Feeding therapy takes time and it is very important to celebrate ALL the victories in feeding therapy as they occur. As your child’s feeding therapist, I see them go from not tolerating the sight of certain foods without crying, gagging or running from the table all the way to eating new foods without fear and anxiety. This is our end goal, but it is important to support your child and their plan of care by encouraging them and celebrating their progress each and every session. Each week I can assure you that there has been a victory of some sort in feeding therapy; it could be as simple as sitting in a high chair without crying or accepting a preferred food from the clinician’s hand.
Like I said before, feeding therapy takes time; I can’t stress this enough. This is one of the most important things for parents to understand. There are many steps to eating including tolerating the food item, interacting with it, smelling it, touching it, tasting it and finally eating it. Each and every one of these steps should be praised. Out of all of my clients with feeding difficulties, the most successful ones are the ones that have parents that rejoice in each step along the way, helping their child to feel encouraged, confident, and excited about their feeding goals. Pay particular attention at your child’s next feeding therapy session; what can you celebrate with your child from that session?
Jen– Speech Pathologist / Feeding Therapist
