Feeding & Swallowing Therapy

Feeding therapy is hands-on and paced to your child. Sessions usually include oral motor practice for chewing and tongue control, sensory play with new foods, and small, low-pressure steps toward tasting, such as touching, smelling, or licking a new food before ever taking a bite.

Parents are part of every session. Your speech-language pathologist will coach you on seating, portion size, food presentation, and how to respond when your child refuses, so the same approach carries over to meals at home. Progress is measured by foods added, texture tolerance, and how much calmer mealtimes feel.

Vital-Stim is an FDA-cleared therapy that uses small electrodes on the neck to deliver mild electrical stimulation to the swallowing muscles while you practice swallowing exercises. The stimulation helps weak muscles work harder during each swallow, which can speed up strength gains.

It is most often used for adults with dysphagia after a stroke, brain injury, or head and neck cancer treatment, and for people with Parkinson's disease. Not everyone is a candidate, so your speech-language pathologist will complete a swallow evaluation and review your medical history before recommending it. Several clinicians at our Friendswood speech clinic hold Vital-Stim certification.

Autumn Oak accepts all major health insurance plans, and feeding and swallowing therapy may be covered when it is medically necessary. Coverage varies by plan, so our patient accounts team will verify your benefits before the first visit. We do not accept Medicaid at this time.

Cherry payment plans and CareCredit financing are available for out-of-pocket costs. To schedule a feeding or swallowing evaluation, call (346) 474-4626 and choose extension 2, or visit our Insurance and Financing page to learn more.