Difficulties with eating and drinking can occur at any age and may be very diverse in nature.
Difficulties eating and drinking may present as:
- Children who have difficulty transitioning to solid foods
- Difficulty chewing foods
- Food aversion or refusal
- Having a limited variety of foods/drinks
- Gagging and/or avoiding particular foods
- Coughing during or after eating/drinking
- A history of chest infections/aspiration pneumonia
- Dehydration/malnutrition
- Food/Drinks spilling out of the mouth
- Poor saliva control: drooling
Eating and Drinking difficulties can arise from a multitude of reason including:
- Sensory issues
- Developmental Delay
- Nervous System Disorder: e.g. Cerebral Palsy
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Medications
- Stroke
- Head injury
- Progressive Neurological Conditions, such as Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
- Cancer
- Dementia
- Ageing
A Speech Pathologist has a specialist understanding of the structures and functions of the head and neck, therefore play an active role working within a multidisciplinary team, including dieticians, GP’s, Specialists and Occupational Specialists, to support clients with difficulties eating and drinking to make mealtimes safe and enjoyable.