Feeding disorders occur when a person has difficulty getting food or liquids into their mouth and/or chewing. Feeding difficulties may occur with or without swallowing difficulties.
Swallowing disorders, also known as dysphagia (dis-FAY-juh), occur when a person has difficulty:
- managing food or drink once it is in the mouth, and/or
- moving food or liquid through the throat, into the oesophagus (food pipe), and down into the stomach.
Feeding and swallowing difficulties can affect children, teenagers, and adults. These challenges can range from mild discomfort to serious health risks and may impact a person’s ability to eat, drink, and manage saliva safely. They can also affect speech clarity, voice quality, fluency, and overall communication.
Understanding the causes, signs, and available supports is important in addressing feeding and swallowing concerns safely and effectively.
What Are the Worries?
Feeding and swallowing difficulties can raise a number of concerns, including:
- Choking and Aspiration: There is a risk of choking or food and liquid entering the lungs (aspiration), which can lead to chest infections, pneumonia, and breathing difficulties.
- Nutrition and Hydration: Difficulty swallowing may result in reduced food and fluid intake, increasing the risk of dehydration, weight loss, and poor nutrition.
- Fear and Anxiety: Some people may develop anxiety around mealtimes, avoid certain foods, or feel afraid of eating or drinking.
- Social Impact: Eating and drinking are often social activities. Swallowing difficulties can make it challenging to eat with others or participate in social events involving food.
- Emotional and Psychological Wellbeing: Ongoing feeding or swallowing difficulties can affect confidence, mood, self-esteem, and overall quality of life.
Responsive Feeding Program
Our Responsive Feeding Program supports children and families to develop positive, safe, and enjoyable mealtime experiences. The program focuses on building a child’s relationship with food while respecting their individual needs, preferences, and developmental readiness.
Responsive feeding emphasises shared responsibility at mealtimes, where caregivers provide structure, routine, and a supportive eating environment, and children are supported to listen to their own hunger and fullness cues.
Therapy is guided by a child-led, pressure-free approach that promotes curiosity, confidence, and trust around food.
The program supports a wide range of feeding challenges, including picky eating, food refusal, sensory sensitivities, anxiety around meals, and difficulties transitioning to new textures or foods. Families are supported with practical strategies that can be easily used at home, helping mealtimes feel calmer, more predictable, and more enjoyable.
