Feeding Therapy Services That Help Children Thrive
At Autism Centers of Utah, we offer specialized feeding therapy to help children with autism overcome feeding challenges and achieve proper nutrition and growth. Our experienced team collaborates with families to create individualized treatment plans tailored to the unique needs of each child.
Using evidence-based techniques and interventions, we help children expand their food variety, improve oral motor skills, reduce sensory sensitivities, and enhance mealtime behavior. If you are concerned about your child’s feeding habits, please reach out to schedule a consultation with our team.
10 Benefits of Feeding Therapy for Children with Autism
As parents of children with autism, we understand how challenging it can be for families to navigate feeding difficulties in their children. Feeding therapy is an essential service that we provide at Autism Centers Of Utah to help children overcome these challenges and achieve optimal nutrition and growth. Here are some of the benefits of feeding therapy:
Improved Nutritional Intake
Feeding therapy helps children improve their nutritional intake by teaching them how to accept and tolerate a greater variety of foods. This can help ensure that they receive the necessary vitamins and nutrients for healthy growth and development.
Improved Oral Motor Function
Feeding therapy can also improve oral motor function, which is essential for chewing, swallowing, and speaking. This can help children eat more efficiently and with less effort, reducing the risk of choking or aspiration.
Reduced Sensory Defensiveness
Many children with autism have sensory defensiveness, which can make it difficult for them to tolerate certain textures, flavors, or temperatures of foods. Feeding therapy can help reduce sensory defensiveness and increase tolerance for a greater variety of foods.
Improved Mealtime Behavior
Feeding therapy can also improve mealtime behavior by reducing food aversions and other challenging behaviors. This can make mealtime a more enjoyable and positive experience for both children and their families.
Increased Independence
As children learn to accept and tolerate a greater variety of foods, they can become more independent with feeding and require less assistance from caregivers.
Increased Socialization
Feeding therapy can also increase socialization opportunities for children with autism. As they learn to eat a greater variety of foods and participate in mealtime activities, they may feel more comfortable and confident in social settings involving food. This can help improve social skills and interactions with peers and family members.
Improved Quality of Life
Feeding difficulties can be stressful for both children and their families. By improving feeding skills and reducing challenging behaviors, feeding therapy can improve the overall quality of life for everyone involved.
Comprehensive Care
Feeding therapy is often integrated with other therapies, such as occupational therapy and speech therapy, to provide comprehensive care for children with autism.
Customized Treatment
Feeding therapy is customized to meet the specific needs of each child. Treatment plans are developed based on the child's feeding history, medical status, and sensory needs.
Experienced Professionals
Feeding therapy is conducted by experienced professionals who have specialized training and expertise in working with children with feeding difficulties. They use evidence-based interventions and techniques to help children achieve their feeding goals.
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