Need help please! Anyone whose DC rec'd EI services (or older child) for food or eating issues...

I think we need to take our 5 y/o DS to see someone about an eating issue. We are trying to deal with it ourselves but it is physically and emotionally draining and I think we need help. Can anyone recommend a professional to see? I don't even know what specialty we need. Psychologist? Is there such a thing as an eating specialist? Help please - we are very concerned. TIA.

Re: Need help please! Anyone whose DC rec'd EI services (or older child) for food or eating issues...

What kind of issue is it? Are they having difficulty with the actual chewing and swallowing or is it more sensory related? Either way there is help out there, I would speak to your Ped first. You would need to have an eval and see what your DC qualifies for, it could be a Speech or an OT issue, or both!

Good luck

Re: Need help please! Anyone whose DC rec'd EI services (or older child) for food or eating issues...

Thanks for the reply. He used to be a good eater and recently won't eat - he's hungry but doesn't want to eat. We took him to the ped because he lost three pounds and they're running some blood work just in case, but he recently told us he's afraid of choking and that's why he's not eating. We are trying to help him overcome the fear but it's like he forgot how to eat. So I'm not sure who we need to see - we'll ask the ped after they rule out any physical issues. For now, we're just trying to get calories in him to put some weight back on (he's always been thin but now he's skinny).

Re: Need help please! Anyone whose DC rec'd EI services (or older child) for food or eating issues...

what will he eat?
if it's a fear or behavior than if he's in kindergarten i'd talk to the school pychologist in sept. and see a private one till then.
if it is sensory then you can work with a speech pathologist that specializes in feeding issues or a sensory ot.
have u tried pediasure just for some easy extra caleries? u can also talk to a nutritionist, get a referal from your ped..

Message edited 8/1/2010 2:25:28 PM.

Re: Need help please! Anyone whose DC rec'd EI services (or older child) for food or eating issues...

I'm pretty sure either southside or good sam hospital has an outpatient pediatric feeding clinic (OT/Speech). I know St. Mary's in Queens has one. Many special Ed preschools run feeding groups by OTs/Speech therapists. Your DC will be attending Kindergarten in Sept? You will probably have to either pay out of pocket or go through insurance to have the issue resolved because unless there is a delay/deficit that will effect the child academically, the school district doesn't have to provide the service for the Committee of Special Education (CSE). If he/she is under the age of 5 a feeding issue would be covered under Early Intervention (EI) or the Committee of Preschool Special Education (CPSE). You should also mention any feeding issues to your pediatrician to rule out any medical issues.

Re: Need help please! Anyone whose DC rec'd EI services (or older child) for food or eating issues...

First I think that you should see a pediatric a GI and I just wanted to let you know that Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore has an excellent feeding disorder program for little ones, maybe you can call them and see if they can give you some advice, maybe they can even give you name of someone here. I also know that there is a similar clinic/program somewhere in NJ , not sure exactly where, but they have the best doctors specializing in similar issues, maybe you can find out. I will try to find out for you and FM you if I can get the person who actually knows about this stuff. I used to be a nanny in Manhattan and a little boy I took care of had a feeding issue, this is how I know about this. I went with them to Baltimore when they had him in the program for 6 weeks....

Re: Need help please! Anyone whose DC rec'd EI services (or older child) for food or eating issues...

Thank you for all the information everyone. We went to the ped and discussed already - physical exam is normal and we're waiting for some blood work to make sure it's not a physical issue. Then I'll mention these options to decide where to go from here. Thank you all again so much - at least I know where to look now and some available options.

Re: Need help please! Anyone whose DC rec'd EI services (or older child) for food or eating issues...

I know someone who's son had eating issues and saw a specialist. Unfortunately my friend is on vacation so I won't be able to get the info right away but I can try and let you know. I know her son had issues from a young age but she didn't get therapy til much older. I know she went thru tests to try to figure out if it was medical or mental. It was hard for her.

While my issues aren't nearly as bad as he hasn't lost weight (well he was over 50lbs at one point and now under 50 but I chalked it up to being more active this summer) - out of no where - the last 2-3 months or so my relatively good eater (also 5 years old) - has turned into a monster eating. I am gong nuts and not sure where to turn. We are both in tears half our meals and I am at my wits end. It started after he had a throat infection in May which did cause him to gag on foods but after that was well gone he continued gagging on foods and looked scared to eat. It is all in his head but not sure how to shake it. He is finally doing ok with most foods just not fruits and veggies and most breakfast and lunch foods (sandwiches, cold cuts). He chews and spits it out, gags for no reason, it is crazy - not sure how to handle it. I really think it is a control thing since I am dealing with major attitude in general and fresh behavior like he has never had. He also has been having nightmares and seems very upset of late and it all started when preschool ended and he is a wreck about kindergarten. My ped said to ignore it don't make him eat what he doesn't want to but the way my son is - if you stop something he'll never go back. Ped seemed unconcerned and just said to not talk about kindergarten and let it ride out. He use to eat tons for fruits and many veggies and now it is getting worse. I got back to at least eating cantelope, strawberries far as fruit and now he won't eat either the past two weeks...and while I thought things were turning around it is getting worse. Not sure if that is familiar at all to you but hope you don't mind me sharing my story - I am not sure where to go with this one. I told DH this mornign maybe we should look intoa psychologist.

Message edited 8/1/2010 9:53:49 PM.