THE FEEDING ACADEMY'S PHILOSOPHY

The philosophy of the Brooklyn Feeding Academy is the creation of family-centered feeding solutions. From picky eaters to medically fragile children who may be tube fed, our therapeutic philosophy is the same. In order to repair these difficulties, the whole family must be enlisted in working on these challenges. Your child will be seen on their “turf” with all the attendant securities and pitfalls that may present themselves during mealtime. We’ll fill out a detailed “intake” form and discuss your child’s mealtime routine in detail. The initial consultation will involve observing your child’s typical mealtime routines across all contexts. From there we’ll talk about what’s been observed and create a profile that will serve as our template for treatment.

We’ll work together to determine the root cause of your child’s feeding problem. The difference between typical “toddler” stubbornness and a sensory-based feeding disorder may be quite subtle. We’ll review your child’s history thoroughly to find clues related to the onset of your child’s difficulties. Brooklyn Feeding Academy’s goal is to provide consultation to your family as well as the team of professionals already involved in your child’s life. Our goal is to assist the team at arriving at an optimal plan to improve your child’s eating. In addition to feeding consultation, we may put together a plan to improve oral motor function. As you might guess, good oral motor function benefits both eating and speech development.

Two decades of working with medically fragile children in a hospital setting have exposed me to a wide variety of childhood feeding and communicative disorders. If your child has a medically-based feeding problem, we’ll work as a team with your therapists and medical professionals to optimize your child’s eating based on clearly defined, medically approved therapeutic goals. I have the experience to work with your pediatrician and/or medical specialist to carefully navigate next steps and consult with the team on caring for your medically fragile child in the home environment. My experience spans working with premature infants in the intensive care unit to young adults who have sustained head injuries and are transitioning back to eating by mouth. I have earned specialty recognition from the American Speech Language and Hearing association in swallowing disorders. In the event your child has been diagnosed with Dysphagia (swallowing problems) we’ll review the options with your medical professional(s) and establish a plan.