The TeamHope Feeding & Swallowing Center focuses on helping the child acquire the skills necessary to become a successful oral feeder. Many factors can create obstacles to a child's acquisition of feeding skills. Children who suffer from dysphagia, or early in life needed a trach/vent often face challenges in the transition to oral feeder. Children diagnosed with syndromes or other challenges may also encounter such difficulty.
For other children feeding disorders can also result from a triad of challenges that include sensory issues, oral motor planning challenges, and behavioral responses. Feeding Therapy can assist the child in being able to tolerate and experience a variety of different food textures and tastes to maintain an adequate intake of nutrition. Feeding Therapy is also beneficial for the child who needs to expand the range of foods they regularly eat. TeamHope's approach to Feeding Therapy often will integrate Oral Motor & Oral Sensory methods, and where appropriate behavioral strategies to promote age appropriate feeding skills. It is not unusual for such children to need Occupational Therapy to address their sensory needs. Feeding Therapy may also focus on assessing how efficient the child is at self feeding and modify any obstacles that hinder the intake of adequate nutrition.
Feeding & Swallowing
Hope
Orofacial
Myofunctional Disorders
The practice of orofacial myology includes the evaluation and treatment of:
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Detrimental orofacial habits such as thumb and digit sucking
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Problems related to imbalances between lips, tongue, jaw and respiratory system
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Abnormal neuromuscular responses associated with inappropriate chewing and swallowing
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Identification of obstructed breathing patterns that may interfere with achieving and maintaining an appropriate resting position.
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Swallowing patterns which may be associated with malocclusions such as tongue thrust
The goals of orofacial myofunctional therapy are to establish correct resting postures of the tongue and lips and to create an environment where normal processes of growth and development can occur. And to ensure adequate function for activities of daily living.
Articulation & Phonological Disorders
Articulation and Phonological Disorders hinder the appropriate production of speech sounds. This negatively impacts intelligibility and how well your child is understood by others.
It is not unusual for Phonological Disorders to adversely impact the acquisition of Reading, Writing, Spelling, Comprehension, and Oral Expression. Literacy Remediation addresses the needs of children who encounter these academic challenges. TeamHope offers an individualized approach to address encoding, decoding and difficulties associated with written expression. Instruction may include a variety of phonologically based methods or programs.
Speech
Literacy Remediation
It is not unusual for Phonological Disorders to interfere with the acquisition of Reading, Writing and Spelling. Literacy Remediation addresses challenges in reading, writing and spelling. TeamHope offers an individualized approach to address concerns such as comprehension, encoding and decoding skills. Instruction may include Orton-Gillingham®, Lindamood Bell®, Fast ForWord®, or other phonologically based methods.