Additional information:
Here at the hospital for special care we believe meal times should be pleasurable yet we know they can become extremely stressful as children with a wide variety of impairments and delays struggle with feeding. We specialize in children who are picky eaters, have texture sensitivities and oral aversions that are often related to Autism (in conjunction with our autism program), developmental delays and limited oral experiences due to having a complex medical history. We offer functional feeding assessments, oral motor assessments and complete individualized treatment plans that are tailored to support specific needs of each family. We offer mealtime behavioral strategies, food chaining and desensitization techniques for increased tolerance of new textures and foods. We can complete clinical assessment and Modified Barium Swallows on site to determine the cause of swallowing impairment so we can address compensatory strategies with feeding and treatment to address deficits. We specialize in children with complex medical backgrounds and positioning needs, trying to position them in the most natural feeding position as possible, using their wheelchairs and home seating as often as possible.