Watch Me Eat^®

Overview

Dr. Tracey Graves, Ph.D., CCC-SLP incorporates the SOS approach to feeding disorders in children. Throughout her professional career Dr. Graves has utilized the SOS feeding program to integrate sensory, motor, oral behavioral/learning, medical and nutritional factors and approaches in order to comprehensively evaluate and manage children with feeding and growth problems.

This feeding approach is based on, and grounded philosophically in, the "normal" developmental steps, stages and skills of feeding found in typically developing children.

The treatment component of the program utilizes these typical developmental steps towards feeding to create a systematic desensitization hierarchy of skills/behaviors necessary for children to progress with eating various textures and with growth at an appropriate rate.

The program provides services to children from birth to age 12. Treatment of children over the age of 12 is considered on a case by case basis. The continuum of services includes a feeding clinic, both small and large group programs and an outpatient program. Each child moves through the continuum based on his or her individual needs.

Feeding Clinic

The goal of the feeding clinic is to decide what kinds of services would be best for your child. You and your child attend an evaluation in which the team:

• (a) Obtains a medical history
• (b) Observes you and your child during a meal
• (c) Assesses your child’s oral motor status
• (d) Obtains nutritional information
• (e) Assesses your ability to participate in the program

Outpatient Program

The outpatient program is for children whose feeding problems could be treated through less intensive therapy (e.g., once a week).

During these sessions, we ask you to tell us about your child’s feeding behavior at home. We also will ask you to keep records about your child’s feeding behaviors at home. These records help us to develop a treatment program that is specifically designed for you and your child.

We will tell and/or show you things to do at home to help improve your child’s feeding behavior. We also may ask you to practice the feeding techniques recommended by the team during the session.

You will use the techniques we talk about during the session at home. Outpatient sessions usually are scheduled once a week for one hour, but the frequency and length of the sessions vary, depending on you and your child’s needs.