Pediatric Dietitian/Nutrition Services

The primary goal of pediatric nutrition is to provide adequate nutrient intake to support age-appropriate growth and weight gain. Pediatric feeding disorders such as food selectivity, food exclusions, and feeding refusal often result in suboptimal nutrition intake which may lead to nutrient deficiencies and poor growth. In addition, poor nutritional intake can affect appetite, behavior, digestion, and absorption. At Sensory Solutions, dietetic/nutritional assessment and intervention is an integral component of the comprehensive team management of childhood feeding disorders. This initial assessment begins with a collaborative approach through Sensory Solutions’ Feeding Team. The team is comprised of our experienced dietitian, occupational therapist, and speech-language pathologist. Our dietitian assesses the child’s growth, feeding abilities, and analyzes any nutritional deficiencies based on the in-depth information provided by the parent(s)/guardian(s). If nutritional deficiencies are found, our dietitian will provide a comprehensive list of nutritional support for recovery and the dietitian will follow-up with the family on a regular basis to ensure the child’s nutritional status is improving. This may involve one or more of the following strategies: ongoing growth monitoring, nutrition education on age-appropriate diets, dietetic modifications, and behavioral feeding strategies. Dietetic follow-up is a very important part of our team intervention approach.