Feeding and Swallowing resources

Preserving Choice, Dignity, and Connection

August 31, 2026 by Kimi Mitchell.
This resource supports choice, dignity, and meaningful participation for children with tracheostomies and ventilators by highlighting concrete ways to preserve communication, connection, play, identity, and autonomy during medical care. Designed to be shared with families, caregivers, and interdisciplinary team members, it serves as a practical reminder to see the child beyond their medical equipment and incorporate their preferences into everyday interactions.
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My Swallow Study

August 31, 2026 by Kimi Mitchell.
Prepare children and families for a modified barium swallow study with this visual social story. Using simple language and step-by-step illustrations, this handout helps reduce uncertainty, support participation, and introduce what to expect before, during, and after the assessment.
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Helping Kids Understand Their Body Cues Around Food

June 30, 2026 by Megan Berg.
This two-page resource provides a visual and language-based tool to help kids understand and communicate body cues like hunger and fullness during mealtimes. It supports the development of interoceptive awareness while guiding adults to respond in ways that respect the child’s cues and build trust in their own body.
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Beyond Taking the Bite: Why Autonomy is the Goal of Feeding Therapy

May 31, 2026 by Kimi Mitchell.
This resource provides therapists with a research-backed framework to help families shift from compliance-based feeding to a model centered on interoception and body autonomy. By bridging the gap between clinical theory and practical kitchen table boundaries, it empowers parents to trade the mealtime power struggle for a relationship built on trust and sensory safety.
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Flip the Script: From Feeding Pressure to Observation

May 31, 2026 by Kimi Mitchell.
This resource provides therapists with a practical bridge between clinical autonomy theory and the high-pressure reality of the family dinner table. By offering declarative language swaps, it empowers parents to move from being food salespeople to neutral sensory observers, effectively lowering a child’s nervous system defenses.
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Exploring Food Aversion Through Play

May 31, 2026 by Kimi Mitchell.
This resource provides therapists with a playful, sensory-based framework for desensitizing food aversions without the pressure of oral intake. It allows clinicians to guide families through low-stakes interaction and tactile exploration that honors a child’s boundaries.
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Reframing Progress with Feeding

April 30, 2026 by Kimi Mitchell.
Help families recognize meaningful feeding progress beyond bites and food counts. This handout helps therapists shift the conversation toward reduced stress, increased tolerance, and growing curiosity around food.
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PICU Environmental Mapping

March 31, 2026 by Kimi Mitchell.
This family-facing handout helps parents identify small, realistic environmental adjustments in the PICU that can reduce sensory overload and support regulation during long hospital stays.
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The Suck–Swallow–Breathe Brainstem Reflex

March 31, 2026 by Kimi Mitchell.
This handout helps therapists clearly explain how the suck–swallow–breathe reflex is controlled by the brainstem and why feeding coordination can be disrupted. It gives clinicians a simple, visual way to normalize feeding challenges and support calm, informed conversations with families.
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Basic Anatomy: The Infant vs. Adult Airway

March 31, 2026 by Kimi Mitchell.
This handout helps therapists clearly explain the structural differences between the infant and adult airway in a way families can understand. Use it during feeding or swallowing discussions to connect anatomy to real-world function and support collaborative, informed decision-making.
This content is only available to members.