Multidiscipline Feeding Team
What is it?
The Franciscan Hospital for Children Multidisciplinary Feeding Team includes a dietitian, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, child psychologist, and physical therapist (if needed). The Feeding Team provides an interdisciplinary assessment of nutrition, oral-motor skills, sensory processing, self-feeding skills, behaviors in relation to feeding and mealtimes, and positioning. Medical and feeding history, parent concerns, and current mealtime routines are also considered. Following the assessment, the team provides parents/caregivers and other professionals with recommendations regarding strategies and techniques designed to address each child’s feeding needs. Verbal feedback is provided on the day of the evaluation, with a written report to follow.
Who Should Get a Feeding Team Evaluation?
A multidisciplinary feeding team evaluation is appropriate for children with complex medical and feeding issues. These issues may include failure to thrive (FTT) and poor growth, a history of prematurity, primary and supplemental nutrition via feeding tube, neurological impairments, and developmental disabilities that impact feeding skills.
What Does Each Team Member Assess?
- A dietitian assesses the nutritional adequacy of each child’s intake with respect to fluids, proteins, calories, and nutrients/minerals. In addition, a dietitian provides information regarding feeding and tube-feeding scheduling, vitamins and nutritional supplements, and meal and snack suggestions based on the recommendations of the team.
- A speech-language pathologist assesses oral-motor skills with regard to sucking liquids from a bottle, cup-drinking, spoon-feeding, biting, chewing, and swallowing. A speech-language pathologist is also trained to assess sensory processing skills with regard to feeding and food textures.
- An occupational therapist assesses overall sensory processing skills and how these skills relate to food textures. In addition, an occupational therapist assesses self-feeding skills and provides recommendations regarding increasing independence around self-feeding. Suggestions regarding adaptive equipment may also be made.
- A child psychologist assesses any behaviors that are impacting a child’s feeding and family mealtimes. He or she works with the family to create a consistent mealtime routine. In addition, a child psychologist assists families in designing a plan to encourage the development of appropriate mealtime behaviors and address any negative behaviors surrounding feeding and mealtimes.
- A physical therapist (if needed) assesses adequate positioning for mealtimes, overall muscle tone, posture, and appropriate seating systems.
When Do Feeding Team Evaluations Take Place?
Feeding Team evaluations take place every Wednesday from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm.
How Do I Make an Appointment?
Call 617-254-3800, ext. 4820 to schedule an appointment.
Feeding Resources
http://www.new-vis.com
http://www.theraproducts.com