Feeding disorders include problems gathering food and getting ready to suck, chew, or swallow it. For example, a child who cannot pick up food and get it to her mouth or cannot completely close her lips to keep food from falling out of her mouth may have a feeding disorder.
Swallowing disorders , also called dysphagia (dis-FAY-juh), can occur at different stages in the swallowing process:
- Oral phase- sucking, chewing, and moving food or liquid into the throat
- Pharyngeal phase- starting the swallow, squeezing food down the throat, and closing off the airway to prevent food or liquid from entering the airway ( aspiration ) or to prevent choking
- Esophageal phase- relaxing and tightening the openings at the top and bottom of the feeding tube in the throat ( esophagus ) and squeezing food through the esophagus into the stomach
The above information can be found at http://www.asha.org/public/speech/swallowing/feedswallowchildren.htm
If you have any concerns about your child, please contact me for a free, no-obligation screening or information packet. You can reach me by calling 312-399-0370 or clicking on the button on the upper-right section of this page. I will be happy to answers any question you have and point you toward beneficial speech therapy resources.
Your Pediatric Feeding Therapist in Chicago,
Karen George
Karen George is a certified Speech-Language Pathologist with extensive experience with feeding issues and disorders. She serves Chicago’s north side conducting in-home Speech and Feeding Therapy in neighborhoods such as Downtown (the Loop), West Loop, River North, Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Uptown, Bucktown, Roscoe Village, and Wicker Park. Karen’s Feeding practice will begin serving Chicago’s North Shore and Western Suburbs starting in September 2010. Karen started the website Chicago Feeding Therapy in 2010.