Feeding and Occupational Therapy Evaluations

baby breastfeeding during a feeding evaluation

Feeding Evaluation

A comprehensive feeding evaluation can help determine the underlying causes or contributing factors to a child’s feeding difficulties. If your infant/toddler is experiencing any of the following, a feeding evaluation is warranted:

  • coughing throughout breastfeeding, bottle feeding or meals or coughing when drinking liquids from a cup (after 6 months)

  • spitting up frequently after meals

  • Discomfort (colics, arching back during and after feeds/meals, irritability, gagging or retching)

  • losing weight, poor weight gain or very slow weight gain

  • Oral motor problems (weak sucking, leaking milk at the corners of the mouth, taking too long to feed, gulping or clicking during breastfeeding or bottle feeding)

  • Gag response to nipple/pacifier

  • Bottle refusal

  • If you suspect your child has a tongue tie and/or lip tie

  • Failure to transition to purees by 6-8 months

  • Failure to transition to table foods by 12 months

  • Gag when presented with new food or spits food out

  • Chewing difficulty (eating only easy to swallow foods or not demonstrating safe and efficient chewing skills by 12 months)

  • Excessive fluid intake (breastfeed, drinks bottle or from cup with little food intake after 12 months)

Evaluations are 1-1.5 hours in length and a comprehensive report will be provided.

In-Home Evaluation: $450

Virtual Evaluation: $425

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toddler learning how to drinking from a straw cup

Occupational Therapy Evaluation

Following a comprehensive evaluation, a treatment plan will be created with your input. Depending on the complexity of the feeding problem, a home program issued at the time of the evaluation may be enough. For others, a few follow ups may be needed to make sure that the treatment plan is working and to adjust the home program. Some children will benefit from weekly ongoing visits to make the fastest progress in the shortest amount of time. We will discuss all options and determine the best way to proceed to reach your goals.

Sometimes feeding is not your primary concern; The following conditions/difficulties can affect your child’s overall development including their feeding skills:

  • torticollis

  • plagiocephaly

  • abnormal muscle tone

  • tension

  • sensory processing difficulties

  • delayed gross motor (poor head control, delayed sitting, etc.)

  • delayed fine motor and visual motor skills (delayed reaching, grasping, eye-hand coordination)

An occupational therapy evaluation that would also include a feeding evaluation might be warranted to get a complete picture and create the best treatment plan for your child and your family. Depending on how many areas of development need to be addressed, an individualized home program will be developed and follow up therapy sessions will be discussed with you.

In-Home Evaluation: $450

Virtual Evaluation: $425

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In-home visits in Fillmore, Santa Paula, Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo and nearby communities. Teletherapy available throughout California.