The Feeding Trust
We’re a collective of expert professionals who have come together to create an award-winning feeding therapy service. At our feeding clinic we have a well-rounded team of Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Dietitians and Clinical Psychologists who offer full assessments and the right treatments, all in one place, for children and young people who have significant feeding difficulties.
What we do
We make mealtimes, good times. We offer responsive feeding therapy that aims to spark your child’s curiosity and motivation, while building the skills and confidence to eat.
How we do it
At our feeding clinic we use the SOS approach to feeding programme – a globally recognised approach for assessing and treating children and young people with feeding difficulties. What makes us unique is the integrated approach our team is able to offer - practitioners from different specialities, all in one place.
Why we do it
We are motivated by the real difference we make to the everyday lives of children, young people and their families with feeding difficulties.
More about The Feeding Trust
Our Feeding Clinic offers a service for a wide range of Paediatric Feeding Disorders including;
Difficulties associated with reflux and other gut problems
Sensory based feeding difficulties
Food fear and refusal
Tube weaning and feeding difficulties associated with neuro-developmental disability such as Autism, Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy
The Feeding Trust is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company set up by experts in the field of Paediatric Feeding Disorders (PFD) to provide a specialist service for children and young people through education, direct therapy, training and support.
Feeding difficulties are present in around 25% of typically developing children, rising to around 80% in children with developmental difficulties such as autism. There are a number of myths around feeding, such as it is an easy and instinctive process that will naturally occur when a child is hungry. In fact, feeding is a multistep process and a skill that has to be acquired and learnt.
Helping children to develop independence, developmentally appropriate feeding skills and enjoyment of mealtimes, requires the careful integration of skills taught by multiple disciplines.
Our feeding therapists are specialists from the field of speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, nutrition and dietetics and psychology.
When professionals are not set up to directly work together around feeding problems, diagnosis can fail to recognise the full impact of all the practical, psychological and social difficulties being faced by these children and families.” For these children and their families, mealtimes can be a stressful and frightening experience.
Treating children and young people who have PFD is complex and requires an inter-disciplinary approach where feeding therapists combine their clinical knowledge and experience to create and deliver integrated therapy programs to achieve functional outcomes and improve quality of life. Effective treatment for PFD requires a co-ordinated approach that acknowledges and addresses all domains which impact on children and young people’s ability to eat and drink.
“Paediatric Feeding Disorders (PFD) are defined as ‘impaired oral intake that is not age-appropriate, and is associated with medical, nutritional, feeding skill, and/or psychosocial dysfunction.”
What support do you need?
We’ve created a handy flow chart to help you find out what kind of support you need and how we can help.
Click on the button below to find out more, and get in touch when you’re ready to start your journey with us.
