Nowadays, feeding disorders in kids have been a widespread issue that calls for particular consideration and care.
A child's feeding issues are addressed through feeding therapy to stop additional detrimental nutritional and developmental effects. The first thing to consider is how current medical conditions, such as Hirschsprung disease, gastric acid reflux, and so on, may influence feeding behavior. The other medical team members involved in the mouth exercises procedure must ensure safe treatment approaches are used. Being aware of these factors will increase your possibilities as a parent.
Dysphagia and Sensory Issues may also be the reasons for the Feeding Disorder. In both cases, vegetative functions of the oral musculature need to be realigned to address the issues. There are feeding therapy tools available in market which help with Dysphagia and Sensory issues. SpeechGears India has designed tools for oral sensory integration which also help in dysphagia.
Remember that feeding therapy requires a team effort. What SpeechGears refer to as a "medical team" is made up of a group of doctors, occupational therapists, nutritionists, and behavioral analysts. Learn how to cope with the issue at hand from these people as you go further with aiding your child. Give the child the opportunity to comprehend the rationale for the kid's frequent doctor visits. This will encourage the child to trust you and make them feel safe. Feeding therapist use feeding therapy products to provide therapy to improve their feeding. These feeding tools help in various speaking, eating, and sensory abilities can be improved with the use of vibratory oral motor tools. You can use it to offer a wide range of sensory experiences and to deliver precise tactile cues inside the oral cavity.
Implementing a feeding regimen for your child involves a number of interventions. The behavioral feeding programme is one of these. This approach follows the clinician's theory that the main problem is with diet. Offer the child items that have been shown to satisfy their hunger and stimulate their appetite during mealtime. In a situation with low disturbance, gradually introduce new meals during snacks. Until the youngster becomes accustomed to the activities, gradually increase the quantity and timing of fresh meals you feed them. Consider the utensils, the chair's height, and the food's aroma. Note how the youngster responded to the intervention during meals.
The instructional hierarchy, which has three components or stages of development—the acquisition phase, the fluency phase, and the generalization phase—is the other way. During the acquisition period, the youngster adjusts to the new food conduct. The youngster practices the learned behavior towards the food while they are fluent. The toddler can finally use the taught behavior with the introduction of several new foods during the generalization period.
Other oral motor exercises procedures include precursor-based modifications to the food's dimensions and preparation, consequence-based changes that encourage positive mealtime behavior and eliminate unfavorable mealtime behavior. Each time a youngster completes the needed job, positive reinforcement includes giving them access to a favorite object and giving them vocal praise (i.e., takes a bite). Increase the task's difficulty little by little. No toy should be offered and the feeder should only pay attention if the child takes within a predetermined amount of time, such as five seconds. Negative behaviors may increase when they are initially ignored, but they will eventually decrease dramatically with persistence.
Keeping an eye on kids with food issues is complex it's a type of autism. All facets of the child's care, such as their medical condition, nutrition, sensory difficulties, positioning, feeding, and swallowing, should be handled by a team. The intervention team's patience and inventiveness are crucial to ensure the child's progress and wellbeing.