How can you prepare for a feeding assessment?

Feeding Assessment Session Information

How can I prepare for the assessment?

• You will be sent a questionnaire about your child’s feeding/eating and drinking at the time of your appointment being booked. Please fill in as much as you can and return to the speech and language therapy team at least 1 week before your first appointment.
• If your child requires any specialist seating please advise us of this prior to attending the appointment to allow us to prepare or plan to bring this with you.
• If your child has any specialist feeding equipment please bring this with you to the assessment
• What would you like to tell us about your child? You can bring notes with you if that would be helpful.

What will happen at the assessment?

• You will be able to discuss any concerns about your child’s eating and drinking difficulties with the therapist, particularly anything you have noted in the questionnaire.
• You will be asked for a detailed history of your child’s development, this will help the therapist build a picture of their eating and drinking difficulties.

How will my child be assessed?

• Mostly the therapist will observe your child during a range of eating and drinking, they will also observe your child before they start eating and drinking so that they can note anything about your child’s facial and oral muscles and movements that may impact on their eating and drinking.

What will happen next?

The therapist will discuss what they have noticed and will agree a plan with you. This might be one of the following:

• No further action: Your child is expected to make progress without specific help from the therapist but you may be given ideas to help at home and in school/ nursery
• Review You might be offered a review appointment after an agreed period of time to look at progress with the suggested activities/strategies you have been given
• Waiting list. Your child’s name will be placed on a waiting list for planned sessions with the speech and language therapist. You will also have suggestions to help your child whilst waiting.
• Onward referral. If there is a need for further investigation of your child’s difficulties we will discuss this with you and with your consent make the appropriate onward referral

How can we help you?

• Please let us know ASAP if you have to cancel the appointment.
• Please let the department know if any of your contact details change.
• Please complete and return the questionnaire to the address on your letter.
• It is preferable to make alternative arrangements for other children if possible so we can see your child at their best.