|
Feeding Clinic
St. David’s innovative Feeding Clinic helps children with feeding disturbances eat a balanced diet and experience less stress during mealtimes. St. David’s Feeding Clinic offers a multidisciplinary feeding therapy evaluation and treatment for children and families who are struggling with feeding issues.
St. David’s Feeding Clinic uses the systematic desensitization feeding
therapy model, based on the S.O.S. (Sequential Oral Sensory) approach developed by Dr. Kay Toomey, Ph.D., pediatric psychologist.
“Problem feeder” is an expression used to describe children who, due to an underlying combination of reasons, have severely restricted patterns of eating. Problem feeders often eat foods primarily from one food group or tolerate limited types of food textures. Additionally, the children often have aversive reactions when presented with new foods, foods presented in a different form, or foods they have previously eaten.
Children who are “problem feeders” are at risk for malnutrition, future eating disorders, social isolation, and food phobias. Inadequate nutrition can also negatively impact school performance, coordination, strength, attention, mood, growth, and arousal levels.
These patterns often begin to emerge early in development, and frequently become more evident as he/she begins to take a more active role in eating. Dr. Toomey's S.O.S. approach is a non-invasive, supportive program that uses systematic desensitization to help a child learn how to eat foods. The treatment focuses on five basic steps or skill areas related to eating foods. Foods are presented in a hierarchy relating foods by shape, color and texture. Parent education and home implementation are a vital and integral part of therapeutic work, and necessary to a child’s treatment.
Treatment Modalities include:
- Multidisciplinary evaluations – meeting with occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, and mental health professionals as appropriate
- Weekly multidisciplinary treatments involving both parents and their child
- Parent education
- Supplemental individual therapy to address specific developmental, physical, social and behavioral issues
Ages Served
Multidisciplinary evaluations are available to all ages of children. Treatment recommendations are customized to individual needs. Consultations are also available for younger children suspected of developing feeding issues.
St. David's Feeding Clinics are offered at the following sites:
Minnetonka site:
3395 Plymouth Rd
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Crystal site:
3415 Louisiana Ave. N.
Crystal, MN 55427
Payment Options
All major insurance, Medical Assistance/TEFRA, PMAPs, and private pay
Parent Education
Occasionally we offer trainings and parent education on feeding issues. Please check our Trainings and Workshops page for upcoming trainings.
Contact Us
For more information, please call 952-939-0396 or email us.
Registration Forms
You will need to complete a registration packet before you
can be seen at the Feeding Clinic. Forms are available using the links below.
Please call our Intake Coordinator at 952-939-0396 before submitting your forms.
|
|
