Pediatric Speech Pathology Clinic for Feeding and Swallowing Disorders

Feeding difficulties are often the result of a complex interaction between medical, motor, oral-motor, and learned behaviors. The Feeding Team from N.C. Children’s Hospital uses a multidisciplinary approach to care, which includes medicine/ gastroenterology, speech therapy, and dietitian services to assess and treat children’s feeding difficulties.

Our speech therapists provide feeding and swallowing evaluations and feeding therapy at the Raleigh location. If further evaluation of swallowing function is required, they conduct modified barium swallow studies and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing at the Children’s Hospital.

Appropriate referrals include oral-motor issues such as: poor or weak suck or failure to advance texture (not chewing); gagging; pocketing food; swallowing difficulty or concern for aspiration; aversive feeding behaviors (picky eating, food aversion, food refusal, grazing, tantrumming with meals, avoiding food groups); failure to thrive or difficulty with weight gain and growth; vomiting; gastroesophageal reflux; volume limiting; dyspepsia; constipation; food allergies; G-tube dependence; and reliance on supplements. Of course, any concern regarding a child’s feeding or growth is an appropriate referral.

Appointments

To schedule an appointment, please call Speech Pathology at (919) 843-4479. Our fax number is (919) 843-3280.

Meet our Raleigh Provider

Krista Arnone