What is feeding therapy?

It is a type of pediatric therapy that helps children who have difficulty eating comfortably. Feeding therapists try to understand why the issue occurs, whether the reason is medical, behavioral, or sensory. They address swallowing disorders, oral motor delays, picky eating, and more through structured and individualized therapy plans. Feeding therapy is usually provided by a pediatric feeding therapist at a pediatric feeding clinic.

When should a child start feeding therapy?

Feeding challenges can show up from infancy, so the sooner you seek help, the better. Early signs include latching issues, frequent gagging, difficulty gaining weight, or discomfort with certain food textures. As for older children, it is best to seek help when picky eating results in a nutritional deficit and adds to family stress. Seeking help early is always the best way to avoid conditions from becoming worse.

What types of Feeding Therapy does Westside have?

We offer 3 types of feeding therapy: (1) Picky Eating, (2) Medically-Based, (3) Pre and Post Frenectomy Care. The first type of feeding therapy is for picky eaters. This therapy is conducted by specially trained Speech or Occupational therapists in diverse philosophies of feeding therapy. The goal of this therapy is to reduce mealtime aversions and increase overall food repertoire for proper nutritional intake. The second type of feeding therapy is for children with medically-based feeding conditions. Feeding therapy for this area focuses on increasing safe oral intake, reducing aspiration risk, increasing weight gain and food tolerance, increasing motor skills, and aiding in acquiring age-appropriate feeding milestones in infancy through 18 years of age. The third type is a specifically designed program that encompasses pre and post-care and exercises for tethered oral tissue releases or revisions. This program includes evaluation, pre and post operative care/training for releases or revisions of tongue ties, lip ties, and any other tethered oral tissues.

What warrants my "picky eater" needing feeding therapy?

“Picky eaters” need feeding therapy when they are eating less than 30 different foods, are having extreme difficulties when new or non-preferred foods are presented, or when feeding your kiddo has become an extreme stressor for your family.

Which insurances do you accept?

We work with a wide variety of insurance companies and HMO networks. We are always expanding our network–click here to view the list of our currently accepted insurances. While cost varies by insurance plan, number of therapy hours, and other factors, we still inform you on what you’ll expect to pay after your child’s evaluation.

Why is Westside considered the best feeding therapy provider?

If mealtimes in your house feel like a battle, you're not alone — and you're not doing anything wrong. Feeding challenges are more common than most people realize, and they're almost never just about being "picky." There's usually something deeper going on: a sensory sensitivity, an oral motor difficulty, or anxiety around food that's built up over time. At Westside, we approach feeding without pressure and without judgment — for your child or for you. Using evidence-based frameworks like the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) approach, our team looks at the whole picture, bringing together speech therapists, occupational therapists, and behavior specialists to understand exactly what's getting in the way. That level of integrated care is rare, and it makes a real difference. Families come to us exhausted and discouraged, and they leave with a plan that actually works — and mealtimes that feel a little more like mealtimes again.

How long will my child be in therapy?

Graduating kids from pediatric feeding therapy is our goal. It means that we did our job and that the child’s concerns have been addressed. We do everything we can to achieve progress as quickly as possible. When it is agreed that the concerns have been fully addressed, it is time to graduate AND celebrate!

What is Westside's snack fee?

Our snack fee is a way for us to purchase, prepare, and provide all the foods needed for our picky eaters during feeding therapy sessions. The cost is $150.00 every 12 weeks and is an alternative to bringing in your own food for therapy.

Which age ranges do you treat?

At Westside, we generally treat children from birth to 18 years old. Our therapists are trained to work with infants, kids, and teens.

Feeding Therapy for Children in Illinois - Westside Children’s Therapy

Some children experience challenges with eating, whether it’s difficulty swallowing, sensitivity to certain textures, or underlying medical concerns that make mealtimes stressful. Feeding therapy helps identify the root of these difficulties and provides tailored support for your child.

At Westside, we create individualized treatment plans to guide children and families through each step of the feeding journey, making mealtimes feel more comfortable, manageable, and positive over time.

Supporting Infants and Kids in Overcoming Feeding Challenges

Westside utilizes a multi-disciplinary program for assessing and treating children with feeding difficulties.

Our treatment interventions integrate posture, sensory, motor, behavioral/learning, oral motor, medical, and nutritional factors to evaluate and manage children with feeding/growth concerns. Parent education and participation are an integral part of our therapy.

