Feeding Therapy
at CST Academy
Turning Mealtimes into Moments of Success
Feeding challenges can be stressful for both children and their families. At CST Academy, our pediatric feeding therapy program is designed to help children overcome difficulties with eating—whether it's picky eating, oral motor delays, sensory aversions, or mealtime anxiety. We work with each child to build a positive relationship with food and make mealtimes safer, calmer, and more successful.
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What Is Pediatric Feeding Therapy?
Pediatric feeding therapy supports children who struggle with chewing, swallowing, trying new foods, or maintaining proper nutrition. These challenges may be related to sensory sensitivities, motor skill difficulties, developmental delays, or behavioral patterns around food.
At CST Academy, feeding therapy is customized to each child’s specific needs. We combine clinical expertise with patience, play, and a family-centered approach to help children expand their food variety and gain confidence at the table.
Why Choose CST Academy for Feeding Therapy?
Feeding therapy at CST Academy isn’t just about eating—it’s about supporting the whole child. Our feeding therapists work closely with speech, occupational, and ABA therapists to create a unified care plan that addresses every factor affecting your child’s feeding experience.
We also empower families with practical tools, hands-on coaching, and home strategies—because we know that real progress happens when parents feel supported too.
We also empower families with practical tools, hands-on coaching, and home strategies—because we know that real progress happens when parents feel supported too.
The CST Academy Difference
Choosing the right feeding therapy provider means finding a team that understands the challenges your child faces at the table—and sees the potential for progress with the right support. At CST Academy, we go beyond the plate by creating a calm, playful environment where children feel safe exploring new foods and building confidence with each bite. With experienced therapists, individualized strategies, and strong family collaboration, we help turn mealtimes into moments of success.
Expert Feeding Therapists
Our licensed therapists specialize in pediatric feeding challenges and bring extensive experience working with children who have sensory, oral motor, or behavioral feeding issues.
Family Involvement from Day One
We include parents and caregivers in the process, offering education, coaching, and strategies to carry over therapy progress at home.
Supportive, Non-Stressful Mealtime Environment
Our goal is to reduce anxiety around food. We use a calm, child-led approach to build trust, confidence, and gradual success.
Integrated Therapy Team
Feeding therapy is often most effective when paired with OT, speech, or ABA—services we coordinate in-house for a seamless and consistent experience.
Building Skills That Support Positive Mealtimes
Feeding therapy at CST Academy targets the underlying skills that help children approach eating with more confidence, comfort, and consistency. Whether your child is a selective eater, struggles with oral motor skills, or avoids mealtimes altogether, our therapists focus on real progress in a way that feels safe and manageable for every child.
Oral Motor Skills
Strong, coordinated oral motor movements are essential for safe and effective eating. Our therapists help children develop the muscle control needed to bite, chew, move food around the mouth, and swallow. We also address issues like drooling, pocketing food, or difficulty with cups and utensils.
Sensory Tolerance for Foods
Many children struggle with the textures, smells, or temperatures of certain foods, leading to extreme pickiness or refusal. We gently guide children through sensory-based food exploration, using a step-by-step approach that builds comfort and curiosity without pressure. Over time, this increases tolerance and willingness to try new foods.
Picky Eating & Limited Diet Variety
Children who eat only a small number of foods often need support expanding their diet in a positive and sustainable way. We focus on introducing new foods gradually, while reinforcing exposure through play and practice. Therapy is tailored to each child’s pace to avoid power struggles and reduce anxiety around eating.
Behavioral Mealtime Challenges
Some children show strong resistance at mealtimes—refusing to sit, throwing food, or becoming upset when food is presented. We use structured routines, reinforcement strategies, and family coaching to create consistent expectations and support more cooperative mealtime behavior.
Posture & Positioning
Proper body alignment during meals is critical for safe swallowing and mealtime focus. We assess each child’s posture and collaborate with OT or PT as needed to ensure they are seated in a supportive, functional position. This can improve attention, endurance, and overall feeding success.
Parental Coaching & At-Home Success
We believe feeding progress doesn’t end in the therapy room—it must continue at home. That’s why we work closely with families to provide coaching, meal strategies, and home routines that reinforce success. Parents are active partners in every step of the process.
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A Comprehensive, Collaborative Approach to Feeding Success
At CST Academy, we understand that feeding challenges are rarely isolated—they often involve sensory sensitivities, motor coordination, behavioral patterns, or communication delays. That’s why our approach to feeding therapy is fully integrated. Our therapists work together under one roof to ensure that each child receives the right combination of services, delivered in a seamless and supportive environment. With a team-based model and shared goals, we make mealtimes less stressful and more successful for children and their families.
Here’s how combining feeding therapy with other services leads to better outcomes:
Here’s how combining feeding therapy with other services leads to better outcomes:
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
ABA therapists help children build routines, reduce food refusal behaviors, and increase mealtime participation. When paired with feeding therapy, ABA can support consistent progress by reinforcing positive behaviors around food and reducing anxiety during meals.
