Feeding Therapy
The Center offers feeding therapy through a multidisciplinary approach which may involve psychology, speech therapy/occupational therapy, and is based on the individual's needs. The team works closely with the family to facilitate carry-over within the home.
What is Sequential Oral Sensory Approach?
Developed by Dr. Kay Toomey, Ph.D., Sequential Oral Sensory Approach (SOS) is a developmental approach to feeding that helps children learn to interact with and eventually eat foods, in a playful and non-stressful way. SOS feeding therapy helps increase a child’s awareness, exploration and appreciation of different properties of food, including: texture, color, shape, smell, taste and consistency.
WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM SOS?
SOS feeding therapy would benefit children who refuse to eat, do not want to be in the same room with food, physically touch food, and/or who have weight gain issues due to not eating.
WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF this program?
The goals of the SOS program are to create a more healthy relationship between a child and their tolerance of food and food textures.
references
What is Food Chaining?
Food chaining is an approach to help children expand their diets by using their favorite foods or drinks as a launching pad to gradually beef up their eating repertoire. In food chaining, the clinician put foods in an order and builds the child’s oral motor skills, teaching the mechanics of eating different foods.
Who benefits from Food Chaining?
Those with feeding disorders, or significant feeding or nutritional issues would benefit from this approach.
What are the goals of this approach?
The main goal of food chaining is to expand the diet and have children not only eat food from all food groups, but enjoy different foods as well.
References:
Food Chaining: The Proven 6-Step Plan to Stop Picky Eating, Solve Feeding Problems, and Expand Your Child’s Diet by Cheri Fraker
WHAT IS DIRFLOORTIME?
DIR® – Developmental, Individual-differences, and Relationship-based – is a model of therapy that seeks to help children reach their fullest potential through connections, engagement, love, and understanding. Floortime® is a technique that uses this model by following the child’s natural emotional interests and at the same time challenging the child toward greater mastery of their social, emotional, and intellectual abilities. It emphasizes the critical role of parents and other family members because of the importance of their emotional relationships with the child.
WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM THIS PROGRAM?
DIRFloortime has become most widely known as an approach to support children with Autism Spectrum Disorders although any child can benefit from this approach.
WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF THIS PROGRAM?
The goals of the DIR Model are to build healthy foundations for social, emotional, and intellectual capacities rather than focusing on skills and isolated behaviors.
REFERENCES
icdl.com/DIR
profectum.org
Engaging Autism, by Stanley Greenspan
First Feelings, by Stanley Greenspan
The Child with Special Needs, by Stanley Greenspan
What are oral motor treatments?
Oral-motor treatments include stimulation to or actions of the lips, jaw, tongue, soft palate, pharynx, larynx, and respiratory muscles that are intended to ‘wake up’ these mechanisms to improve function necessary for feeding. Some of these interventions can also incorporate sensory stimulation. Oral-motor treatments range from passive (e.g., tapping, stroking, and vibration) to the more active (e.g., range-of-motion activities, resistance exercises, or chewing and swallowing exercises).
Who would benefit from oral motor treatments?
Children with decreased oral motor skills, and feeding disorders benefit from these treatments.
What are the goals of these treatments?
The goal of these treatments is to improve the functionality of oral motor skills to improve feeding, making it a tolerable and enjoyable experience.
References
Our Therapy Partner
We partner with psychologists and social workers from Anchored Family Psychology and Counseling Associates – conveniently located in our Jenison location – for psychological evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment. Together we determine the best plan of action for your child and the family. Services performed at Anchored Family are billed separately and appointments will need to be scheduled directly with the Anchored Family team.
Visit Anchored Family
Insurance Coverage
Occupational, Speech and Physical therapies are paneled with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of Michigan, Blue Care Network (BCN), Cofinity, and Priority Health covering a range of diagnoses. We are paneled with all of these providers for autism spectrum services. Clients with other health plans may be able to submit for reimbursement, but payment will be out-of-pocket at the time of treatment.