Feeding Therapy
About Feeding Therapy
At Pediatric GI, our feeding therapy services are tailored to meet each child’s unique feeding needs. We provide specialized support for children from birth through early adulthood, addressing a wide range of feeding difficulties. We believe in a multidisciplinary approach, collaborating closely with a child’s medical and support team to achieve the best outcomes.
Kelly Fitzpatrick, MA, CCC-SLP, CLC
Speech Language Pathologist – Feeding Therapist and Certified Lactation Consultant
Insurances Kelly accepts
- Sunshine & Sunshine CMS
- Simply Medicaid / Healthy Kids
- Humana Medicaid / Healthy Kids
- United HealthCare Medicaid
- Aetna Commerical
- Humana
- Tricare
- ChampVA
Posted with permission from Dr. Toomey
What We Help With
Picky Eaters
• Decreased range or variety of foods; typically has 30 or more foods in their Food Range
• Foods lost due to “burn out” from Food Jagging are usually eaten again after a 2-week break
• Eats at least one food from most all nutrition or texture groups (e.g. purees, meltable foods, proteins, fruits)
• Can tolerate New Foods on their plate; usually able to touch or taste food (even if reluctant)
• Frequently eats a different set of foods at a meal than other family members; (typically eats at the same time and at the same table as other family members)
• Sometimes reported by parent as a “picky eater” at well-child check-ups
• Learns to eat New Foods in 20-25 steps on a Steps to Eating Hierarchy
Problem Feeders
• Restricted range or variety of foods usually eats less than 20 foods
• Foods lost due to “burn out” from Food Jagging are not eaten again after a break, resulting in a further decrease in the # of foods eaten
• Refuses entire categories of food textures or nutrition groups (e.g. soft cubes, meats, vegetables, hard mechanicals)
• Cries, screams, tantrums, “falls apart” new foods are presented; complete refusal
• Persistently reported by parents to be a “picky eater” at multiple well-child check-ups
• Requires more than 25 steps to learn to eat new foods
*Posted with permission, copyright 1997/2019 Dr. Kay Toomey*
Treatments we offer
Pediatric GI primarily uses the SOS Approach to Feeding, which integrates sensory, motor, oral behavioral/learning, medical and nutritional factors to assess and treat children and provide support to their families.
When to come to us:
• Ongoing poor weight gain (rate re percentiles falling) or weight loss
• Ongoing choking, gagging, or coughing during meals
• Ongoing problems with vomiting
• More than one incident of nasal reflux
• History of a traumatic choking incident
• History of eating and breathing coordination problems, with ongoing respiratory issues
• Parents reporting child as being “picky” at two or more well-child checks
• difficulties latching well and/or consistently to the breast or bottle
• Inability to transition to baby food purees by 10 months of age
• Inability to accept table food solids by 12 months of age
• Inability to transition from breast/bottle to a cup by 16 months of age
• Has not weaned off baby foods by 16 months of age
• Aversion or avoidance of all foods in specific texture or nutrition group
• Food range of fewer than 20 foods, especially if foods are being dropped over time with no new foods replacing those lost
• An infant who cries and/or arches at most meals
• An infant who refuses the bottle
• Family is fighting about food and feeding (ie. meals are a battle)
• The parent repeatedly reports that the child is difficult for everyone to feed
• Assistance with transitioning children off G-tube feeding
What to expect
Our experienced trans-disciplinary feeding team conducts thorough feeding assessments to evaluate infants, children, and adolescents experiencing feeding challenges, as well as issues with weight and growth. During assessment, we examine both physical and sensory factors that may impact feeding development, ensuring that any medical or developmental concerns are identified and can be addressed effectively.
Based on assessment results, we provide feeding therapy using the SOS Approach to Feeding, a play-based model that supports gradual, child-centered progress through eating skills. Kelly Fitzpatrick, the lead feeding therapist at Pediatric GI, also trains therapists worldwide in the SOS Approach to Feeding. This program gently guides children to learn the 32 steps involved in the complex task of eating, building skills needed to enjoy a wide variety of foods and textures in a safe, supportive environment.
For infants and toddlers, our therapy includes developmental strategies and fosters social engagement with parents, helping babies and young children grow and thrive through positive mealtime experiences.
