If your child is experiencing difficulty with feeding we can provide an evaluation that specifically addresses this area. These evaluations also require caregivers to complete the intake forms in the patient portal, which will include a feeding specific parent questionnaire.
The in-person portion of our evaluations typically last approximately 90 minutes which allows the therapist to gather a “snapshot” of your child’s skills and potential areas for growth. It is also the time for you, as a parent or guardian, to share any concerns and areas where you have observed the greatest need in your child’s day to day life as it relates to feeding and eating.
A feeding evaluation will include a parent and child interview. Additionally, the evaluating therapist will directly observe your child eat. This requires that you bring food to the evaluation. We ask that you bring a variety of foods that include:
- 4-5 Preferred foods of various textures (i.e. crunchy, soft, wet, puree, multi-textured, etc.)
- 2-3 Less preferred foods that are occasionally consumed or have been tried intermittently
- 2-3 Non-preferred foods
- A preferred drink
Throughout the in-person evaluation the evaluator will provide you with on-the-spot information regarding their interpretation of your child’s feeding skills.
The feeding evaluation process also consists of other components that are not in-person but are essential in providing a thorough written report. These typically include:
- Review of information provided in questionnaires
- Scoring of standardized tests
- Interpreting the results of the standardized tests, questionnaires, clinical observations, and parent interview
- Writing the evaluation
- Providing suggestions and recommendations
