Additional information:
At Building Bridges Therapy, feeding Therapy is provided by trained Occupational or Speech Therapists in collaboration with parents and other medical professionals. Therapist help infants and children with a wide array of feeding difficulties including: reduced or limited intake, food refusal, food selectivity, dysphagia, oral motor deficits, or delays in feeding development. Feeding therapy is important to address possible growth and nutritional concerns as well as unsafe swallowing. Feeding evaluations include oral motor and physical assessments to determine if the problem is structural or caused by aversions or learned behaviors. Formal swallow studies may be required prior to initiating feeding therapy if there are signs or symptoms of aspiration. If the problem is physical or structure, therapy may target increased strength and coordination of the oral structures through exercises or compensation by changing the presentation, consistency, or texture of foods. Therapy for food aversions and refusal will utilize techniques to reduce anxiety about eating and increase acceptance of foods through the use of sensory integration, behavioral modifications, food chaining, and play.