The feeding & swallowing clinic at ChildServe brings together an interdisciplinary team of specialists to offer a comprehensive approach to evaluating feeding and swallowing problems.

Objectives

• Enhance eating skills and behaviors
• Enable physical growth and development
• Improve the nutritional status of children
• Promote self-feeding
• Increase acceptance of food types and textures
• Improve sucking, chewing, biting and/or swallowing skills
• Improve meal-time behaviors

Our Team

The feeding & swallowing clinic is staffed by an interdisciplinary team including:

• Speech language pathologists
• Occupational therapists
• Nurses
• Medical social workers
• Dieticians
• Physician consultants

Comprehensive Evaluation

• Sensory
• Oral motor
• Behavioral
• Swallowing

Assessment Process

• Evaluation
  The team gets to know the child through the assessment process, including:

• The amount of food the child will consume during a meal
• The texture of food the child will accept
• The variety of foods the child consumes
• Behaviors the child exhibits during mealtime
• The safety of oral feeding
• If appropriate, a Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing with Sensory Testing (FEESST)* may be performed.
  

• Recommendations
  The team meets and agrees upon general and specific recommendations, and if necessary, a care plan for the child.
  
  
• Referral Support
  Treatment may be coordinated with other pediatric specialists if needed.
  
  
• Resource Packet
  Families will be able to take home a written report of the findings of the evaluation, recommendations, referrals, and educational and training materials.

* FEESST is an alternative test to the X-ray test of swallowing that uses a specifically designed endoscope in order to assess both the sensory and motor components of the swallow.