Feeding is a primary occupation of children that is necessary for their growth and development. Parents often seek the assistance of health professionals due to poor weight gain and feeding concerns. Occupational therapy addresses feeding, swallowing and eating difficulties within its scope of practice to improve a child’s occupational performance in activities of daily living and participation within daily family routines. Family-centered practice is necessary to address feeding difficulties within the family’s unique social-cultural context and natural environment. Parental involvement in ongoing assessment, goal setting, and feeding interventions builds self-efficacy in families while addressing specific feeding challenges. Without this intervention, caregiver stress due to unresolved feeding difficulties may lead to coercive feeding practices and negative mealtime behaviors. Although many therapists work directly with children on eating and feeding skills, it is imperative to communicate knowledge of evidence-based strategies for caregivers to make informed decisions and to integrate chosen strategies into the daily routine. Feeding intervention that supports family relationships builds positive social emotional development in children, reduces caregiver stress, and enhances the child’s daily participation in positive feeding experiences at home. Current pediatric feeding courses for practitioners focus on the developmental, physical, behavioral, and sensory components of feeding yet minimize the social-emotional aspect. This gap in knowledge impacts professional practice and affects child and family outcomes. This education workshop supports the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Centennial Vision by addressing the need for evidence-based education to empower practitioners to meet the occupational needs of children and their families in the area of feeding.
