Feeding & Mealtime Therapy
Feeding assessments (Speech Pathologist and/or Dietitian)
At Next Bite we provide a comprehensive assessment of your child’s feeding using evidence based tools. Depending on your child’s individual needs this may be carried out by a Speech Pathologist, Dietitian or both. As part of the assessment we will explore:
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Your child’s historical and current relationship with feeding/eating
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Their current intake, assessing nutritional gaps, sensory preferences and feeding skills
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Their medical history, and how this has influenced their nutritional needs and feeding ability
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Their growth
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Where relevant, the impact of their neurotype on their eating experiences
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Your child and family’s goals for their feeding
We will then work with you to develop a plan to meet these short and longer term feeding goals.
Feeding assessments can be carried out in-person at our Kingsley clinic, via telehealth appointment or by home visit (note travel fees apply). We see children birth to 18 years of age on NDIS plans (self managed or plan managed), Medicare GP Management Plans and those who are privately funded.
Feeding therapy
Our Speech Pathologists LOVE helping children learn how to eat a wider range of foods safely. We have additional training in helping children with mealtime challenges, and use approaches backed by research. Some of the reasons your child might come to us for feeding therapy include:
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Difficulty with bottle and/or breastfeeding
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Transitioning to solids
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Learning to chew and swallow safely and more efficiently
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Concerns about swallow function safety (dysphagia)
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Fussy eating
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Mealtime differences secondary to autism and ADHD
Tube feeding and nutritional supplements
We provide dietetic support for children who are fully or partially tube fed or requiring nutritional supplement regimens. Our dietitian will assess your child’s specific nutritional needs, and tailor a practical feeding plan that fits with your child’s lifestyle.
Dietetic reviews
Following a feeding assessment, we may recommend routine dietetic review sessions to re-evaluate your child’s nutrition as their needs change. We will make a recommendation at your assessment on the frequency of dietetic reviews, depending on their age, nutritional status and medical stability.