Pediatric Complex Feeding Issues: 2-Day Intensive Training *Pre-Order* – Jessica Hunt

Salepage link: At HERE. Archive:

This digital seminar is currently on pre-order meaning that the video will not be ready until 2-3 weeks after the program has taken place.

Children do not present with one area of difficulty when it comes to feeding – it is typically a mix of behavior, sensory and oral-motor issues. As a result, we need to learn how to adjust on the fly when a child throws us a curveball in a session that doesn’t fit with our treatment plan.

In this recording, I will show you how to use a roadmap to navigate the muddy waters of feeding and learn how to seamlessly move between sensory, motor and behavior strategies to create the best-individualized treatment plan for each child.

Through video case examples, I will show you treatment strategies, and hands-on exercises to gain the knowledge needed to successfully treat feeding difficulties.

You’ll walk away with advanced techniques to:

• Evaluate the causes of mealtime difficulties: behavior, sensory, oral motor, or a combination
• Increase the range of foods, decrease rigidity around mealtimes
• Increase jaw strength and decrease ineffective lip closure, or poor tongue lateralization
• Use deep breathing and proprioceptive input to address self-regulation at the table
• Educate parents and caregivers to promote carryover at home
• Increase self-regulation around feeding
• Increase food play and exploration to increase food acceptance

Don’t miss out! Learn how to put all the pieces together for children with complex feeding issues.

1. Articulate the complexities of feeding and the sensory, behavioral and motor factors that play a role in a child’s ability to eat.
2. Explore the neurological basis for how and why many feeding aversions develop and continue.
3. Connect the misconceptions about feeding and the implications on a child’s feeding experience.
4. Differentiate between sensory overload and behaviors to effectively apply treatment strategies.
5. Describe which muscles are needed for chewing and swallowing to better identify when dysfunction in the muscle is occurring.
6. Implement play approaches to increase types of foods.
7. Use various behaviors and sensory techniques to increase regulation at the table.
8. Implement oral motor exercises and strategies to promote feeding patterns such as rotary chewing pattern, lip closure, and tongue lateralization.
9. Explore the progression of food texture and choice foods that match the sensory and motor skills.
10. Demonstrate the use of behavior strategies effectively to increase compliance during therapy.
11. Explore unique challenges with various diagnoses such as autism, cerebral palsy and more to modify treatment accordingly.
12. Support and guide the parents, caregivers, and other family members through often emotional or stressful mealtimes.

The Complexities of Feeding

• Definition and prevalence – new information; move toward Pediatric Feeding Disorder
• Overlap of sensory processing skills, oral motor skills and behaviors
• Normal developmental key points
• Neurological foundations
• Trauma, feeding and impact on brain
  • NICU and medical trauma, NG Tubes, trachotmesty, etc.
  • Negative experience around feeding gagging, retching, pain with eating …

Evaluation of Feeding Skills

• Differentiate between sensory overload and behaviors during feeding
• Activity analysis of feeding – Evaluation videos and group analysis
• Information obtained – what questions to ask
• Oral motor evaluation – jaw, lips, tongue strength; range of motion for feeding
• Hands-on draw to learn lab

Sensory Integration Strategies

• Research-backed sensory play-based approach
  • Decrease sensory over-responsivity to foods
  • Use food exploration/cooking for older kids
• Self-regulation to engage body during feeding
  • Core engagement
  • Breathing exercises
  • Therapeutic use of music
  • Heavy work

Oral Motor Skills

• Lab – Oral motor exercises, kineseotaping, stretching
• Children who don’t swallow safely – saliva management, increase swallowing …

Food in Therapy 
Taste Lab – Sensory feedback and motor requirement needed for each food texture

• Progression of food texture
• Match food presented in therapy to child’s sensory needs and motor skills
• Nutritional considerations

Behaviors During Mealtimes: Environmental Strategies to Set Children Up for Success

• Manage common mealtime behaviors – throwing foods, not sitting, crying during mealtimes
• Increase cooperation using the “just right challenge”
• Shift between treatment frameworks
• How to use the “feeding roadmap”

Special Considerations

• Autism
• Cerebral Palsy
• Down Syndrome
• Children who don’t eat by mouth/G-Tube
• Medically complex children

Promote Carry-Over At Home

• Educate parents who are stressed and in survival mode
• Help families have realistic expectations
• Easy-to-implement home programs that parents will do
• Help parents to change the relationship between child and food