Speech Therapy
Speech-language pathologists focus on the oral motor and swallowing skills that are critical for safe eating. By combining feeding therapy with speech services, we support everything from chewing and tongue movement to reducing gagging and improving speech clarity.
Occupational Therapy
OT supports sensory regulation, posture, and fine motor skills needed for independent eating. Occupational therapists work closely with feeding specialists to help children tolerate new textures, hold utensils properly, and remain calm and focused during meals.
Physical Therapy
Proper posture and core stability are essential for safe and efficient feeding. Our PTs collaborate with the feeding team to support children in sitting upright, maintaining balance, and participating more comfortably during seated mealtimes.
Diagnostic Evaluations
Feeding issues are often part of broader developmental challenges. Our psychologists conduct comprehensive evaluations to help identify root causes, guide therapy recommendations, and ensure each child’s feeding plan is informed and holistic.
Therapeutic Preschool
In our Therapeutic Preschool, children have daily opportunities to practice feeding skills in a social, routine-based setting. With therapists present, mealtime becomes another chance to generalize progress while developing independence, flexibility, and peer interaction.
When to Consider Feeding Therapy for Your Child
Feeding difficulties can affect your child’s nutrition, development, and family mealtime experience—but with the right support, real progress is possible. Here are some common signs that may indicate it’s time to seek an evaluation or begin feeding therapy. Every child is different, but early intervention can lead to lasting, positive change.
Extremely Limited Food Variety
If your child only eats a small number of preferred foods and refuses most others, especially across entire food groups, they may be a candidate for feeding therapy.
Gagging, Choking, or Difficulty Swallowing
Frequent gagging, coughing, or signs of discomfort when eating may point to oral motor delays or swallowing challenges that need to be addressed for safe eating.
Avoidance of Specific Textures or Temperatures
Children who refuse foods based on how they feel or smell—like crunchy, mushy, or cold foods—may be experiencing sensory-based feeding issues.
Mealtime Anxiety or Tantrums Around Food
If mealtimes are filled with power struggles, crying, or complete refusal to come to the table, feeding therapy can help reduce stress and create more positive routines.
Weight Concerns or Failure to Thrive
Feeding therapy may be needed if your child is underweight, not gaining weight appropriately, or has nutritional deficiencies related to limited eating.
Difficulty Chewing or Managing Food in the Mouth
Struggling to chew food thoroughly, pocketing food in the cheeks, or having trouble moving food around the mouth are all signs that oral motor skills need support.
History of Feeding Tube or Medical Trauma
Children with a history of tube feeding, reflux, or medical procedures involving the mouth may develop aversions or anxiety that affect their ability to eat.
Trouble Using Cups, Utensils, or Straws
If your child avoids or cannot use age-appropriate feeding tools, therapy can help build those fine motor and coordination skills for greater independence.
Overstuffing Mouth or Refusing to Eat at All
Extreme behaviors during meals—like stuffing too much food at once or consistently refusing to eat—may indicate deeper sensory or motor feeding challenges.
A Place Where Mealtimes
Become Meaningful Moments
Choosing CST Academy for feeding therapy means choosing a place where your child is met with patience, encouragement, and unwavering support. We know that every child has a unique relationship with food, shaped by their experiences, sensitivities, and abilities—and we honor that individuality in everything we do.
While mealtimes may feel overwhelming now, we’re here to make them manageable and empowering. Feeding therapy at CST Academy is about more than trying new foods—it’s about helping your child feel safe, supported, and proud of every small step forward. We work side-by-side with families to build a foundation of trust, progress, and joy—one bite at a time.
While mealtimes may feel overwhelming now, we’re here to make them manageable and empowering. Feeding therapy at CST Academy is about more than trying new foods—it’s about helping your child feel safe, supported, and proud of every small step forward. We work side-by-side with families to build a foundation of trust, progress, and joy—one bite at a time.
What Parents Are Saying About
Feeding Therapy at CST Academy
Our son had extreme sensory issues with food—he would cry at the sight of anything new on his plate. CST Academy’s feeding therapists were so gentle, patient, and creative. Now he’s trying new foods regularly, and mealtimes have become something we actually enjoy together.
– Amanda F.
Our daughter struggled with chewing and swallowing, and we were so worried about her nutrition. The CST Academy team helped us understand what was going on and gave us a clear plan. Their support changed everything—she’s now eating more confidently and gaining weight at a healthy pace.
– Jason K.
Mealtimes used to be filled with stress and battles. CST Academy didn’t just help our child—they helped our whole family. The feeding therapy team taught us how to support our son at home and made huge progress feel possible.
– Danielle S.
Frequently Asked Questions About
Feeding Therapy at CST Academy
Feeding Therapy helps children who struggle with eating due to sensory sensitivities, oral motor delays, limited diets, or mealtime anxiety. At CST Academy, our therapists develop personalized, play-based Feeding Therapy plans to help children feel more confident and successful at the table.