Removes food from spoon, and liquid from cup
- Need adequate ability to move (range of motion)
- Need adequate strength
- Need ability to maintain closure while chewing and swallowing
Teeth
- Need to adequately chew food
- If food is not chewed, choking may occur
- Nutrients may not be adequately broken down and used by the body if not properly chewed and broken down first (masticated)
- If not cared for can lead to drooling
- Poor jaw alignment may impact feeding
Tongue
- Needs adequate strength to break down foods, transfer foods, and maintain control of foods
- Needs adequate range of motion to clear oral cavity
- Needs stamina to maintain strength and agility throughout a meal
- There are many muscle groups in the cheeks
- In feeding they help to control the liquid and food in the mouth
- If the cheeks do not work properly, food can fall into the lateral sulci (between the outer gums and cheek walls)
Larynx
- Protects airways
- Epiglottis flips over the larynx
- Vocal folds close over the trachea (windpipe)
- Larynx elevates to allow food to pass into the esophagus
Soft Palate
- Elevates at the point of the swallow to prevent nasal reflux
- If cleft, there is no prevention for the nose
- Lost food means lost nutrients
Children develop problems with feeding, eating, and swallowing as a result of;
- Medical conditions: cerebral palsy, downs syndrome, other genetic conditions
- Delayed Oral motor skills: developmental delays
- Sensorimotor: sensory processing disorder, autism spectrum disorder
- Behavioural difficulties
What is feeding therapy?
In the simplest terms, feeding therapy helps children learn how to eat or how to eat better.
Problems with feeding, eating, and swallowing are caused by multiple underlying factors. We provide direct intervention for these difficulties to improve functional participation in mealtimes.
How is feeding intervention done?
An evaluation is completed first, which usually consists of observing the child eat and interviewing the parent. Goals are written that guide the direction of therapy. The goals are usually specific and include the parents’ concerns.
Depending on the child’s underlying challenges, you may see your child participating in sensory integration activities or completing exercises to strengthen the muscles they need for eating.
We provide feeding therapy on a one-on-one basis or in a group setting. We have noticed that a group dynamic is very motivating for these kids. We work closely with families to ensure carryover within their daily routine.
How is feeding intervention done?
An evaluation is completed first, which usually consists of observing the child eat and interviewing the parent. Goals are written that guide the direction of therapy. The goals are usually specific and include the parents’ concerns.
Depending on the child’s underlying challenges, you may see your child participating in sensory integration activities or completing exercises to strengthen the muscles they need for eating.
We provide feeding therapy on a one-on-one basis or in a group setting. We have noticed that a group dynamic is very motivating for these kids. We work closely with families to ensure carryover within their daily routine.
If you are looking to seek help for your child’s feeding related concerns, connect with us on 9769611844 or email us at reachtcfc@gmail.com