Episode 61: Feeding Therapy: Taking the Battle out of Mealtime

Guest: Laurie Layne, Pediatric Occupational Therapist

Feeding your NICU baby can often be a challenge. April is Occupational Therapy month, and pediatric OT Laurie Layne and I focus on how feeding therapy can be utilized and some of the challenges NICU parents may face.

In this episode, we chat about:

• For pediatrics, what exactly does an occupational therapist do and how does it differ from other pediatric therapies?
• When should a parent seek out occupational/feeding therapy?
• What are some things parents should look for in an occupational/feeding therapist?
• If you have a sensory seeker who has heavy oral input (puts everything in their mouth), what can you do?
• What’s the most common feeding challenge with NICU babies/premature infants?
• How does a g-tube affect feeding therapy?
• Food texture and food aversion sometimes feels overwhelming, how can a parent combat the fear of feeling like it’s never getting better?

Laurie Layne, OTR, received her B.S. in community health from Texas A&M University and her Masters of Occupational Therapy degree from Texas Woman’s University-Houston.  She has 25 years experience working with pediatric populations in early intervention, school-based services, and private outpatient clinics.  Laurie treats a varied caseload, including children with feeding aversions, sensory processing disorder, developmental delay, autism spectrum disorders, neuromuscular dysfunction, and genetic disorders. She is trained in various feeding methodologies and is Handwriting Without Tears Level 1 certified.  Laurie is the proud mom of three college kids and she enjoys traveling, reading, and playing pickleball.

Mentioned in the episode:

• Chewy Tubes Ps and Qs
• Chews and Chewy Tubes