If your child has been diagnosed with swallowing issues, you may be wondering why they’ve been referred to a speech therapist. After all, they may have no issues with talking or communicating. Or maybe they do – but what’s that got to do with feeding & swallowing?

As our Fort Myers speech therapists at FOCUS Therapy can explain: A lot, actually.

In the speech therapy world, we refer to feeding and swallowing difficulties as “dysphasia.”

With kids, dysphasia is closely linked to speech development because both functions share anatomical structures and muscles. The same muscles and structures used in the mouth, through and tongue for eating and swallowing are also used for speaking. If the problem is in these areas, your child likely struggles with both eating and talking.

To effectively swallow, kids need the same coordination and strength of lips, tongue and jaw that they need to clearly articulate speech sounds. Because of this overlap, kids often develop eating and talking skills simultaneously.

Pediatric Speech Therapists Are Uniquely Qualified to Treat Child Swallowing Issues

A Fort Myers speech therapist who works with kids is already highly skilled in helping children work on development of these oral motor functions. So they can also help with swallowing. We undergo rigorous training to assess and treat the complex interaction between swallowing and speech functions. We prioritize a holistic and interdisciplinary approach. This is especially helpful when swallowing issues are less about oral motor function and more about sensory processing difficulties.

A child who is especially sensitive to certain textures, tastes, etc. may have a poor diet that impacts their growth and development. We see this a lot in kids with autism, but other conditions as well. Sometimes it’s a standalone diagnosis. It’s more than just “picky eating,” though. It’s “problem eating.” For these types of cases, many of our pediatric speech therapists (and occupational therapists, as well) are trained in an approach called S.O.S. Feeding Therapy.

S.O.S. stands for “Sequential Oral Sensory,” and the program focuses on an interdisciplinary team assessing and addressing all underlying causes of feeding difficulties. This “whole child” approach focuses on muscles, organ systems, sensory processing, learning/behavior/cognition, development, nutrition and environment. It’s largely play-based and focuses on gradual introduction and acceptance of new foods. FOCUS Therapy is uniquely positioned to provide these services because we already have an interdisciplinary team on site – SLPs, OTs, RBTs, PTs and BCBAs.

A pediatric speech therapist will conduct a comprehensive assessment to ascertain the underlying reason for the child’s feeding and swallowing difficulties before we create an individually-tailored plan of care.

Feeding & Swallowing Tips for Parents

If your child struggles with feeding and swallowing, it’s important to follow their provider’s particular plan-of-care to ensure safe eating and drinking. That said, some general tips parents may find helpful as they’re working through these issues:

• Create a positive mealtime environment. As much as possible, make mealtimes stress-free and enjoyable. Set aside screens, toys and other distractions. Focus on making it relaxed and positive.
• Use appropriate utensils. Ultimately, we want kids to master use of typical eating utensils. But talk to your child’s speech or occupational therapist about modified or specialized eating utensils that may be helpful as they’re learning or for their own safety during mealtimes. (We don’t LOVE sippy cups for most kids but again, it depends on the individual child and their goals.)
• Practice patience and gradual exposure. It’s normal for kids not to embrace new foods on the first try – and turning up the pressure isn’t going to help. Start by just encouraging your child to keep it on their plate. Before there’s any expectation to actually eat a new food, let them touch it, play with it, explore it.
• Monitor hydration. A child who is dehydrated is going to have a tougher time swallowing. Make sure they’re getting at least small sips of water throughout the day.

If you think you might need professional help to address your child’s feeding or swallowing issues, our Fort Myers speech therapists are happy to help! Call us with initial questions or ask your doctor for a referral to a speech-language pathologist for a comprehensive feeding and swallowing assessment.

FOCUS Therapy offers pediatric speech therapy, ABA therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy in Fort Myers, Estero and throughout Southwest Florida. Call (239) 313.5049 or Contact Us online.

Additional Resources:

Feeding and Swallowing Disorders in Children, ASHA

More Blog Entries:

Fort Myers Feeding Therapy Tips for Picky Eaters, July 24, 2022, Estero Speech Therapist Feeding & Swallowing Therapy Blog