About the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program
The Intensive Day-Treatment Feeding Program uses a goal-oriented and scientifically supported approach based on the principles and procedures of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Our intensive program is for infants, children, and adolescents who have not made progress in outpatient feeding therapy or whose feeding disorder is causing medical emergencies. The child’s team observes and measures child and caregiver behavior and makes data-based decisions. The approach is highly successful and children in programs that use this approach meet 90% of their treatment goals.
The child and family participate in two levels of services. The child and family start in the intensive feeding program that helps caregivers make a big change in the child’s feeding behavior. Once the intensive feeding program ends, the child and family will remain with their same feeding team for an outpatient follow-up program. The goal of the service continuum is for the child to eat like other children. Caregivers play a critical role as members of the treatment team and the program’s success depends on caregiver participation.
To determine if your child is appropriate for this program please fill out the screening linked below.
Children are appropriate for the Intensive Day-Treatment Feeding Program if they have had at least 3 months of outpatient feeding therapy and:
- Do not eat many foods
- Get most calories from tube feedings
- Have mealtime behavior that causes stress for caregivers
- Have oral-motor skill deficits
- Are not eating like other children
- Are not growing well
If your child has not had at least 3 months of outpatient therapy, they may still be appropriate for the Intensive Day-Treatment Feeding Program if they:
- Has a naso-gastric tube and the amount he or she eats or drinks has not increased for at least 3 months
- Has been hospitalized for dehydration two or more times in the past 2 months
- Is losing weight
Intensive Day-Treatment Feeding Program (Level 1)
The purpose is to help caregivers make a big change in the child’s feeding behavior.
What to expect:
Caregiver participation is required. The child will come to the clinic all day, Monday through Friday, for approximately 8-12 weeks. A team will work with the child and caregiver and assess why the child has a feeding disorder. The team will use that information to develop a treatment plan and teach caregivers how to do the treatment in the clinic. The team will then go to the home or arrange for telehealth observations (caregivers and child at home, team in clinic) during the final week of the intensive admission and make sure the treatment works for the caregivers in the home. Caregivers are NOT required to be present for all appointments, but must attend at least weekly training appointments throughout the admission.
The child graduates from the Intensive Day-Treatment Feeding Program when:
- The child meets their treatment goals
- The caregivers are trained to use the treatment
- And, the team has observed the child eat outside of the clinic (e.g., in the home)
Intensive Follow-Up Feeding Program (Level 2)
The purpose is to make sure the child’s improved feeding behavior maintains after the child and family finish the Intensive Day-Treatment Feeding Program and to continue progressing the child to age- or developmentally typical eating.
What to expect:
The intensive follow-up feeding program starts right after the child finishes the intensive day-treatment feeding program. The appointments are once or twice per week for 30 minutes to 1 hour each. The therapist will watch the caregiver feed the child. The therapist will give the caregiver homework which will include feeding the child in a certain way and keeping records of the child’s feeding behavior. We typically do intensive follow-up appointments via telehealth. The child and family participate in the intensive follow-up feeding program until the child is an age or developmentally typical feeder or until the caregiver’s goals for the child are met. The intensive follow-up program is about 2 to 3 years, but overall length varies depending on the child’s unique needs and the caregiver’s ability to participate.