Feeding Therapy

Medical & Motor Feeding.

Medical Feeding

Feeding and swallowing disorders–also called dysphagia—can impact your child’s ability to eat and drink safely. Dysphagia can increase your child’s risk of certain health problems such as pneumonia, malnutrition, weight loss, and dehydration. At Monkey Mouths, our team of experienced feeding therapists are equipped to:

1. Evaluate your child’s specific feeding and swallowing skills and needs.

2. Develop an individualized intervention plan for your child and your family.

3. Teach the essential skills and strategies needed for safe feeding and swallowing.

Symptoms for evaluation

If your child exhibits any of the following symptoms an evaluation by one of our experienced feeding therapists would be beneficial:

Coughing and choking often on food and/or liquids
Difficulties with breathing during or after eating
Noisy or wet vocal quality during or after eating
Arching their back
Crying during mealtimes
Refusing to finish eating or drinking when you know they are still hungry
Difficulty fully chewing their food
Excessive drooling

Loss of food or liquid from the mouth
Frequent congestion during or after eating
Gagging
Only taking small bites
Overstuffing their mouth
Food residue remaining in the mouth after swallowing
Refusing certain textures of foods
Frequent episodes of respiratory infections
Overall appearance of discomfort while eating
Concern that your child is struggling with eating

Causes of Feeding difficulties

At Monkey Mouths, our team of feeding therapists can evaluate all aspects of your child’s swallow. They will work with you, and your medical team, to problem-solve causes and provide treatment options to help your child be a safe and confident eater.

Although the cause of feeding difficulties is not always known common etiologies include:

Medical Conditions such as heart conditions, pulmonary diseases, allergies, delayed gastric emptying
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Developmental or Genetic disabilities such as Down syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Brain Injury, and Cerebral Palsy
Prematurity

Tube Feeding

At Monkey Mouths, our feeding therapists have training and knowledge in tube feeding and can help you navigate the process of introducing oral feeds, tube feeding schedules, tube weaning, and other questions that you may have.

We will work closely with your medical team to ensure that your child is maintaining optimal nutrition while optimizing hunger cues to ensure the highest success with transitioning to oral feeds. Whether your child is working to safely consume tiny amounts of food and/or liquid to improve quality of life or you desire for your child to fully wean from tube feedings we will partner with you to meet your family’s goals.

Staff Training.

Testimonial

“My son is almost 10 years old. Due to the medical conditions he was born with, he has never eaten ANYTHING by mouth, even though he has had surgery to enable him to eat. We have been seeing a WONDERFUL therapist at Monkey Mouths for about a year. My son has not always been very cooperative, but in the last 2 weeks we have seen MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS!!! He is actually PUTTING certain foods into his mouth, under supervision, of course. We could not be more pleased and excited!!!”

– Marsha Brenholtz