The Feeding Disorders Day Program (part of the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program) provides therapy for children with feeding disorders that require more intensive treatment than is offered through outpatient services.

Good Candidates for Feeding Disorders Day Program:

The Day Treatment Program is designed for children who do not need around-the-clock medical supervision, but require more intensive therapy than can be provided on a regular outpatient basis.

That means, day treatment services are usually recommended for children whose medical status is stable, but their meal time behavior is sufficiently problematic to warrant more intensive treatment.

What Day Program Therapy Looks Like:

  • Day treatment is typically provided five days per week on-site. Parents and other caregivers continue implementing treatment on the weekends at home.
  • The day program typically lasts for six to eight weeks.
  • Our team’s nutritionist and gastroenterologist — and other team members as needed — continue to monitor your child's treatment course throughout the day program.
  • A nutritionist/dietican monitors caloric intake and provides healthy food choices.
  • A behavioral psychologist assesses the severity and type of food refusal or selectivity, observes meals, and evaluates treatment options based on the information gathered.
  • An occupational therapist and speech pathologist assesses oral motor abilities to determine whether feeding difficulties are related to neurological deficits or oral motor dysfunction.
  • A nutritionist evaluates the nutritional and caloric requirements needed for catch-up growth
  • A social worker assists the family in dealing with psychosocial issues and with obtaining other community resources as needed.
  • Each meal session builds on what works and doesn’t work from the previous session.
  • Children in the day program have access to our playroom. Developmental playroom specialists facilitate age- and developmentally appropriate daily activities for patients outside of meal therapy sessions.

Establishing Treatment Goals:

As part of treatment, we develop measurable goals that allow us to objectively track your child’s progress. We work together with you to meet those goals.

Typical Feeding Disorder Day Program goals include the following:

  • Increase intake of food by mouth
  • Decrease tube dependence (commonly G-tube dependence)
  • Increase or maintain weight
  • Advance texture or self-feeding
  • Maintain family satisfaction
  • Training parents and caregivers to maintain feeding progress at home and in other environments, such as day care or school