Class, Inc.

Feeding Disorders - Oral-Motor & Sensory Issues

It's 6:00pm and you've just pulled together another nutritious meal for you family. Everyone is at the table and you dish up steamed rice, vegetables and chicken. Two-year old Sammy turns red in the face, screams and throws his plate to the floor. Another hope for a pleasant family gathering is smashed.

This is typical of many mealtimes across the nation. An estimated 25% of children experience feeding disorders and upwards of 80% of children with developmental disabilities suffer from them as well. More than unpleasant mealtimes, feeding disorders can result in serious nutritional deficiencies that negatively impact a child's ability to learn.

Feeding Therapy

Autism, PDD, food allergies, gastro-esophogeal reflux, cerebral palsey, oral motor dysfunction and other developmental delays often contribute to feeding disorders. Symptoms include refusal to consume certain types of food and/or drink, difficulty with sucking, chewing and/or swallowing, drooling, gagging, dislike of specific textures, mouthing and chewing of non-food items, drooling and disruptive behaviors during feeding/meals.

At CLASS, Inc., we have an experienced team of speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists trained to work with children and their families to develop sound treatment plans. Referrals are also made to nutritionists, counselors and other medical professionals as appropriate. We consider the child's cultural background, sensory system, oral-motor skills, developmental level and behavior needs as we develop a dynamic intervention plan organized around the family's lifestyle and the child's unique needs. For example, providing calming music may be beneficial for one child, while playing with edible textures such as pudding, dry noodles or colored mashed potatoes may provide a positive introduction to food for another child. Systematic straw drinking through a variety of different types of straws and different thicknesses of liquids is beneficial to other children. Some children need additional input to their mouths and faces through controlled, systematic presentation of texture, vibration and/or temperature to normalize the oral-motor sensory system enough to tolerate a range of foods.

Mealtimes need not be a frustrating experience. Our expert team can assist your child in developing the skills to both eat a healthy diet and enjoy family meal-time.