Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Source: https://www.nemours.org/services/pediatric-feeding-and-swallowing-program.html
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:12
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Contact Us
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
(866) 291-5414
Make an Appointment
Contact Us
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Call Us
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Central Florida
(407) 650-7715
Northeast Florida
(904) 697-3600
Contact Nemours
Visit our contact page to find more contact information for each of our regions
Make an Appointment
Contact Us
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Call Us
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Delaware Valley
(866) 291-5414
Central Florida
(407) 650-7715
Northeast Florida
(904) 697-3600
Contact Nemours
Visit our contact page to find more contact information for each of our regions
Make an Appointment
Making Eating and Drinking Easier for Kids
Nemours Children's pediatric speech-language pathologists (also sometimes called "speech and language therapists”) evaluate, treat and provide consultations for children with feeding and swallowing challenges. We look at kids’ oral feeding skills, provide family education, and offer strategies to promote safe eating and drinking.
Find Feeding and Swallowing Care at Nemours
Find the Feeding and Swallowing specialist closest to you:
Find a Location
Conditions We Treat
Our
speech and language therapists
are trained in managing kids’ communication and swallowing problems. Children might be candidates for feeding evaluation and therapy if they:
Actively refuse foods
Misbehave at mealtime
Won't eat many types of foods
Gag, cough or vomit when eating
Gain weight slowly or have trouble gaining weight
Have trouble chewing, swallowing food and/or eating foods of different textures
Mostly take a bottle when sleeping
Need tube feedings for nutrition
We see a full spectrum of conditions — far too many to list here. The conditions we treat vary depending upon the location and providers selected. Don’t see a condition listed? Call us.
Airway disorders
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Cerebral palsy
Complex medical diagnoses
Craniofacial anomalies
(birth defects of the face and head, like cleft lip and palate)
Failure to thrive
(when kids don’t gain weight or grow as expected)
Gastrointestinal (digestive) problems
Oral-motor delays and deficits
(when there’s a problem in the areas of the brain responsible for speech and feeding, making it hard to coordinate the lips, tongue and jaw)
Swallowing disorders
(like dysphagia)
Services We Offer
Speech and language therapists are the first line of specialists to see children for problems with feeding and/or swallowing. Sometimes,
occupational therapists (OTs)
can help too. Depending on what we find, we may be able to diagnose and treat the condition. Services for diagnosis and treatment may include:
Clinical evaluation, including a review of your child’s medical, developmental and feeding history
Family education and training
Treatment planning specifically for your child
Meal observation
Referral for additional assessment, if needed
Depending on each child’s condition, care may include specific studies and treatments such as:
Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES)
(when kids eat and drink while their feeding and swallowing skills are viewed through a flexible laryngoscope — a thin, flexible instrument that lights and magnifies images for a better view of the larynx/voice box and vocal cords)
Modified barium swallow studies (MBSS)
(when kids swallow a small amount of a chalky liquid, which appears on a special X-ray and shows the swallowing process as they eat and drink)
Previsit instructions for MBSS:
English
|
Spanish
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES)
(using electrical stimulation with traditional swallowing therapy to strengthen muscles for swallowing)
Why Choose Us
At Nemours, your child benefits from a team approach to care that, depending on the condition diagnosed, may include board-certified
pediatric surgeons
,
gastroenterologists
,
otolaryngologists
(ear, nose and throat specialists),
occupational therapists
,
nutritionists
and
psychologists
— all specifically trained in child-friendly care. We work together to help kids:
Accept mealtimes
Develop age-appropriate feeding skills (like cup drinking and self-feeding)
Gain weight if needed
Eat more types of food
Transition from tube- to oral-feeding
Learn More About Why to Choose Us
Regional Feeding and Swallowing Therapy Services
Depending upon the location you visit, our programs and services may include:
Delaware Valley/Greater Philadelphia
Our
speech and language therapists
offer feeding and swallowing therapy at
Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware
(Wilmington) and select Nemours Children's Health satellite locations.
Only
pediatric rehabilitation program
in the greater Philadelphia region accredited
by the
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)
New state-of-the-art Rehabilitation and Inpatient Therapy Center
, with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) suite
Central Florida
Our
occupational therapists (OTs)
and
speech and language therapists
offer feeding and swallowing therapy at
Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida
(Orlando).
One of only four multispecialty pediatric inpatient rehabilitation programs in all of Florida
— and the only one in Central Florida
Unique treatment settings
, like our outdoor Discovery Garden that integrates therapy with healing, nature and sensory exploration
Only
pediatric rehabilitation program
in the state of Florida
located in a freestanding children’s hospital
Integration with world-class programs
(brain and spinal cord injuries, diseases of the nervous system,
cerebral palsy
,
spina bifida
and
muscular dystrophy
)
Northeast Florida
Our
speech and language therapists
offer feeding and swallowing therapy at
Nemours Children's Health, Jacksonville
and select satellite locations. Our services are provided through the
Division of Otolaryngology
(Ear, Nose & Throat/ENT) — a recognized leader in providing state-of-the-art ENT programs for kids.
