There are various causes of feeding and swallowing problems, some of which include co-existing medical conditions, gross motor delays, oral-motor delays, gastrointestinal issues, muscular difficulties, and sensory-based issues. Very rarely is a feeding disorder truly a “behavioral” issue, rather our philosophy and training is based on the evidence that behaviors around eating & drinking (such as food refusals and self-restrictions) are most often a symptom rather than a cause.

In evaluating each child, it is important to consider background history, the child’s communication skills, sensory integration or sensory processing skills, gross motor skills, oral-motor skills, self-feeding skills, and feeding observations. The clinicians must have thorough training and experience in evaluating typical feeding developmental milestones, gross and fine motor developmental milestones, the anatomy and physiology of the stages of typical swallowing, and understanding of co-existing medical conditions. It is also critical to listen to the family to get to know who each child is, identify struggles, cultural considerations, and goals.

Effective treatment incorporates the family and the social aspects of eating, is based on trust between the child and the team, and targets goals in a naturalistic, internally- motivating, and non-stressful way.