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pediatric feeding therapy

Feeding and Swallowing Program

Did you know that eating is one of the most difficult tasks to complete? Even more difficult than walking or talking. It is a vital function for survival and development, but it does not always come naturally to everyone. At The Boston Ability Center, we work with infants, toddlers, school-aged children, and young adults at their pace and comfort level. We create an individualized plan for you and your child and guide our feeding therapy sessions with an interactive and play-based approach.
pediatric feeding therapy group
pediatric feeding therapy, food play

Feeding therapy services at the Boston Ability Center are led by both speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists who combine evidence-based practice and creativity to help children reach functional goals related to:​

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  • Increasing accepted foods and expanding diets

  • Improving oral motor skills, such as biting, chewing and swallowing

  • Weaning from tube feedings/non-oral feeds

  • Transitioning from breastmilk/formula to foods

  • Transitioning from purees to solid foods

  • Successful participation in family meals and meals outside of the home (i.e. at school, restaurants, etc)

Who might benefit from feeding therapy at Boston Ability Center? Children teens who experience…

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  • Picky eating

  • Mealtime avoidance and/or tantrums

  • Feeding difficulties

  • Pocketing food or overstuffing mouth 

  • Food selectivity (i.e  eating only certain brands, avoidance of foods in a specific nutrition group, etc.)

  • Sensory sensitivities (i.e related to food textures, smells, temperatures, tastes, etc.)

  • Food aversions

  • Oral hypersensitivity 

  • Tube feeding, non-oral feeding

  • Oral motor weakness

  • Delays in oral motor skill development

  • Dysphagia

  • Failure to thrive

  • ARFID

  • GERD

  • Aspiration 

  • Tongue thrust

  • Excessive drooling

  • Gagging or vomiting while eating or near food items 

pediatric feeding therapy food play mat man

The occupational therapists and speech therapists on our feeding therapy team have expertise and training in:

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  • SOS Approach to Feeding

  • Beckman Oral Motor

  • ARFID: The Anxious Eater - Masterclass with Melanie Potock, MA, CCC-SLP

COULD MY CHILD BENEFIT FROM

FEEDING THERAPY SERVICES?​

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Check out the guide below to better understand your child's development and when to seek support!

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