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Feeding Therapy

Feeding Therapy

Helping children build confidence with eating, drinking and mealtimes.

Is your child a fussy eater, refusing foods, gagging on certain textures, or struggling to move beyond a limited range of foods? Feeding difficulties are common — but they can be stressful and overwhelming for families.

We provide personalised Feeding Therapy for babies, toddlers and young children across the Central Coast, helping them eat safely, explore new foods and enjoy positive mealtimes.

A toddler refusing a new food during a feeding therapy session
About

What is Feeding Therapy?

Feeding Therapy supports children who have difficulty eating, drinking, chewing, swallowing or accepting a variety of foods and textures. While many children go through a stage of being selective, some feeding challenges are more complex and may not improve without support.

These difficulties may relate to oral motor skill development, sensory sensitivities, developmental delays, low oral muscle tone, feeding anxiety, oral function difficulties, tongue or lip ties, mouth breathing, a high arched palate or orofacial myofunctional disorders.

Our goal is not simply to get children to eat more food. We help children feel safe, confident and successful during mealtimes while building lifelong feeding skills.

When to seek support

Signs Your Child May Benefit

Every child is different, but some signs may indicate that feeding support would be beneficial.

Eating & drinking

Refuses solids or eats a very limited range
Avoids entire food groups
Gags on certain textures
Struggles with chewing or swallowing
Coughs or chokes during meals
Pockets food or frequently spits it out

Mealtime challenges

Mealtimes are stressful or lengthy
Becomes upset when new foods are offered
Refuses to sit at the table
Experiences anxiety around eating
Strong reactions to smells, textures or appearance of food

Oral motor & development

Drools excessively
Has low oral muscle tone
Experiences mouth breathing
Has a tongue tie or lip tie
Struggles to move food around the mouth
Has delayed oral motor development

Growth & nutrition

Poor weight gain
Restricted food variety
Concerns about nutrition
Difficulty progressing through feeding milestones

If you’re concerned about your child’s eating, an assessment can help identify the underlying factors.

Our approach

Our Feeding Therapy Approach

Play-based and engaging
Family-centred
Neuroaffirming
Evidence-informed
Individualised to each child’s needs

We focus on building trust and confidence around food while supporting the skills needed for successful eating and drinking.

What to expect

What Happens During Feeding Therapy?

1

Initial Feeding Assessment

A comprehensive first step where we:

Discuss your concerns and goals
Review feeding history, diet and growth
Observe eating and drinking skills
Assess oral motor, chewing and swallowing
Explore sensory factors impacting feeding
Develop a personalised feeding plan
2

Therapy Sessions

Tailored to your child and may include:

Gentle exposure to new foods
Food Chaining techniques
Oral motor skill development
Chewing and swallowing support
Sensory exploration activities
Mealtime routines and parent coaching
3

The Food Chaining Approach

We frequently use the evidence-based Food Chaining approach — expanding the foods a child eats by building on foods they already enjoy, gradually introducing similar flavours, textures and appearances in a way that feels safe and achievable. Particularly helpful for highly restricted diets.

Related support

Supporting the Whole Child

Feeding challenges often overlap with communication, sensory processing, oral function and developmental needs. Depending on your child’s needs, we may also recommend:

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

Helping children who present with mouth breathing, tongue and lip ties, drooling, tongue thrust, lisps and oral muscle weakness.

Speech & Language Therapy

Helping children understand language, use words, combine sentences and communicate more confidently.

Early Intervention Speech Therapy

Supporting babies, toddlers and preschool children during the most important years of development.

Parent Training & Education

Practical coaching to help parents support communication, feeding, emotional regulation and development at home.

Autism & Neurodiversity Support

Neuroaffirming support focused on communication, connection, play, regulation and participation.

Global Developmental Delay Support

Supporting children with delays across multiple areas — communication, play, feeding, social interaction and early learning.

Who it helps

Who Can Benefit from Feeding Therapy?

Children late to start solids
Difficulty progressing beyond purees
Refuse foods or entire food groups
Eat fewer than 15–20 foods
Sensory sensitivities to food
Tongue ties or lip ties
Oral motor difficulties
Developmental delays
Autism or sensory processing differences
Highly selective eaters
Stressful mealtimes affecting family life
Why RTC

Why Families Choose RTC Speech Pathology

Individualised feeding plans
Family-centred support
Evidence-based feeding strategies
Extensive training in feeding and oral motor development
Neuroaffirming and strengths-based care
Practical home strategies that fit family life
Where we work

Areas We Support Across the Central Coast

Tumbi Umbi · Erina · Gosford · Terrigal · Tuggerah
Woy Woy · Wyong · Berkeley Vale · Killarney Vale · and surrounding communities

Telehealth appointments may also be available for families across NSW where appropriate.

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Many children go through a period of selective eating. However, if your child eats a very limited range of foods, refuses entire food groups, experiences distress around meals or is not improving over time, professional support may be beneficial.

We support babies, toddlers and children up to approximately 8 years of age with feeding and oral motor challenges.

Yes. Feeding Therapy may be recommended before and after tongue tie or lip tie release to support oral motor development, feeding skills and oral function.

Yes. Mouth breathing can impact oral motor development, chewing, swallowing and feeding. In some cases, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy may also be recommended.

Absolutely. Parent involvement is essential, and we provide practical strategies for everyday mealtimes and routines.

Get started

Concerned About Your Child’s Eating?

You don’t have to manage feeding challenges alone. Whether your child is refusing foods, struggling with textures, or making mealtimes stressful for the whole family, we’re here to help.