Vital Stim® therapy
(noninvasive stimulation therapy for swallowing disorders)
VPI (Velopharyngeal Insufficiency) Clinic
(bringing together physicians and speech therapists to help kids with soft palate muscle problems)
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Contact Us
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
(866) 291-5414
Make an Appointment
Contact Us
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Call Us
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Central Florida
(407) 650-7715
Northeast Florida
(904) 697-3600
Contact Nemours
Visit our contact page to find more contact information for each of our regions
Make an Appointment
Contact Us
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Call Us
Feeding and Swallowing Therapy
Delaware Valley
(866) 291-5414
Central Florida
(407) 650-7715
Northeast Florida
(904) 697-3600
Contact Nemours
Visit our contact page to find more contact information for each of our regions
Make an Appointment
Making Eating and Drinking Easier for Kids
Nemours Children's pediatric speech-language pathologists (also sometimes called "speech and language therapists”) evaluate, treat and provide consultations for children with feeding and swallowing challenges. We look at kids’ oral feeding skills, provide family education, and offer strategies to promote safe eating and drinking.
Find Feeding and Swallowing Care at Nemours
Find the Feeding and Swallowing specialist closest to you:
Find a Location
Conditions We Treat
Our
speech and language therapists
are trained in managing kids’ communication and swallowing problems. Children might be candidates for feeding evaluation and therapy if they:
Actively refuse foods
Misbehave at mealtime
Won't eat many types of foods
Gag, cough or vomit when eating
Gain weight slowly or have trouble gaining weight
Have trouble chewing, swallowing food and/or eating foods of different textures
Mostly take a bottle when sleeping
Need tube feedings for nutrition
We see a full spectrum of conditions — far too many to list here. The conditions we treat vary depending upon the location and providers selected. Don’t see a condition listed? Call us.
Airway disorders
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Cerebral palsy
Complex medical diagnoses
Craniofacial anomalies
(birth defects of the face and head, like cleft lip and palate)
Failure to thrive
(when kids don’t gain weight or grow as expected)
Gastrointestinal (digestive) problems
Oral-motor delays and deficits
(when there’s a problem in the areas of the brain responsible for speech and feeding, making it hard to coordinate the lips, tongue and jaw)
Swallowing disorders
(like dysphagia)
Services We Offer
Speech and language therapists are the first line of specialists to see children for problems with feeding and/or swallowing. Sometimes,
occupational therapists (OTs)
can help too. Depending on what we find, we may be able to diagnose and treat the condition. Services for diagnosis and treatment may include:
Clinical evaluation, including a review of your child’s medical, developmental and feeding history
Family education and training
Treatment planning specifically for your child
Meal observation
Referral for additional assessment, if needed
Depending on each child’s condition, care may include specific studies and treatments such as:
Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES)
(when kids eat and drink while their feeding and swallowing skills are viewed through a flexible laryngoscope — a thin, flexible instrument that lights and magnifies images for a better view of the larynx/voice box and vocal cords)
Modified barium swallow studies (MBSS)
(when kids swallow a small amount of a chalky liquid, which appears on a special X-ray and shows the swallowing process as they eat and drink)
Previsit instructions for MBSS:
English
|
Spanish
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES)
(using electrical stimulation with traditional swallowing therapy to strengthen muscles for swallowing)
Why Choose Us
At Nemours, your child benefits from a team approach to care that, depending on the condition diagnosed, may include board-certified
pediatric surgeons
,
gastroenterologists
,
otolaryngologists
(ear, nose and throat specialists),
occupational therapists
,
nutritionists
and
psychologists
— all specifically trained in child-friendly care. We work together to help kids:
Accept mealtimes
Develop age-appropriate feeding skills (like cup drinking and self-feeding)
Gain weight if needed
Eat more types of food
Transition from tube- to oral-feeding
Learn More About Why to Choose Us
Regional Feeding and Swallowing Therapy Services
Depending upon the location you visit, our programs and services may include:
Delaware Valley/Greater Philadelphia
Our
speech and language therapists
offer feeding and swallowing therapy at
Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware
(Wilmington) and select Nemours Children's Health satellite locations.
Only
pediatric rehabilitation program
in the greater Philadelphia region accredited
by the
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF)
New state-of-the-art Rehabilitation and Inpatient Therapy Center
, with Activities of Daily Living (ADL) suite
Central Florida
Our
occupational therapists (OTs)
and
speech and language therapists
offer feeding and swallowing therapy at
Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida
(Orlando).
One of only four multispecialty pediatric inpatient rehabilitation programs in all of Florida
— and the only one in Central Florida
Unique treatment settings
, like our outdoor Discovery Garden that integrates therapy with healing, nature and sensory exploration
Only
pediatric rehabilitation program
in the state of Florida
located in a freestanding children’s hospital
Integration with world-class programs
(brain and spinal cord injuries, diseases of the nervous system,
cerebral palsy
,
spina bifida
and
muscular dystrophy
)
Northeast Florida
Our
speech and language therapists
offer feeding and swallowing therapy at
Nemours Children's Health, Jacksonville
and select satellite locations. Our services are provided through the
Division of Otolaryngology
(Ear, Nose & Throat/ENT) — a recognized leader in providing state-of-the-art ENT programs for kids.
Vital Stim® therapy
(noninvasive stimulation therapy for swallowing disorders)
VPI (Velopharyngeal Insufficiency) Clinic
(bringing together physicians and speech therapists to help kids with soft palate muscle problems)