While most infants have trouble when they first learn to drink from cups and eat solid foods, a child who has a feeding disorder will continue to have these issues. Symptoms may include: Discomfort with breath or posture when feeding; overall refusal to eat or drink; sucking, chewing, coughing and swallowing problems; hoarse voice after meals and/or frequent spit-up or vomit; difficulty gaining weight.
There is a difference between a “picky eater” and “problem eater”. “Problem eaters” will often be more selective with their food choices (less than 20 foods), strong adverse reactions to food (crying, gagging, tantrums), may eliminate entire food groups from diet, typically have an underlying medical condition (i.e. GERD) and/or sensory processing disorder.
Integration of different treatment approaches and collaboration with other healthcare providers works to determine the underlying cause, address symptoms, increase sensory input, expand a child’s diet, increase nutritional intake and develop strategies for behaviors.
Individual and group therapy programs are offered to provide the most optimal environment for an individual to address their feeding difficulties.
