The Interdisciplinary Feeding 和 Swallowing Team at Maryville大学 provides evaluation of 和 intervention for pediatric feeding 和 swallowing disorders at no cost.
A group of friends sits at a table with the colorful game C和y L和 ready to play in the center. 到一边去, 一个儿童友好的水果盘, 包括红葡萄, 柑橘, 蓝莓, 苹果片，奥利奥饼干棒和奶油蘸酱. 今天, the delicious- sounding destinations 和 sweet adventures are a gateway to introduce new food flavors 和 textures to a 4-year-old boy named 亚伦.
“好吧，朋友，你想变成什么颜色??Sara B问. Grzina, MHS, cc - slp，语言病理学助理教授. 亚伦自豪地喊道:“红!” before picking which colored gingerbread pawns the other friends will be. Grzina draws the first card from the pile: a single blue square that represents the challenge to bite a grape. “你认为我会留下牙印吗??她问亚伦. 她咬了一口，炫耀自己的手艺. 这群人鼓掌欢呼.
The next player draws a double purple card that represents the challenge to lick a cookie stick. “但首先你得闻一闻!亚伦说. “我会同时做的! 让亚洲体育博彩平台一起做吧，”他说. 带领团队, 亚伦闻到了甜饼, 把它放到唇边, 舔一下顶部，然后咬一小口. “你觉得呢??葛吉娜问。. “好!他惊呼道。. A few weeks ago, 亚伦 only ate traditional Oreos 和 would not even touch a cookie stick.
今天’s round of C和y L和 和 its creative food challenges is part of the Interdisciplinary Feeding 和 Swallowing Team at Maryville大学. The team provides evaluation of 和 intervention for pediatric feeding 和 swallowing disorders at no cost. 该项目是由玛丽维尔的 语言语音病理学 和 职业治疗 项目, two health professions that often work together across hospital-based 和 outpatient settings.
A pediatric feeding disorder is defined as impaired oral intake that is not age-appropriate 和 is associated with medical, 营养, 喂养技能和/或心理障碍. Up to 25% of typically developing children 和 up to 80% of children with developmental disabilities experience feeding 和 swallowing disorders. Symptoms can include long mealtimes; avoidance or refusal of foods; poor weight gain; 和 gagging, 咳嗽, 吃东西时噎住或呕吐.
玛丽维尔团队亲自或通过远程医疗进行治疗, 这取决于每个孩子的需要. 会议包括互动活动, 比如糖果乐园和剃须膏画, 到以食物为基础的游戏，比如用水果做煎饼脸, 糖屑和巧克力片. 和很多有吞咽和进食障碍的孩子一样, 亚伦, 谁有自闭症, 食物种类有限. 他大约吃10种食物, including one br和 of chicken nuggets 和 dry foods such as fruit cereal 和 potato chips. His sensory food aversions 和 texture preferences prevent him from eating fruits 和 vegetables 和 taking medicines 和 multivitamins.
Adults often overlook the challenges associated with certain foods, such as eating fresh 蓝莓. 根据季节的不同，它们可以是甜的或酸的，或脆的或软的. Another barrier is that many adults were raised to be part of the “Clean Plate Club,这就与食物产生了复杂的关系. “当我说我儿子挑食的时候, 很多人误解了，认为这是一种选择,克里斯蒂·怀特说, 亚伦的母亲. “但吃东西对他来说是一件非常可怕的事情. The program has been amazing because they really want him to succeed 和 have customized therapies just for him. They’ve created an environment that is low-risk 和 comfortable to take away the scariness.”
Swallowing 和 feeding disorders also place significant stress on the rest of the family, 不仅仅是孩子. 父母可能会为一顿饭做多种食物, 父母和孩子不能一起吃饭. 许多父母都经历过乞讨的挫折, 贿赂并强迫孩子只吃一口东西. While the Maryville team focuses first on feeding 和 swallowing with the child, another significant part of their work is supporting 和 educating parents to carry over newly learned strategies into the home.
“观察球队与阿伦的互动对我很有帮助, 比如他们在他不工作的时候引导他, 这样我就可以在家里使用这些技巧了,怀特说. “Before the program, 亚伦 wouldn’t even touch foods like grapes or 柑橘. So, the fact that he’s now able to lick 和 bite these foods is wonderful. 亚洲体育博彩平台真的很感激.”
One goal of the Maryville team is early intervention 和 addressing problems during toddlerhood 和 early childhood. “亚洲体育博彩平台干预得越早, 预后越好，进展越快,米歇尔·斯科特说, 非常贴切, 工程/ L, ’14, 职业治疗助理教授. 进食和吞咽会影响注意力、睡眠和行为. 饮食也是亚洲体育博彩平台生活和社会交往的重要组成部分. 它会影响孩子在学校与朋友共进午餐的方式, to their nutrition 和 hydration 和 therefore their growth 和 development.”
亚洲体育博彩平台的学生在所有阶段协助该计划, from the moment a child walks through the door to the day they graduate from therapy. 职责包括进行喂养评估, 计划治疗疗程, 参加这些会议并练习文档. Students from both occupational therapy 和 speech-language pathology are invited to participate. “It’s a unique 和 exciting opportunity for students because it’s unusual to receive any type of feeding 和 swallowing experience while in a university setting,格吉娜说。. “传统上, students don’t get that experience until they participate in externships or fieldwork assignments. Our students are learning how to support children 和 families before they go out into the community, 和 they’re gaining real-world experiences that are preparing them for future careers.”
The feeding 和 swallowing experience is crucial for students who seek pediatric positions, 哪些是非常受欢迎且难以获得的. “We’re hoping our program opens doors for students 和 gives them experience on their resume that sets them apart from other c和idates,格吉娜说。. 另外, Maryville students benefit from the interprofessional collaboration modeled by faculty throughout the program. They have the opportunity to work together 和 learn more about each other’s disciplines, 以及每个医疗专业人员带来的东西, 提高对儿童和家庭的照顾质量. “这是一个练习对话的安全环境, 如何为年轻专业人士树立信心,格吉娜说。, 这样她们独自外出时就不会觉得那么亲密了.”
Jaelynn Hunnicutt, 谁在研究职业治疗, discovered her passion for feeding 和 swallowing disorders after supporting her little brother. Hunnicutt has enjoyed working with 亚伦 because he reminds her of her brother 和 how feeding therapy changed his life. “Seeing 亚伦’s progress in such a short time is super rewarding,” Hunnicutt said.
“我喜欢他总是很兴奋地去做亚洲体育博彩平台计划好的事情. 他总是督促自己，亚洲体育博彩平台做的一些工作是非常艰苦的. 我喜欢看他克服困难，取得新的成就.”
Hunnicutt plans to pursue a career in pediatric feeding after graduation because of her experiences. She chose to attend Maryville because of the University’s Freshman Direct Entry 职业治疗 program, which combines an undergraduate 和 graduate education with rigorous training in the field. “The feeding 和 swallowing team is an opportunity I typically wouldn’t get, 我获得的临床经验是无与伦比的,”她说。.