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What We Do:

The Feeding team is made up of both an Occupational Therapist and a Speech Language Pathologist who work together to support children and their families who are having difficulty with eating and mealtime. The team:

  • Provides Assessment of children and youth with difficulties with chewing solids, gagging, choking, and swallowing challenges associated with either eating or drinking.
  • Provides Assessment of physical and sensory components contributing to difficulty managing a variety of food tastes and textures leading to a significantly restricted diet.
  • Uses a coaching model to support families, licensed child care staff, school staff, and other caregivers who regularly interact with the child/ youth.

Who are we:

We are a team made up of:

Occupational Therapists: Master’s Degree – Must be registered with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario and Speech.

Speech Language Pathologists: Masters Degree – Must be registered with the Canadian Association of Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario.

Who we serve:

  • Children living within Sarnia Lambton.
  • Newborn to 19 years
Child eating food

What we provide:

  • Coaching support of parents and caregivers upon parents request ie. day care staff, school etc
  • Liaison with and consultation support to physicians and specialists involved in the care of the child upon parent’s request
  • Group programming for children/ youth and their families may be considered if numbers and interest align

Intervention:

Intervention strategies may relate to the development of:

  • Chewing skills
  • Drinking sills
  • Tolerating Tooth brushing
  • Tolerating a greater range of food textures/ tastes
  • Strategies to support safe swallowing
  • Development of self feeding skills

What to expect:

Together, the Occupational Therapist and Speech-Language Pathologist will:

  • Take time with you to discuss and understand the history of the feeding challenge your child/ youth is experiencing. This will likely be by phone or video call.
  • Typically, a home visit will be arranged so that the therapists can see your child/ youth where they are most comfortable eating/drinking. The home visit may be completed in-person or virtually.
  • Day care or school visits may also be arranged to assess and provide coaching in that setting.
  • Therapists will provide coaching to parents and any caregivers involved in your child/ youth’s daily life upon parent’s request. Equipment suggestions and strategies will be modeled as needed.
  • Follow up coaching and support will be provided as needed through phone, email or in person.
  • Discharge from this consultative service will be discussed as parents and caregivers feel more confident in their skills in supporting their child/ youth’s progress and/or their child/ youth is functioning well enough to support their growth and nutrition and is managing well during family meal time.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION

We are working hard to complete this section. Please come back and check later.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

We are working hard to complete this section. Please come back and check later.

How To Refer:

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PHONE PATHWAYS

519-542-3471
or 1-855-542-3471

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CONTACT YOUR CHILD’S PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER