What role does an Occupational Therapist (OT) play in feeding therapy?

– Investigating if the concern is sensory or behavioural based
– Assessing the person, environment and task of eating
– Looking at the posture, oral motor skills, fine motor skills
– Progresses children through oral motor milestone or food progression (e.g. from liquid to solid, smooth to mixed textures)
– Skill acquisition: learning how to use utensils (fork, knife, and spoon)and learning how to transition from bottle to a cup
– If your child has a limited diet, an OT can help expand the number and types of food your child will eat

What is feeding therapy?

Feeding therapy consists of much more than just “convincing a child to eat.” Therapists must work with families and the child to understand the underlying reason for the feeding difficulty. They then develop custom therapies that help the child reach new eating goals and improve family mealtime.

When can a baby start feeding themselves?

By about nine to 12 months of age, your baby will show signs that they are ready to feed themselves.

Feeding Therapy Services

OT Feeding Consult

1-hour session with a specialized occupational therapist
Parent-led. Parents share their child’s feeding concerns
Things to think about before the session:
- Safety – Any choking or gagging?
- What foods does your child like (preferred)?
- What foods does your child avoid (non – preferred)?
- What does a meal look like?
In the last 20 – 15 minutes of the session, the occupational therapist will summarize findings and provide recommendations
Following the session, the family will receive an e-mail with a session summary highlighting important findings and recommendations mentioned in the session.

OT Feeding Assessment Package

1.5-hour assessment (At Home or Video Call)
Guided discussion by a specialized occupational therapist
Feeding/mealtime observation:
- Have at least 3 preferred foods and 3 non-preferred foods
The family prepares a 3-day food log
- What information is important: When the child eats; What the child eats; How much does the child eat of each food, and; Where meals take place
Includes an initial assessment
Screening reports: The OT will analyze and summarize the findings from the family interview, feeding observation, and food log. Then will make a list of recommendations
Capacity Building: 1-hour parent meeting to discuss findings, provide a basic feeding plan, coach family on the home program. Family involvement is key to a positive mealtime experience and to find success in feeding therapy

Why work with us?

Swift Health

We are leaders in Pediatric Therapy and forerunners in implementing advanced technology in our treatment model. We help each child through an evidence-based, individualized approach.

As of 2021, we are now offering dedicated feeding therapy services.

Jerid Stevenot – Our Feeding Expert

Jerid has 5 years of feeding experience. He garnered his experience working in Alberta, Yale Pediatrics and Seattle Children’s Hospital. Prior to returning to Canada, Jerid was a part of the Washington State Feeding Group and aided in expanding the Seattle Children’s Hospital Feeding Program. From infants to teenagers, Jerid has experience working with children of all age groups. They also have experience transitioning children from NG and G tube feeding to oral feeding, has extensive knowledge in oral motor milestones, food progression, and picky eaters.

Courses/Conferences
- Picky Eaters Versus Problem Feeders – The SOS Approach to Feeding Workshop 2016
- NICU feeding workshop 2017
- Assessment and Intervention with High-Risk Infant in the NICU and During the Transition Home 2017
- Seattle Children’s Hospital Feeding Retreat – Standard of Care for Evaluation and Triage Process 2019
- Washington State Community Feeding Teams for Children with Special Health Care needs 2019
- When Frenotomy is Not Enough: Motor Programming and Its Relationship to Breastfeeding Issues and Other Later Skills
- Beckman Oral Motor Assessment and Intervention 2019
- The Role of Applied Behavioural Analysis in the Treatment of Mealtime Challenges in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder 2019
- Children’s Hospital Colorado – Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing: Advanced Multidisciplinary Care 2019