VitalStim, also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), is used to treat dysphagia/swallowing disorders. This is a non-invasive, external electrical stimulation therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation involves the administration of small electrodes to the throat. The speech language pathologist begins traditional oral motor, feeding, and swallowing exercises with the patient. The patient exercises the swallowing muscles for periods of up to one hour while receiving concurrent VitalStim therapy.

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Our Pediatric Feeding Therapy Services

At Westside, we understand how challenging feeding difficulties can be for both children and families. That’s why we offer three specialized therapy programs, each designed to support different feeding needs and goals. Our team works closely with you to determine the best fit for your child and guide you through the process with clarity and care.

Picky Eating Therapy

Some children eat a very limited range of foods—often fewer than 30—because trying something new feels overwhelming. Mealtimes can become stressful, with resistance, anxiety, or frequent meltdowns when unfamiliar foods are introduced. Our picky eater therapy is designed to reduce that stress and gently expand the variety of foods your child feels comfortable with. Using a structured, evidence-based approach, our therapists help children build curiosity, confidence, and a more positive relationship with food over time.

Medically-Based Feeding Therapy

For many children, certain underlying medical conditions make it difficult to consume specific foods. Our experts analyze their conditions, understand oral-motor delays, and design a medically-based program to address swallowing difficulties, weight gain challenges, or intolerance to certain textures. We help kids from infancy to age 18. We integrate posture, motor, and sensory factors to drive meaningful, lasting change.

Pre and Post Frenectomy Care

When a child has conditions like tongue-tie or lip-tie, eating becomes significantly more difficult. Our frenectomy care evaluates the situation and provides training before and after the tethered tissue releases. With steady support and evidence-backed strategies, the muscles are trained to transition smoothly after the procedure and to recover without any complications.

Benefits of Pediatric Feeding Therapy for Children

Addressing feeding challenges can make a meaningful difference in a child’s daily life. When eating is difficult, it can impact growth and sleep and create anxiety around mealtimes. For older children, it can also affect their ability to participate in social moments, like sharing meals and connecting with peers.

Feeding difficulties often extend beyond the child, making mealtimes stressful and frustrating for the whole family. Over time, this can take a toll on both the body and the mind.

Pediatric feeding therapy helps address these challenges early, supporting healthier eating habits and overall development. With the right support, children can feel more comfortable with food, and families can experience calmer, more positive mealtimes.

What Feeding Therapy at Westside Looks Like

Evaluation

Feeding therapy for children begins with an evaluation from a clinician. This evaluation informs you of the recommended frequency of appointments and the areas of concern that therapy will address.

Sessions

Feeding Therapy sessions are 1-on-1 and take place in our clinics. Our clinics are designed to be kid-friendly, and our feeding rooms are designed to replicate common eating spaces that the child would encounter across all feeding environments.

Achieving Outcomes

Our pediatric feeding therapists are overseen by Directors who are highly respected, veteran therapists. Their job is to mentor therapists and ensure every child is achieving life-changing results.

Why Choose Westside’s Pediatric Feeding Therapists

Many families come to us feeling concerned about their child’s eating habits or growth. Our licensed therapists take the time to listen, understand what’s behind these challenges, and create a plan that supports real, lasting progress. We combine evidence-based care with a compassionate, family-centered approach.

Experienced Pediatric Feeding Specialists: Our team brings years of experience supporting children with a wide range of feeding challenges, from medical to behavioral. This depth of experience allows us to create thoughtful, effective treatment plans tailored to each child. When appropriate, we incorporate specialized techniques—such as neuromuscular electrical stimulation—to support swallowing and feeding skills. Families often come to us after searching for answers, and we’re here to provide clear guidance, practical support, and a path forward.
Individualized Therapy Plans: Our therapists recognize that every child’s needs are different, and therapy should reflect that. They take the time to understand each child’s challenges while also considering the family's goals and priorities. From there, they create personalized treatment plans that target specific needs. As therapy progresses, we regularly track outcomes and adjust the approach as needed, ensuring each child continues to make meaningful progress.
Proven Life-Changing Results: At Westside, families see meaningful, lasting changes. Many parents come in complaining about their infant’s latch issues or their toddler eating fewer than five food items. With regular therapy and steady support, they see changes when their kid feels curious to try a new food item or swallows something without much difficulty.
Family-Focused Care: Managing a child’s feeding challenges can feel overwhelming, and you shouldn’t have to figure it out alone. At Westside, our approach is family-centered, with parents actively involved every step of the way. We keep you informed, share progress openly, and provide practical strategies you can use at home. Our team is always here to listen, answer questions, and support you through the process, so you feel confident, informed, and supported as your child makes progress.

