Feeding & Swallowing Therapy

Why feeding is so much more than just meals

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​Feeding and swallowing involve movement, sensation, coordination, nutrition, and comfort.

When any part of that process is hard — from taking the first bite to chewing and swallowing—

it can impact a child’s growth, confidence, and everyday joy of eating. At FirstRowe, we

believe in making mealtimes calm, confident, and connected.

 

What we mean by “feeding & swallowing” 

Whether your child is just starting solids, avoiding certain textures, choking unexpectedly, or seems anxious around food — our therapists are here to guide you.

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Swallowing is the hidden hero

Each time we eat, our body coordinates breath, throat, tongue, mouth, and sometimes medical hardware. When that system doesn’t work smoothly, children may avoid food, cough or gag, take forever to finish meals, or show signs of stress around eating.

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Feeding is so much more than chewing

Feeding involves exploring textures, flavors, smells, table routines, social cues — even the way a child sits, holds their cup, moves their tongue. Challenges might show up as picky eating, delayed introduction of foods, difficulty with “grown-up” textures, or behavioral avoidance (e.g., spitting out, refusing utensils).​

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3. Voice — The Sound of Our Vibration 

Your voice turns on when your vocal folds meet during exhalation. Try saying “aaaaa…” — that’s your voice in action! Whispering, shouting, or frequent throat clearing can strain it over time. Voice therapy helps restore balance through gentle exercises and vocal care habits — what we like to call a “voice wellness routine.”

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How We Help
At FirstRowe, our approach is holistic — we consider medical, nutritional, sensory, motor, and behavioral facets. Our skilled team draws on advanced methods to create individualized plans that support your child’s unique path.

Key parts of our approach:

• Thorough evaluation of swallowing (including safety) and feeding behaviours

• Sensory-motor feeding support (texture exploration, chew/swallow skill building)

• Parent/ caregiver coaching (we empower you with strategies to bring home)

• Social & mealtime routines (feeding isn’t just nutrition — it’s connection)

• Collaboration with other professionals (nutritionists, OT, medical specialists) when needed

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Common signs your child might benefit from feeding & swallowing therapy

• Gagging, choking, or coughing during meals

• Very limited food repertoire or strong food refusal

• Delaying solids far past typical age or still eating baby-textures after time

• Slow eating (meals take excessive time) or visible distress around eating

• Using only liquids, avoiding chewing, or only accepting very specific textures

• Frequent lung or respiratory issues related to eating/swallowing

• Mealtime battles, stress, anxiety or behavioural avoidance of eating

 

If you’ve noticed several of these — it’s not just “a phase”. Early support often prevents long-term difficulties and makes mealtimes easier for your child and your whole family.

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What to expect at FirstRowe

 

Step 1: Screening / Consultation

We start with a free 15-minute phone/Zoom consult to hear your concerns, observe basic feeding/swallowing behaviours, and suggest whether a full assessment is the next step.

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Step 2: Evaluation

In-depth assessment includes your child’s medical history, sensory & oral-motor skills, feeding environment and current diet/texture. We assess both safety of swallowing and quality of feeding.

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Step 3: Individualized Plan & Therapy

Based on the evaluation, we co-design a plan with goals, home strategies and regular check-ins. Sessions can include hands-on feeding exploration, sensory play, oral-motor exercises, parent-coaching and progress monitoring.

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Step 4: Mealtime Integration

Click the button below to schedule your free 15-minute consultation. Let’s talk about your child, your concerns, and how feeding and swallowing therapy at FirstRowe can help your family.