Feeding Therapy
Every child deserves a positive, nourishing relationship with food. At MercyOne, our compassionate feeding therapy team supports infants, toddlers and children who struggle with eating, swallowing or mealtime routines. We partner with families to build confidence, reduce stress and help children develop healthy feeding skills at their own pace.
Every child deserves a positive, nourishing relationship with food. At MercyOne, our compassionate feeding therapy team supports infants, toddlers and children who struggle with eating, swallowing or mealtime routines. We partner with families to build confidence, reduce stress and help children develop healthy feeding skills at their own pace.
What is Feeding Therapy?
Feeding therapy helps children who have difficulty eating or drinking due to oral‑motor delays, sensory challenges, developmental conditions or medical concerns. At MercyOne, therapy is a family‑centered approach that supports safe feeding, comfort at the table and overall growth and development.
Our speech‑language pathologists and occupational therapists use evidence‑based techniques to improve feeding skills while creating positive, supportive mealtime experiences for the entire family.
Feeding Therapy Techniques
Our team uses a thoughtful blend of approaches to help children feel comfortable and confident during meals. Techniques may include:
- Oral‑motor skill development: Strengthening muscles needed for chewing and swallowing.
- Sensory exploration: Gradual exposure to new textures, temperatures and smells.
- Safe swallowing strategies: Teaching posture, pacing and techniques for safer eating.
- Texture progression: Introducing foods step‑by‑step to build acceptance and confidence.
- Positive mealtime routines: Creating structure, reducing stress and supporting healthy habits.
- Parent coaching: Practical, gentle tools to support mealtimes at home.
Who can benefit from Feeding Therapy?
Your child may benefit from feeding therapy if they experience:
- Gagging, coughing or choking while eating
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing
- Trouble transitioning from liquids to purees or solids
- Avoidance of certain textures, temperatures or food types
- Eating only a very limited selection of foods
- Long mealtimes, mealtime stress or refusal to eat
- Poor weight gain or concerns with growth
- A history of prematurity or medical conditions affecting feeding
- Feeding challenges related to autism spectrum disorder or developmental delays
Conditions We Treat
Feeding therapy can support children with a wide range of challenges, including:
- Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
- Oral‑motor delays
- Sensory-based feeding disorders
- Severe picky eating
- Food aversions
- Prematurity-related feeding difficulties
- Growth Faltering (Failure to thrive)
- Reflux-related feeding issues
- Cleft lip or palate
- Neurological or developmental delays
- Autism-related feeding differences
Frequently Asked Questions
If mealtimes feel stressful or your child regularly avoids certain foods, gags, struggles to chew or seems to eat far less than expected, feeding therapy may help.
During a feeding evaluation a therapist will:
- Talk with you about your child's feeding history and concerns.
- Ask questions about typical mealtimes at home.
- Observe your child eating or interacting with food.
- Look at oral motor skills, chewing and swallowing.
- Discuss next steps and whether therapy would be helpful.
Feeding challenges can happen for many reasons, including sensory sensitivities, oral‑motor delays, constipation, reflux, prematurity, structural (cleft lip and palate), neurological (cerebral palsy), developmental conditions or past negative experiences with eating.
No. Feeding therapy is much more than simply placing new foods in front of a child. It combines sensory support, oral‑motor skill development, confidence building and family coaching.
Occupational Therapists and Speech Language Pathologists are both trained in feeding therapy. You may be seen by either discipline.
Results vary; some families see improvement in a few weeks with consistent home practice. Your therapist will recommend an expected time frame, then you will work together to decide if you need to continue therapy or just work on it at home!
Feeding therapy can typically be covered by insurance with justification provided by evaluating therapist.
Many children go through phases of picky eating. However, when a child consistently eats a very small variety of foods (less than 10-15), refuses entire textures or experiences distress during meals, it may be more than typical picky eating. Feeding therapy can help children gradually expand the foods they feel comfortable eating.
This is a good time to challenge yourself as well! Therapy will focus on foods your family regularly eats first, so it's easily integrated into the home as well.
Most babies start puree foods around six months. They transition to soft solids around eight months. If your baby is having difficulties starting solids, refusing them, gagging or choking, ask your pediatrician for a referral for feeding therapy.
Some coughing and gagging can be part of typical development, but if it occurs frequently that is a concern. It is sometimes normal for a little milk to spill out of mouth, however if there is a lot of milk spillage, this can mean the flow of your bottle is too fast. Feeding therapy would be recommended in this case.
Yes, we do need a referral from your primary care provider in order to evaluate your child for feeding therapy. You can call your doctor to discuss your concerns and request a referral.
Every child deserves a positive, nourishing relationship with food. At MercyOne, our compassionate feeding therapy team supports infants, toddlers and children who struggle with eating, swallowing or mealtime routines. We partner with families to build confidence, reduce stress and help children develop healthy feeding skills at their own pace.
