95% of picky eaters are picky due to an underlying cause; only 5% of picky eating is behavioral. Many picky eaters are picky because they have trouble managing certain food textures. Teaching them the skills to safely manage food, will help them learn to trust food again. Our job as your child’s feeding therapist is to re-establish your child’s trust of food and trust in you as their primary feeder. As such, we work with your whole family and child’s care-givers to relieve the anxiety of feeding your child. We are your partner and your child’s advocate. 

We will complete a thorough evaluation to determine the underlying cause of your child’s picky eating or problem feeding. This includes an examination of the structures of the mouth, feeding tools, feeding patterns, and feeding techniques. The examination also includes a comprehensive investigation of background, medical history, and family history. Our therapists are specially trained to analyze the movement patterns of your child’s chewing and swallowing. We are also trained to analyze tethered oral tissue. Once we determine the underlying cause of your child’s limited diet, we will formulate an individualized plan with goals to address the root cause.

We offer 1:1 therapy or small group feeding therapy to carry out the plan. Both 1:1 and group sessions will be run by a speech language pathologist highly trained in feeding therapy. Our therapists will take the time to explain the advantages of both 1:1 and group feeding therapy, in order for parents/guardians to make the best choice for their child.

Depending on the cause, we implement the following techniques as appropriate:

• SOS Approach to Feeding Therapy
• Sensorimotor Feeding Therapy 
• Oral Placement Therapy 
• Oral Motor Therapy 
• Tethered Oral Tissue Therapy
• Baby Led Weaning
• Responsive Feeding Therapy

 Finally, we will treat your child using kid friendly and research based interventions. We teach you therapeutic approaches to feeding that will help build trust between you and your child, strengthening their willingness to try new foods at home. Our goal with each child is to expand their diet and promote positive interactions with food at home, at school, and in their community.