Does My Child Need Feeding Therapy?

by Thriveable Therapies

Back to the Blog

Feeding your child should be a joyful experience, but when eating becomes a challenge, it can quickly turn into a source of stress and worry for the entire family. If your child is struggling to eat - whether an infant, toddler, or older child - it’s not only frustrating, but it can also raise concerns about nutrition, growth, and overall well-being. Feeding therapists (specialized speech-language pathologists and  occupational therapists) understand just how overwhelming feeding difficulties can be, and can guide families through the process of deciding whether feeding therapy might be needed.

Feeding therapy is a specialized form of treatment that helps children with a variety of feeding challenges, from difficulty latching to the breast or bottle, to more complex issues like chewing, swallowing, or picky eating. When your child’s feeding habits aren’t progressing as expected, seeking professional support through feeding therapy can make a world of difference. Here’s how to tell if your child could benefit from a feeding evaluation and therapy.

Difficulty Latching or Feeding as an Infant

When an infant is struggling with feeding, it’s understandably a stressful and worrying time for parents. If your baby is having trouble latching to the breast or bottle, or is not feeding as expected, it may be a sign of an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. At Thriveable, we specialize in infant feeding assessments, including collaboration with lactation consultants for those experiencing challenges with breastfeeding. Our evaluations assess oral structures, swallowing abilities, and sensory feeding skills, allowing us to provide personalized recommendations to help improve feeding.

If your baby is showing signs of weakness in sucking or refusing to feed altogether, feeding therapy can help guide you through strategies to improve feeding techniques and build better feeding routines at home.

Difficulty with Chewing, Swallowing, or Drinking

As children transition from liquids to solid foods, they sometimes face challenges with chewing and swallowing. If your child is older and still struggles with chewing or frequently has difficulty swallowing (also known as dysphagia), feeding therapy can help them develop the necessary oral-motor skills to eat safely and effectively.

Some signs that your child may need feeding therapy include:

• Difficulty chewing solid foods or spitting food out

• Pocketing food (holding food in the mouth without swallowing)

• Overstuffing their mouth with food

• A fear of certain textures or food refusal

These issues can significantly affect your child's nutrition and overall health, and feeding therapy can help address these challenges with targeted strategies, improving your child's ability to chew, swallow, and enjoy a variety of foods.

Picky Eating or Limited Food Variety

It’s common for toddlers to go through phases of picky eating, but if your child is only eating a small range of foods and consistently refuses to try new things, it could be a sign of sensory or oral-motor challenges. This limited food variety can sometimes be linked to an issue with sensory sensitivities to textures, tastes, or smells, or it may be related to oral-motor delays, such as difficulty using the tongue to move certain food textures around in the mouth. Feeding therapy can help address picky eating by providing strategies to gradually expand your child’s diet, incorporating new foods in a fun and stress-free way. If your child has strong aversions to certain foods or consistently refuses to eat, working with a feeding therapist can support their ability to accept and enjoy a wider range of age-appropriate foods.

Food Aversions and Refusals

Food aversions can go beyond simple picky eating; they may be caused by physical discomfort, anxiety, or previous negative experiences with eating. If your child frequently refuses entire categories of food (such as all vegetables or all textured foods), this could signal a deeper issue that requires professional attention. A feeding therapist will evaluate your child’s oral structures and sensory sensitivities and work with you to create a plan to address these food aversions. This might include gradual exposure to new foods or strategies to reduce mealtime anxiety.

Coughing, Gagging, or Choking During Meals 

Gagging or choking on foods is not only dangerous but can also create fear and anxiety around mealtime, making eating even more challenging for your child. If your child is consistently coughing or choking when eating or drinking, this could be a sign of aspiration or dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), which needs to be addressed. A feeding evaluation will allow a therapist to assess your child’s swallowing abilities and determine whether there are any underlying issues such as oral-motor delays, reflux, or other medical conditions that may be contributing to the problem. Feeding therapy is essential in teaching children how to manage food in a safe way, reduce the risk of choking, and improve overall swallowing skills.

Difficulty Transitioning to Solids or Drinking From a Cup

Some children struggle to transition from purees to solid foods, or from a bottle to a straw or open cup. If your child continues to struggle with solids past the typical developmental age, or has difficulty drinking from a cup or straw, feeding therapy can help. These transitions require the development of specific oral-motor skills, and a therapist can provide strategies to help your child successfully navigate this phase. Whether it’s difficulty transitioning to solid foods or mastering drinking from a straw, feeding therapy can give your child the support they need to develop these important skills at their own pace.

Poor Appetite

If your child has a consistently poor appetite, refuses to eat meals, or relies on supplementation to receive nutrition, these behaviors can create problems not only with nutrition but also with mealtime interactions. Poor appetite can be linked to a variety of factors, such as medical issues, sensory sensitivities, or poor oral-motor function. A feeding therapist can help assess the cause and provide techniques to improve your child’s appetite and mealtime experience, ensuring that they are eating enough to support their growth and development.

Structural Differences or Medical Conditions

In some cases, feeding difficulties are related to structural differences, such as tongue tie, lip tie, or cleft palate. Some medical conditions such as chronic constipation or reflux (GERD) can also contribute to feeding difficulties. These conditions can create significant challenges during feeding, whether it’s difficulty latching, swallowing, or transitioning to solid foods. Specialized feeding therapists can be a part of your child's multidisciplinary team to evaluate structural differences and medical conditions that may be affecting feeding, and collaborate with your pediatrician and other medical specialists to provide the best possible treatment options. Whether it's helping with a G-tube transition or addressing issues like tongue tie or cleft palate, a feeding therapist will work with you to ensure that your child can feed safely and comfortably.

Conclusion

If you’re concerned that your child may need feeding therapy, don’t hesitate to reach out for an evaluation. Whether your child is an infant struggling with breastfeeding or a toddler facing difficulties with chewing, swallowing, or picky eating, feeding therapy can help them develop the skills needed to enjoy a safe and balanced diet. Every child’s feeding journey is unique, and we’re here to support you and your child every step of the way. With the right intervention, feeding difficulties can be overcome, helping your child thrive and develop healthy eating habits for years to come.

Back to the Blog