Feeding & Nutrition with Beyond Speech

At Beyond Speech, we know the importance good nutrition plays in the overall health and well being of our children and the challenges that some families face when it comes to managing picky eaters and other feeding and nutrition issues.

Our goal is to make meal time – from infant through adolescent – a stress-free bonding time for families. We want our clients to feel healthy, energized and ready to have their best days!

Our registered Dieticians work 1:1 with children and families to address a number of feeding and nutrition challenges and concerns.

Feeding & Nutrition services help to manage these and other food and mealtime concerns:

  • Picky eaters
  • Poor eating habits
  • Food aversions
  • Unhealthy weight gain or weight loss
  • Transition from one food form to another

We want to fully support your child and your family as you work through feeding and nutrition struggles. Our dieticians utilize a variety of therapies and techniques to help our kids reach their goals!

Feeding Milestones

These behaviors and milestones are typical for the age range indicated. If you have any concerns regarding your child’s development and/or milestone achievements, reach out to us at Beyond Speech.

At 0-3 Months, children should typically:

  • Latch onto a breast or bottle
  • Move tongue forward and back to suck
  • Suck and swallow easily

At 4-6 Months, children should typically:

  • Show interest in foods
  • Open mouth when offered a spoon
  • Begin to eat cereal and smooth, pureed foods
  • Move pureed food from the front of mouth to the back
  • Develop taste preferences

At 7-9 Months, children should typically:

  • Hold & drink from a bottle while sitting more upright
  • Begin to eat thicker pureed foods
  • Can coordinate mouth movements – sucking, biting and up and down chewing – when introduced to lumpy solid foods
  • Remain fuller longer after eating
  • Have a reaction to new tastes and smells

At 10-12 Months, children should typically:

  • Feed themselves using fingers and finger foods
  • Eat an increasing variety of foods
  • Begin to use an open up and/or drink through a straw
  • May be ready to self feed using age appropriate utensils
  • Enjoy a greater variety of tastes and smells

At 1-2 Years, a child should typically:

  • Enjoy an increased variety of chopped table foods
  • Have improved biting skills
  • Hold a cup with two hands
  • Hold and tip a bottle or cup
  • Scoop food with a spoon and start to stab food with a fork
  • Start to imitate adult eating behavior

At 2-3 Years, a child should typically:

  • Drink and swallow well from a cup
  • Eat a variety of solid foods with various textures
  • Become more independent and adept at self-feeding
  • Show clearer likes and dislikes to foods
  • Chews with a circulatory jaw movement

At Beyond Speech Therapy Specialists, we are committed to the growth and success of all our clients and families!

If you’d like to learn more about our Feeding & Nutrition services, please contact us and we will be in contact with you soon! You can also call us at (779) 435-0724.