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infant oT / feeding therapy

ABOUT OUR INFANT OT PROGRAM
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The infant occupational therapy and developmental feeding therapy program (Infant OT) at Sprocket Therapy Solutions is directed by OT Natalie Udwin, MSOT, OTR/L.  "Nat" is an infant development specialist with lots of feeding and myofunctional therapy training. Nat's passion and specialty area of treatment is developmental feeding therapy and reflex integration.  ​
The Infant OT program is an ACTIVE therapy program - therapy is not done "to" or "on" your baby but "together with" your baby. 
As part of the Infant OT program, the therapist will work with your baby to improve strength and coordination throughout their whole body (not just their mouth) to optimize their feeding skills. 

​The Infant OT program is appropriate for babies under 12 months of age. Occupational therapy services are available for Tennessee and Georgia residents only. Families outside of these regions would benefit most from our wellness based services.  ​

what is
occupational therapy?

OT is therapy rooted in neurodevelopment that helps infants improve any of the skills (or occupations) listed below:
sleeping
eating / feeding skills
bowel/bladder functions
moving
socializing
exploring their surroundings​

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY CAN HELP YOUR CHILD WITH THE FOLLOWING ISSUES:

  • fussiness
  • torticollis/ strong head preference to one side
  • flat spot on head
  • tongue/lip ties 
  • tightness
  • muscle weakness/low tone
  • breastfeeding
  • bottle feeding
  • tongue control
  • irregular bowel movements​​
  • breathing difficulties
  • gas
  • reflux
  • tummy time skills/comfort ​
  • strength, coordination, endurance​
  • transition to solid foods 
  • help child transition between emotional states
  • improve sensory processing skills
  • teach parents to play with your child
  • meeting motor milestones

HELP YOUR BABY THRIVE

What is Feeding therapy?

Feeding therapy is treatment that aims to improve a child's feeding skills.  It often involves gross motor skills, oral motor skills, myofunctional therapy, lots of sensory integration, emotional regulation, and parent training.

When the tongue and mouth have difficulty doing their jobs, the body develops compensatory movement patterns, causing a cascade of other problems throughout the rest of the body.  It's our job as OTs to first uncover these compensatory patterns, and then treat the rest of the body along with the muscles of the face and tongue, to optimize feeding skills. 
​Our approach to feeding therapy is holistic - every aspect of a child's development is taken into consideration when addressing a child's feeding skills.   
FYI - both occupational (OT) and speech therapists (SLP) can be feeding therapists, as long as they have specialized training in the area. ​

why is tummy time so important?

Ever since babies started spending more time on their backs (to sleep, to play, in carriers and containers etc.) we have had to be much more intentional about making sure that babies also spend time on their tummies too.  During tummy time, gravity assists babies with stretching and unwinding, which needs to happen now that they are out of the womb, and babies' muscles and organs get lots of important sensory input from the surface underneath them.  
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In the Infant OT program we teach families the Tummy Time!tm Method.  This method was developed by OT Michelle Emanuel, and is "a scientific, evidence informed program developed to uniquely address the needs of babies in the newborn to precrawling stage of life." (M. Emanuel).  Tummy Time!tm promotes optimal head shape, encourages movement and developmental progression, optimizes tongue and oral function, facilitates sensory integration skills and promotes visual development.  More more info about the Tummy Time!tm Method go to: www.tummytimemethod.com​​
"Scarlett learned to roll over both directions this week and is reaching for toys during tummy time now. . . Just wanted to say THANK YOU for improving all of our lives.  She is so much happier now and we are just so grateful for all you have taught us.”

- Scarlett's mom (age 4 months)

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