The ability to consume food is one most of us take for granted, but for many infants and children, getting the proper nourishment is far from simple. Children may experience pediatric feeding disorders in one or all of the following domains: medical, nutritional, feeding skills, psychosocial. Marshall University’s Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing clinic provides specialized assessments for infants, children, and adolescents who have difficulty feeding or swallowing, with multidisciplinary evaluations scheduled as needed. Ongoing therapy services are also available for families.
Clinic Objectives
- Foster a positive environment for mealtime
- Improve sucking, chewing, swallowing skills
- Decrease negative behaviors associated with food
- Improve physical, developmental, and nutritional status
- Provide families with real-life support for the implementation of strategies in everyday routines
What can I expect from my first visit to Marshall University’s Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Clinic?
Our team believes that mealtime should be a positive experience. We want to learn about how food is presented in your home and the challenges your family is facing. After we learn more about your experiences, we will observe your child eating.
If a multidisciplinary evaluation is warranted, each evaluation will be tailored to the individual needs of the child and family. A review of the documentation will occur with a team-based interview. Families will spend time with professionals that are most appropriate for the documented concerns and may include a speech-language pathologist/feeding therapist, occupational therapist, dietitian, behavioral psychologist, and physical therapist. Multidisciplinary clinic visits take approximately two hours.
What can I expect after the initial evaluation?
Our team will discuss recommendations with you during the visit. It is the hope for the team that each family will leave the assessment with strategies to immediately begin utilizing on a day-to-day basis. An in-depth report containing a complete assessment of recommendations will follow in approximately 2 to 4 weeks. You are encouraged to share the report and recommendations with other professionals.
Ongoing Services/Therapy
Feeding and swallowing therapy is offered on an outpatient basis and is tailored to the specific needs of each child and family. If you have a team close to home, the recommendations and plan of care can be implemented there. Reevaluations can be scheduled as requested.
In the event you live more than 50 miles from the university, you may qualify for Telepractice services. This involves collaborating with a speech-language pathologist online rather than driving to Marshall University.
In addition to individual, on-site and telehealth, the program offers Feeding-U, a group therapy environment which provides hands-on, language-based food activities to support the psychosocial aspect of food to support peer interaction and positive family mealtimes.
What are the costs associated with the Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Clinic?
For those who have insurance, please verify with your carrier to determine if feeding and swallowing services are covered benefits under your policy and if these services need to be pre-authorized.
For those patients without insurance coverage or whose insurance does not cover feeding and swallowing services, please contact our clinical office manager, Heather Murray, at 304-696-3641 to discuss the Huntington Scottish Rite Scholarship Program.
What additional services are available?
Our clinic provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment of orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs), including concerns related to oral resting posture, tongue thrust, and inefficient chewing or swallowing patterns. We also assess for tethered oral tissues (e.g., tongue tie and lip tie) that may impact feeding, speech, breathing, and oral development. Individualized therapy plans are developed to support optimal oral function and overall wellness.
