8722 Food Exploration and Discovery (FED) Program: A Comprehensive Approach to Addressing Complex Feeding Challenges

Thursday, July 14, 2016: 12:30 PM-1:45 PM

Studio 3 (New Orleans Marriott)

The Food Exploration and Discovery Program is a feeding program that assists children with complex needs who have mealtime and feeding challenges. This presentation will discuss the differences between traditional and intensive therapy and the roles of the inter-professional team members.

A strong correlation exists between brain function, diets, gastrointestinal issues, and maladaptive behaviors (Margolis, K. G., 2014). In fact, over 50% of children with autism present with feeding challenges, which may include obsessive eating, selective eating, insistence on rigid mealtime routines, oral aversions, or difficulty with sensory processing (Golnik & Maccabee-Ryaboy, 2010). For family members of children with autism who have severe, food-related behavioral reactions, meal and snack times can be challenging and finding professionals who are able to understand and treat children with autism with feeding challenges can be difficult (Suarez, Atchinson & Lagerwey, 2014). This presentation will discuss the Food Exploration and Discovery (FED) program, a feeding program that assists individuals with autism and complex needs who present with significant mealtime and feeding challenges.

FED was developed at The Center for Discovery in Harris, NY, and is implemented at the Center’s school, residential program, and clinical outpatient program. Created by an occupational therapist and a speech-language pathologist in response to seeing numerous children with significant food aversions enter the Center’s school program, FED is now administered by a team of two OTs and four SLPs who work in conjunction with families, nutritionists, behavior specialists, program coordinators, teachers, and direct care staff. The children included in the program have a range of diagnoses, from autism to multiple disabilities.

The FED program focuses on intervention for children who have a limited repertoire of foods in their diet and those who are dependent on feeding tubes for adequate nutrition. The goals of the program include (1) improving relationships with food, (2) increasing the variety of foods individuals eat, (3) decreasing stress and anxiety surrounding mealtime, (4) increasing the skills necessary to consume food safely and (5) carryover into the home setting.

In this presentation traditional therapy approaches for addressing complex mealtime challenges will be compared with FED’s intensive approach. This will include: menu modifications, mealtime language adjustments, caregiver training, oral motor/ sensory motor strategies, use of adaptive equipment and stress free intervention strategies. The importance of collaboration between professionals will be discussed and the roles of members of FED’s inter-professional team will be described. In addition, this presentation will share FED’s clinical outcomes and discuss the long term success of individuals in the program.

Learning Objectives:

Discuss the research related to poor nutrition, the gastrointestinal system, maladaptive behaviors and its relevance to addressing feeding concerns.
Describe both intensive and traditional treatment approaches administered by an inter-professional team to address feeding challenges.
Discuss strategies that can be used across environments (school, home, residential facility) and training for various caregivers (teachers, parents, direct care staff) to address feeding challenges.

Track: Lifespan 2 - School Age

Content Area: Diet and Nutrition

Presenters:

Alexandra Besecker, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
The Center for Discovery

Alexandra Besecker, MS, OTR/L is an occupational therapist at the Center for Discovery. She graduated in 2012 from Duquesne University and has been working on the FED team since 2013.

Jessica Piatak, OTD, OTR/L
Clinical Mealtime Specialist
The Center for Discovery

Jessica Piatak, OTD, OTR/L is the cofounder of the FED program and the clinical mealtime specialist at the Center for Discovery. She is an adjunct faculty member at Misericordia University. Jessica completed trainings regarding feeding therapy including a mentorship with Suzanne Evans Morris, SOS trainings and the Get Permission Approach.

Kristina Carraccia, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
The Center for Discovery

Kristina Carraccia is a speech-language pathologist at the Center for Discovery and a co-founder of the FED program. She is an adjunct faculty member at Misericordia University. She has completed various trainings on feeding approaches including an intensive mentorship with Suzanne Evans Morris, SOS trainings and the Get Permission Approach.

Stephanie Harrigan, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
The Center for Discovery

Stephanie Harrigan is a speech-language pathologist at the Center for Discovery. She graduated in 2012 from SUNY New Paltz and has been working on the FED team since 2013.

Heidi Moser, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
The Center for Discovery

Heidi Moser has been a speech-language pathologist at The Center for Discovery since graduating from Emerson College in 2010. She has attended the SOS conference and one of Suzanne Evans Morris’ workshops. Heidi has been involved with the FED program since 2012.

Jessica Scanna, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
The Center for Discovery

Jessica Scanna is employed by The Center for Discovery in Harris, New York. She works with individuals who present with a variety of developmental disabilities. Areas of interest include: dysphagia and AAC. Jessica obtained her Master of Science degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences at SUNY New Paltz.

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