​Feeding and Swallowing

As a pediatric feeding and swallowing specialist, I provide assessment and treatment of oral-motor deficits, swallowing, and sensory-behavioral feeding disorders.

 

These include difficulties with:

- drooling

- biting and chewing

- swallowing

- oral aversion

- picky eating

- diet advancement

- overall mealtime behaviors

 

Click                      to learn more about common RED FLAGS and signs/symptoms of feeding and swallowing disorders in children.

 

I work with children, their families, and medical teams to support the development of their skills in a private therapy setting as well as home and community environments. Various strategies and techniques are utilized to encourage not only function, safety, and efficiency, but pleasure, too. 

 

 

Speech, Language & Cognition
I provide comprehensive and individualized assessment and therapy for children with delays or disorders in:

- early cognitive-communication development
- play development
- articulation
- phonology
- fluency
- resonance or voice
- language expression and formulation
- language processing
- language comprehension
- problem solving and abstract reasoning
- executive functioning 

- high-level language and cognition

- short- and long-term memory

 

I utilize both informal and formal testing measures, including child/parent/caregiver interview, clinical observations, play-based assessment, as well as standardized tests to evaluate your child's current level of functioning and to determine his/her therapeutic needs.  I provide thorough written evaluations to identify and describe your child's speech and language profile including his/her strengths, weaknesses, goals, and recommendations.

 

Social Communication & Pragmatic Language
I provide assessment and therapy aimed specifically at developing a child's pragmatic language and social communication skills - as these skills are not intuitive to everyone.

 

In INDIVIDUAL and GROUP therapy sessions, I teach specific social-thinking vocabulary and age-appropriate social skills through focused lessons, play-based tasks, and naturalistic role play. I utilize Michelle Garcia-Winner’s Social Thinking® methodology and materials, targeting pragmatic language, social skills, and language-based social thinking with children to increase each student’s ability to participate in age-appropriate social exchanges and teamwork activities, improve friendship skills, increase self-awareness and self-advocacy skills, and promote increased cognitive flexibility.

 

 

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* All therapy is individualized to meet your child's unique learning style, incorporate his/her personal interests, and capitalize on his/her strengths to support growth and development of his/her weaknesses.

 

* Parent/caregiver education and training is a critical component of all treatment programs. I have found that children have more success when both you and your family consistently carryover the skills that are taught and reinforced each session.  Parents/caregivers are provided routine verbal and/or written updates as well as the opportunity to participate in evening training sessions and group workshops.  Private parent/family as well as on-site school consultation services are also available upon request.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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