Mealtime Solutions
Our feeding program, for babies through adolescents — and for the whole family around the table.
Nurturing your child from the inside out
Mealtime Solutions, the feeding program at KidWorks Therapy Services, is a child-centered program that will allow your child to develop a positive, healthy relationship with food and mealtimes. Our program was developed to meet the needs of children of all ages, from infants to adolescents. We believe that all children with feeding difficulties blossom under an approach that integrates the whole child — the physical, sensory, emotional and cognitive — as well as the whole family.
We include families extensively in our program because we want you to feel successful with feeding your child, with the therapist in the background for support. We strive to support the child within each family so they can develop positive relationships at every mealtime. Our ultimate goal is that your child develops a healthy, life-long love of food.
Our therapists draw from their clinical experience with feeding and advanced training in approaches developed and proven to be effective, including:
- SOS Approach developed by Kay Toomey, PhD
- Get Permission Approach developed by Marsha Dunn Klein, OTR
- DIR/Floortime
- Sensory Processing Disorder
- Beckman Oral Motor Program
- Neurodevelopmental Treatment
Does my child need feeding therapy or mealtime support?
- Infants who have had any difficulty with nursing or taking a bottle — we can help set the stage for a successful transition to table foods
- Children with G-tubes or who are beginning to eat by mouth
- Infants or toddlers who have experienced reflux, choking, or gagging
- Infants or toddlers who are resisting moving to more textures or table foods
- Older children with a selective diet or who continue to have difficulty with choking or gagging
- Families for whom mealtimes are stressful
- Children who are under or over weight
Programs we offer
- Individual therapy with Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy
- Group therapy through our ChowKids program
- Food Science for the older child
- Parent support through individual and group sessions
- Home visits
- Consultation with caregivers and schools / day-cares
What to expect during an evaluation
Prior to your scheduled evaluation, the evaluating therapist will contact you by phone to take a feeding and health history.
The day of the evaluation, you will bring 2-3 foods your child prefers and 2-3 non-preferred foods, as well as their feeding utensils, cups, bottles, etc. A microwave and toaster oven are available to warm up the foods.
Parents may be asked to stay during the evaluation. Depending on the age of the child, the parents will also be asked to feed the child. The evaluation will take approximately 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my child needs feeding therapy?
Families come to us when nursing or bottle feeding has been difficult, when a baby has experienced reflux, choking, or gagging, when a toddler resists new textures or table foods, when an older child has a very selective diet, when a child is under or over weight, or simply when family mealtimes have become stressful. We also work with children who have G-tubes or are beginning to eat by mouth.
What happens at a feeding evaluation?
Before your scheduled evaluation, the evaluating therapist will call you to take a feeding and health history.
On the day, bring 2–3 foods your child prefers and 2–3 non-preferred foods, plus their usual utensils, cups, and bottles. We have a microwave and toaster oven available to warm foods up. Depending on your child's age, you may be asked to stay and to feed your child during the session. The evaluation takes about 30 minutes to an hour.
What approaches do your feeding therapists use?
Our therapists draw on advanced training in the SOS Approach developed by Kay Toomey, PhD; the Get Permission Approach developed by Marsha Dunn Klein, OTR; DIR/Floortime; sensory processing; the Beckman Oral Motor Program; and Neurodevelopmental Treatment.
Is feeding therapy individual or in a group?
Both. We offer individual occupational and speech therapy, group therapy through our ChowKids program, Food Science for older children, parent support in individual and group sessions, home visits, and consultation with caregivers, schools, and day-cares.
Not sure where to start?
Tell us a little about your child and we'll help you work out whether an evaluation makes sense — and which of our therapists is the right fit.