FEEDING THERAPY

Definition Feeding Difficulties

KidsCare Therapy Speech and Occupational Therapists are able to work with: Premature infants coming home from the NICU Children still on nasogastric or gastric tubes Patients that are NPO (unable to feed normally for medical reasons) Patients who arent taking enough nutrition by mouth to maintain adequte nutrition and hydration to sustain life and development Patients with oral or facial anomalies (cleft palate, cleft lip, syndromes of the face, head, and neck, etc.) Any other child not able to eat or drink adequately

Feeding Therapy
The strenthening or neuromuscular re-education of the muscles and processes used for swallowing.

Feeding and Swallowing Referrals

Therapists can perform evaluations for issues such as:
Poor or weak suck Failure to advance texture (not chewing) Gagging Pocketing food Difficulty in weight gain or growth Excessive vomiting Gastroesophogael reflux/ volume limiting Dysphagia Reliance on nutritional supplements Swallowing difficulty Concerns for aspirations Assistance in transition planning Constipation G-Tube Dependence

Nursing vs. Therapy Nursing care is often in place to facilitate the medical management associated with patients medical needs and status. The Speech or Occupational Therapist works specifically with the feeding or swallowing dysfunction.

Speech and Occupational Therapists

Provide Evaluations and Treatment Recommendations Provide feeding therapy to increase nutritional intake Weans patients from feeding tubes

Resources
American Speech-Language Hearing Association ASHA.org/public/speech/swallowing The Pediatric Feeding Institute pediatricfeedinginstitute.com Parents Support Group
facebook.com/groups/KCTParentsSupportGroup

Contact Us
Dallas Phone (214) 575-2999 Fort Worth Phone (817) 546-8661 Austin Phone (866) 919-3240 Waco Phone (855) 715-3504

Fax (214) 575-2727 Fax (817) 546-3679 Fax (877) 300-7394 Fax (855) 715-3504

KidsCareTherapy.com