Feeding
Therapy
DO YOU HAVE A PICKY EATER?
MEDICAL FEEDING/ DYSPHAGIA?
DOES YOUR KID NEED NEUROMUSCULAR ELECTRICAL STIMULATION (NMES)?
For most children, eating is a routine part of each day; however, some experience feeding issues such as sensory feeding disorders, being labeled as "picky eaters," or medical conditions that can impact a child's ability to join in social activities. The complexities that arise can create stress for the child and the entire family.
At 7 Sunny Days Bilingual Therapy, we take a unique and comprehensive approach to these issues, tailored to infants, toddlers, and children with feeding therapy needs. The family and caregivers play a crucial role in the therapy process. Our job as your child's feeding therapist is to establish or re-establish your child's trust in food, strengthening the mouth muscles required to learn to chew and drink effectively and tolerate various foods and textures, leading to positive mealtimes and a brighter future for your child. We work with your whole family and your child's caregivers, involving them in therapy to relieve the anxiety of feeding your child. We understand the stress, and we are here to provide relief. We are your partner and your child's advocate.
Imagine the relief you'll feel when we uncover the cause of your child's picky eating or feeding problem. We start with a feeding evaluation:
- Comprehensive evaluation examining the structures of the mouth, feeding tools, feeding patterns, and techniques.
- Background, medical, and family history.
- Analysis of your child's chewing and swallowing.
SYMPTOMS FOR EVALUATION
If your child exhibits any of the following symptoms, an evaluation by one of our experienced feeding therapists would be beneficial:
- Turning head away from food
- Crying during mealtimes
- Mealtimes are often stressful.
- Your child accepts a restricted variety or quantity of foods or liquids.
- You or your child's physician are concerned about losing or gaining weight or growing.
- Your child is unable to use developmentally appropriate feeding utensils.
- Your child has not yet mastered the self-feeding skills expected for their developmental level.
- Your child has significant brand restrictions and colors—your child only eats from specific places or likes to eat food with the same color.
- Your child has food jags, which occur when a child eats only one food item or a tiny group of food items, meal after meal.
- Coughing and choking during or after swallowing
- Difficulties with breathing during or after eating
- Noisy or wet vocal quality during or after eating
- Arching back when feeding
- Refusing to finish eating or drinking when you know they are still hungry.
- Difficulty chewing their food completely
- Excessive drooling
- Lossing food or liquid from the mouth when eating
- Taking a long time to finish meals or snacks ( longer than 30 minutes per meal and less time for small snacks)
- Frequent congestion during or after eating
- Gagging on food
- Your child is taking small bites.
- Overstuffing their mouth
- Food residue remains in the mouth after swallowing.
- Refusing certain textures of foods
- Frequent episodes of respiratory infections
- Concern that your child is struggling with eating
NEUROMUSCULAR ELECTRICAL STIMULATION (NMES)
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) is a noninvasive therapy for dysphagia or difficulty swallowing approved by the Food and Drug Administration. NMES retrains and improves the muscle strength needed to swallow safely. Various research studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of NMES in improving swallow safety with minimal adverse side effects.
NMES is administered by a certified speech and language pathologist who places electrodes on the skin of the neck and face over the muscles used for chewing and swallowing to improve the strength and sensation needed for safe swallowing. It is provided in addition to traditional feeding therapy. This treatment is not painful and is tolerated well by most children, including infants.
Initial evaluation can include a modified barium swallow (MBSS) study to determine the most effective placement of electrodes for therapy. This assessment assesses a patient's oral-pharyngeal swallow stage and determines where the breakdown occurs. The swallow study will also determine if your child is aspirating (a small amount of food or liquid enters the airway during swallowing) or having other swallowing difficulties.
CANDIDATE SYMPTOMS
At 7 Sunny Days Bilingual Therapy, we have certified Speech-Language pathologists (SLPs) who are formally trained in using NMES as a therapeutic modality for feeding and swallowing. You can trust in their expertise and dedication to your child's well-being.
If your child is aspirating or having difficulty with managing their diet, they may be a viable candidate for NMES if they have the following symptoms:
- Significant drooling (that is no longer age-appropriate)
- Changes in vocal quality when eating (wet, hoarse, gurgly)
- Frequent pneumonia or chest infections
- Requiring thickened liquids or other diet modifications
- Spilling food or liquid out of the mouth
- Difficulties with initiating a swallow
- Not able to finish a meal
Satisfied Parents
Parents Testimonials
Mi hijo agarra terapias después de la escuela por la computadora con 7 Sunny Days Bilingual Therapy. Su terapista es muy amable y divertida. Siempre lo complace y lo motiva a trabajar mejor.
Maria Guadalupe M.
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