Looking Ahead Pediatric Physical Therapy, PLLC specializes in the care of infants and young children with oral motor functioning deficits, oral restrictions/tethered oral tissues, difficulty with bottle feeding/breastfeeding, skills required for transition to solids and cup drinking, as well as refusal/aversion. Our individualized approach emphasizes caregiver involvement and collaboration with all health care professionals in order to meet your infant or child's goals. Each infant/child will undergo a comprehensive initial evaluation with our expert pediatric speech-language pathologist. Based on the results of the evaluation, an individualized treatment plan will be recommended.
Parents and caregivers will be provided with a customized, ongoing, therapeutic home program that should be incorporated into your infant or child's daily routine as best as possible. The greatest improvements are seen in infants and children with early identification and caregivers who are most compliant with their daily home program while attending speech/feeding therapy treatment sessions.
Typical treatment sessions can include the following depending on your infant or child's needs:
- Stretches engaging the facial features and oral mechanism.
- Completion of exercises relating to oral motor functioning and reflexes
- Feeding trials at breast/bottle and/or with solid progression to target strength and coordination of suck, swallow, and mastication
- Non-nutritive trials
- Play-based exploration trials and activities to reduce food sensitivity or aversion
- Use of therapeutic tools/techniques to elicit developmentally appropriate skills
- Follow up re: previous week's progress, home care recommended, and carryover
- Ongoing parent and caregiver education
- Recommendations for consultation with other pediatric specialists to discuss needs relating to nutrition, GI difficulties, restrictions, etc. when appropriate/warranted
