Trying new foods can be a thrilling experience, especially if you’re a parent of a picky eater. We know the struggles that you may come across with a child that is particular about what they eat. That is why our feeding therapy team came up with this list of 5 Ways to Encourage Trying New…
Before introducing your child to self-feeding with whole/solid foods, it is important to know and understand the difference between gagging and choking. They are two very different experiences! What is Gagging? Gagging is common and developmentally appropriate for all babies throughout infancy. Gagging is the body’s way of protecting the airway of any foreign substance…
While many pediatricians have guidelines for when to start spoon feeding, the most important thing to consider is your own child’s readiness. The following items are excellent indicators that your child is prepared to sit in the highchair and happily engage with food: Your child can sit independently and hold his/her head upright steadily to…
Whether your child struggles with picky eating or not, food play is a great way to create positive experiences with a variety of foods. Food play is important for many reasons: – It allows for the child to interact with foods outside of mealtimes – It encourages development of fine motor skills – Food play…
Food Chaining is a therapeutic approach that helps introduce new foods while building on successful eating experiences. It is an approach that can be effective for all ages, specifically, selective or picky eaters that have a limited number of foods in their repertoire. Creating Food Chains In this approach, the child is presented with new…
In February of 2022, the CDC released an update of expected skills for speech and language development. This update lowered developmental milestones with no involvement or consultation from speech-language pathologists. The new milestones released by the CDC will likely result in a decrease of early identification and early intervention. Additionally, children may later be affected…
Interaction, Language Activities, & Development Whether it’s tucked away in your garage, covered in mud, or somewhere under your couch, we all have one of these in our house: a Ball! Read on to find out how to use it in a Language Activity! No matter what age, all children and adults alike find…
Typical language development consists of parents, family members, and professionals talking to babies for almost a whole year before anyone expects them to produce words. We often put augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems and AAC devices in front of a child and expect them to functionally use it right away. We need to use…
If your physical or occupational therapist has recommended hip helpers, you may be wondering about ways to use them to get the maximum benefit for your child. Here are 4 positions to try with this device to strengthen your child’s trunk and hips and build their functional skills! 1) Tummy time Hip helpers are a…
