Feeding Friday: Can We Really Do Feeding Therapy Virtually?
What is Feeding Therapy?
Sometimes, children have significant difficulty during meal times and feeding, which is important for their nourishment, growth, development, and socialization. “As many as 25% of children worldwide have a feeding problem and it comes as no surprise that parents of these children report nutrition as one of their most worrying concerns.” (Conducting Successful Feeding Therapy over Telehealth)
If you are a parent concerned about your child’s food selectivity, food or texture refusal, mealtime tantrums, reduced food or liquid intake, or swallowing your child may benefit from feeding therapy. “Feeding therapy is designed to target the specific areas affecting the child’s ability to participate wholly in meal times, self-feeding, and family engagement.” (Feeding Therapy | PPT4Kids)
Unfortunately finding a feeding therapist with current openings can be a challenge. A great alternative option for many clients is teletherapy. At Better Learning Therapies, we offer specialized feeding therapy, including feeding teletherapy provided by skilled occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists.
Can We Really Do Feeding Therapy Virtually?
While the transition to telehealth presents significant new challenges, it also presents an opportunity for parents to become more involved in their child’s feeding journey. Most families can successfully participate in feeding teletherapy with a skilled practitioner and a little preparation.
Considerations
Some important considerations teletherapists and parents must evaluate before beginning feeding teletherapy include:
Do parents have access to computers?
Can families manage the technical aspects of teletherapy while using feeding strategies?
How can providers address the lack of modeling and hands-on aspects of feeding intervention?
How do we reduce the emotional barriers and exacerbated behavioral difficulties parents experience in feeding their children?
How Does Telehealth Feeding Therapy Compare to In-Person Visits?
Benefits of Teletherapy
Yes! Teletherapy works and there are many benefits! Teletherapy builds a nice bridge between home and clinic, especially with children where inconsistencies are seen between environments.
In various studies, parents reported high levels of satisfaction with teletherapy, with up to 75% reporting that the appointment was similar to a traditional in-person appointment. Other reported benefits include:
Total time spent on an appointment was reduced
Parents were required to take less time off work and had more availability
Children demonstrated less anxiety associated with travel and visiting a clinic
Families who reported being isolated from support were able to access services
Children were able to eat in their home environment vs. a more artificial clinical setting
Parents Take The Lead
Just like in the clinic, teletherapy can include both direct therapy with the child and a parent coaching model. With parent coaching, our therapists are able to provide caregivers with on-the-ground strategies to use during mealtimes. When parents feel empowered to take the lead, then their child will be receiving feeding support throughout the day. This is more impactful than once-a-week visits to a clinic. Parents are the experts when it comes to feeding their children and we are there to support them by sharing knowledge and experience.
More Access to Feeding Services
Telepractice technology improves the availability of feeding treatment. Our online practice provides access to families in small towns or remote locations where feeding services are not available. Families are no longer limited by geography.
Feeding Therapy At Better Learning Therapies
Refusing to eat a certain food, throwing tantrums or showing other behaviors during meals, or gagging and vomiting around certain foods can be very difficult.
If you think your child may need more professional support, looking for a feeding specialist is a great next step. There are many strategies you can use at home and because eating is such a complex task a professional can help ensure these areas are addressed and strengthened to support your child and family.
At Better Learning Therapies, we are proud of our interdisciplinary team! When you call us, we’ll set up an evaluation to assess your child's current feeding skills. The assessment will occur as a natural eating experience with you and your child. We will develop a specific feeding plan of care, any needed recommendations, and a treatment schedule for your child based on our observations in the assessment.
Most clients will benefit from an individualized 12-week program that can be repeated if needed to continue addressing feeding needs. Click Here to learn more about feeding therapy at BLT.
Check out our other blog posts from our Feeding Therapists!
How Do I Get My Child Started With Feeding Teletherapy?
Setting up an evaluation is easy!
Clients are typically referred by a physician or other agency for outpatient services. In some cases, patients may self-refer, particularly if they are planning to pay out-of-pocket. We can help you determine if you need a referral for an evaluation.
To talk with one of our office staff about your concerns about your child, please give us a call at 801-217-3900 or email us at info@betterlearningtherapies.com.
References
International Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD) Conference, 2021 - Feeding Matters
Caplan-Colon, 2021: Coaching Parents on Feeding Techniques Via Telepractice
Raatz, et al. May, 2021: A time and cost analysis of speech pathology paediatric feeding services delivered in-person versus via telepractice
Raatz et al, 2021: Evaluating the Use of Telepractice to Deliver Pediatric Feeding Assessments)
Clawson, et al. 2008: Complex pediatric feeding disorders: using teleconferencing technology to improve access to a treatment program