Help Your Child Thrive with Feeding Therapy

If mealtimes feel stressful, it’s worth having a conversation about it. Getting started with feeding therapy for kids at Westside is easy: reach out through our inquiry form or call us, and our patient coordinator will talk through what is going on with your child and help you figure out the right next step. There is no pressure and no commitment from that first call.

Whether your child is an infant with early feeding difficulties or a school-age kid with a very limited diet, we have worked with families like yours, and we know how to help.

Find a Feeding Therapy Clinic Near You

Locations

FAQs

What is feeding therapy?

It is a type of pediatric therapy that helps children who have difficulty eating comfortably. Feeding therapists try to understand why the issue occurs, whether the reason is medical, behavioral, or sensory. They address swallowing disorders, oral motor delays, picky eating, and more through structured and individualized therapy plans. Feeding therapy is usually provided by a pediatric feeding therapist at a pediatric feeding clinic.
When should a child start feeding therapy?

Feeding challenges can show up from infancy, so the sooner you seek help, the better. Early signs include latching issues, frequent gagging, difficulty gaining weight, or discomfort with certain food textures. As for older children, it is best to seek help when picky eating results in a nutritional deficit and adds to family stress. Seeking help early is always the best way to avoid conditions from becoming worse.
What types of Feeding Therapy does Westside have?

We offer 3 types of feeding therapy: (1) Picky Eating, (2) Medically-Based, (3) Pre and Post Frenectomy Care.

The first type of feeding therapy is for picky eaters. This therapy is conducted by specially trained Speech or Occupational therapists in diverse philosophies of feeding therapy. The goal of this therapy is to reduce mealtime aversions and increase overall food repertoire for proper nutritional intake.

The second type of feeding therapy is for children with medically-based feeding conditions. Feeding therapy for this area focuses on increasing safe oral intake, reducing aspiration risk, increasing weight gain and food tolerance, increasing motor skills, and aiding in acquiring age-appropriate feeding milestones in infancy through 18 years of age.

The third type is a specifically designed program that encompasses pre and post-care and exercises for tethered oral tissue releases or revisions. This program includes evaluation, pre and post operative care/training for releases or revisions of tongue ties, lip ties, and any other tethered oral tissues.
What warrants my "picky eater" needing feeding therapy?

“Picky eaters” need feeding therapy when they are eating less than 30 different foods, are having extreme difficulties when new or non-preferred foods are presented, or when feeding your kiddo has become an extreme stressor for your family.
Which insurances do you accept?

We work with a wide variety of insurance companies and HMO networks. We are always expanding our network – click here to view the list of our currently accepted insurances.

While cost varies by insurance plan, number of therapy hours, and other factors, we still inform you on what you’ll expect to pay after your child’s evaluation.
Why is Westside considered the best feeding therapy provider?

If mealtimes in your house feel like a battle, you’re not alone — and you’re not doing anything wrong. Feeding challenges are more common than most people realize, and they’re almost never just about being “picky.” There’s usually something deeper going on: a sensory sensitivity, an oral motor difficulty, or anxiety around food that’s built up over time.

At Westside, we approach feeding without pressure and without judgment — for your child or for you. Using evidence-based frameworks like the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) approach, our team looks at the whole picture, bringing together speech therapists, occupational therapists, and behavior specialists to understand exactly what’s getting in the way. That level of integrated care is rare, and it makes a real difference. Families come to us exhausted and discouraged, and they leave with a plan that actually works — and mealtimes that feel a little more like mealtimes again.
How long will my child be in therapy?

Graduating kids from pediatric feeding therapy is our goal. It means that we did our job and that the child’s concerns have been addressed. We do everything we can to achieve progress as quickly as possible. When it is agreed that the concerns have been fully addressed, it is time to graduate AND celebrate!
What is Westside's snack fee?

Our snack fee is a way for us to purchase, prepare, and provide all the foods needed for our picky eaters during feeding therapy sessions.

The cost is $150.00 every 12 weeks and is an alternative to bringing in your own food for therapy.
Which age ranges do you treat?

At Westside, we generally treat children from birth to 18 years old. Our therapists are trained to work with infants, kids, and teens.

Getting Started

If you are interested, submit an inquiry below. Our Patient Coordinator will call to help you determine a plan forward. If you are still unsure, you can call us anytime at (815) 469-1500 for more information.