Mealtime is a great way to spend time with family and friends. We’ve all had those moments where we have taken too big-a-bite, didn’t chew enough, and/or felt as if something “went down the wrong tube.” As adults, we don’t often have trouble understanding or communicating these events; however, many children are unable to do so, resulting in poor eating habits, food refusal, or negative behaviors during meal time.
Here are 10 signs that your child might have a swallowing or feeding disorder:
Coughing / choking
Keeping food / liquid in mouth
Gagging / vomiting
Food / texture avoidance
Frequent drooling
“Messy eaters”
Taking a long time to consume meals
Sticky feeling in throat
Do any of these come to mind when you think of mealtime with your child?
If so, a trained Speech Language Pathologist can help!
SLPs are trained in feeding/swallowing disorders and are able to evaluate your child’s feeding skills and swallow function.
It is estimated that between 25-45% of typically developing children develop some form of swallowing difficulties.
Children can experience these difficulties at any stage of development from difficulties breastfeeding, effectively drinking from a bottle/cup, or transitioning to solid foods. Other factors could consist of lip and/or tongue tie, neurological conditions such as Cystic Fibrosis (CF) or Down Syndrome, acid reflux (GERD), or low muscle tone.
Treatment can include education of swallow strategies, texture modifiers, repositioning, oral motor exercises to strengthen the muscles involved in eating/drinking, desensitizing the oral cavity to increase texture tolerance and reduce gagging, modified diets to ensure safety during meals, and tips/tricks for parents to support their child’s developing feeding skills and help them have fun during meals!
If you have concerns about your child’s feeding skills and/or swallowing, we are here for you!