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Orange County's #1 Pediatric Therapy Provider
Feeding Therapy for Kids
In-Clinic and TeleTherapy Options
Pediatric Feeding Therapy at Infinity Kids
A Feeding therapist is typically either an occupational therapist or speech and language pathologist who helps children eat in a safe, age-appropriate manner while building healthy long term eating habits. A Pediatric Feeding Disorder includes the following: Difficulties with eating and/or drinking that affect weight and height, food or fluid refusal, food or fluid selectivity (picky eater), delayed oral motor skills affecting feeding, medical involvement impacting feeding (structural abnormalities, cardio-respiratory issues, metabolic dysfunction), and/or behavior problems during mealtimes. At Infinity Kids, we use a combination of feeding approaches and techniques depending on each individual child’s needs.
Feeding therapy candidates
- Picky eating
- Difficulty breastfeeding or bottle feeding
- Transitioning from baby to solid foods
- Minimal food intake and poor weight gain
- Pre/post frenectomy care
- Maladaptive behaviors around eating
- Oral Ties (tongue, lip, or cheek) impacting functional feeding skills
- Swallowing deficits
- Transitioning off a G-tube to oral feeding
- Overall health and nutrition
- Interruption with family dynamics
5 general categories that explain why a child won't eat:
- Medical/Physical Complications (swallowing issue, allergies, reflux)
- Oral Motor Deficits
- Sensory Processing Issues
- Behavioral/Environmental
- Combination
general treatment strategies used by pediatric feeding therapists
- Building rapport
- Reading cues effectively
- Decrease compensatory feeding patterns as a result of oral restrictions
- Strengthening and coordinating oral muscles for safe eating
- Correct position of mouth to increase nasal breathing for optimal sleep
- Improve oral motor/feeding skills for those with oral ties
- Social modeling
- Building associations between foods
- Offering manageable types of foods and portions
- Creating structure and routine
- Positive reinforcement/verbal praise
A child’s environmental context has a significant emotional component. Therefore, our feeding therapists look at the entire child in their natural settings to help families assess the underlying causes of mealtime challenges.
How to Work with Infinity Kids
1. Schedule
Click the Schedule an Appointment button below. Submit your families specific needs and we will contact you.
2. Evaluate
Your child will be evaluated at our clinic using standardized assessments and clinical observations.
3. Play
If therapy is recommended, trust our trained team to play and smile with your child.