Feeding Therapy
Feeding Therapy may be provided by a speech language pathologist or an occupational therapist with specialized training in this area. Feeding therapy focuses on the whole child and may include treatment to improve oral motor, sensory processing, behavior, and fine motor skills.
Feeding Therapy Can Help Treat the Following:
- Poor weight gain
- Difficulty drinking from a bottle or cup
- Chocking, gagging, or coughing with feeding
- Picky eating
- New food anxiety
- Food refusal
- Difficulty with certain food textures
- Mealtime meltdowns
Possible Causes for Feeding or Swallowing Difficulties:
- Prematurity or low birth weight
- Cleft lip and/or palate
- Tongue-Tie or Lip-Tie
- Torticollis
- Developmental delays
- Sensory processing disorder
Feeding Developmental Checklist
The following is a guideline of the average age when children acquire feeding skills. Each child develops at a different rate. Some children need special help. If you have concerns about your child’s development, please contact us. We can schedule an evaluation and determine whether your child is delayed or developing on schedule.
Feeding Milestones
3 Months
- Latches onto nipple or bottle
- Tongue moves forward and back to suck
- Drinks 2 oz to 6 oz of liquid per feeding, 6 times per day
- Sucks and swallows well during feeding
6 Months
- Shows interest in food
- Opens mouth as soon as spoon approaches
- Moves pureed food from front of mouth to back
- Begins to eat cereal and smooth purred foods – like carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, pears
9 Months
- In a high chair, holds and drinks from a bottle
- Begins to eat thicker pureed and mashed table foods
- Enjoys teethers that can massage sore gums during teething
- Stays full longer after eating
- Looks and reaches for food that is nearby
- Shows strong reaction to new smells and tastes
1 Year
- Finger feeds self
- Eats an increasing variety of food
- Begins to use an open cup
- Begins to eat soft cooked vegetables, soft fruits, and cooked pasta
- Enjoys a variety of smells and tastes
1 1/2 Years
- Holds a cup with both hands
- Drinks from an open cup
- Eats increasing variety of coarsely chopped table foods
2 Years
- Swallows food with lips closed
- Feeds self independently
- Chews a broad range of food
3 Years
- Chews food with lips closed
- Holds cup with one hand
- Drinks from an open cup with very few spills
- Uses fingers to put food on spoon
- Uses fork to bring food to mouth
- Eats a wide variety of solid food
- Feeds self independently
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