Pediatric Feeding Therapy
in Myrtle Beach, SC
Mealtime should be a time of nourishment and connection — not a battle. When feeding is stressful, limited, or difficult for a child, it can affect growth, nutrition, family dynamics, and a child’s relationship with food for years to come. Pediatric feeding therapy can help.
At Communication Cottage Therapy, our Speech-Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists work together to assess and treat feeding and swallowing challenges in children across Myrtle Beach and Horry County. Whether your child has a significant swallowing disorder or is an extreme picky eater, we have the training and tools to help.
Who Provides Feeding Therapy?
Feeding therapy sits at the intersection of speech-language pathology and occupational therapy — and both disciplines bring essential skills to the table.
SLPs (Speech-Language Pathologists) address swallowing function, oral motor skill, and the communication and behavior components of feeding.
OTs (Occupational Therapists) address sensory components of feeding, utensil use, positioning, and self-feeding skills and regulation/behavior.
For children with complex feeding challenges, a collaborative SLP-OT approach — which is exactly what Communication Cottage Therapy offers — produces the most comprehensive outcomes.
Conditions We Address
- Dysphagia (swallowing disorders)
- Oral motor weakness or dysfunction
- Sensory-based feeding aversions (texture, temperature, smell)
- ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
- Extreme picky eating / food selectivity
- Feeding tube dependence or weaning from tube feeding
- Failure to thrive / poor weight gain
- Reflux-related feeding difficulties
- Premature infant feeding challenges
- Infant feeding/lactation support
Our Feeding Therapy Approach
We use evidence-based, child-responsive feeding therapy approaches that respect the child’s pace and reduce mealtime pressure. Our therapists are trained in approaches such as the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) approach and other responsive feeding models that build positive associations with food and eating over time.
At Communication Cottage Therapy, we offer family-centered feeding therapy in the home, daycare, and clinic settings because each environment plays an important role in a child’s progress. Home-based sessions allow therapists to learn about your family’s natural mealtime routines and provide support within everyday life. Daycare sessions help children practice feeding skills during typical peer mealtimes and routines, while clinic sessions offer a structured environment for individualized support and skill development.
Parent and Caregiver Coaching
In feeding therapy, what happens at the dinner table every day matters as much as — maybe more than — what happens in a therapy session. We invest significant time in coaching families on:
- Creating a low-pressure mealtime environment
- How to present new foods in a way that builds tolerance gradually
- Identifying and responding to hunger and satiety cues
- Positioning and adaptive equipment for safer or easier feeding
- When to be concerned about a swallowing issue vs. a behavioral feeding pattern
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my child needs feeding therapy?
A child may benefit from pediatric feeding therapy if they have difficulty chewing, swallowing, transitioning to solids, tolerating different textures, or eating a variety of foods. Other signs can include extreme picky eating, gagging during meals, food refusal, prolonged bottle use, stressful mealtimes, or difficulty participating in family meals. At Communication Cottage Therapy, our feeding therapists provide individualized evaluations and therapy services to support children with feeding difficulties across home, daycare, and clinic settings in South Carolina.
What is the difference between picky eating and a feeding disorder?
Many children go through phases of picky eating, but a pediatric feeding disorder may involve more significant challenges that impact nutrition, growth, skill development, or family mealtimes. Children with feeding disorders may eat an extremely limited variety of foods, avoid entire textures, gag frequently, struggle with chewing skills, or experience high levels of stress around meals. A feeding evaluation can help determine whether your child’s feeding difficulties are developmentally appropriate or whether additional support may be beneficial.
What happens during feeding therapy?
Feeding therapy is designed to help children build safe, functional, and positive feeding skills through individualized, play-based intervention. Therapy may target oral motor skills, sensory processing, self-feeding abilities, mealtime routines, food exploration, and caregiver education. At Communication Cottage Therapy, feeding therapy can take place in the clinic, home, or daycare setting depending on your child’s needs, allowing therapists to support feeding skills across real-life environments and routines.
Support Your Child's Mealtime Success
Feeding therapy can transform mealtimes for your family. Contact Communication Cottage Therapy to discuss your child’s feeding challenges and how we can help.