Improving
whole-family
quality of life
Love Language Therapy provides guidance to children, adults, caregivers and families by integrating oral-motor, sensory, psychological, and behavioral principles with the client's individual interests. Food is an innately emotional process. We begin evaluation meeting the client at their comfort level and systematically treat the exhibited signs/symptoms. At Love Language Therapy, we personalize the plan of care to each family's lifestyle and cultural/religious background with language learning built-in.
Trauma-informed care
Detailed medical and developmental case history by examining effects of past surgeries, hospital stays, medications, and events
Measuring feeding & swallowing
Functional outcome measures
Analysis of Modified Barium Swallow studies
Signs & symptoms
Safety
Response to therapeutic or compensatory strategies
Weight loss/gain
Illness episodes
Family interview
Integrating native language for comfortability & familiarity
Working with the routines of the family
Analysis of caregiver burden
Addressing family/caregiver concerns
Co-morbid conditions (e.g., GERD, cleft palate, tongue/lip tie, allergies)
Monitoring milestones
Developmental progress in accepting textures and acquiring gross/fine motor skills related to self-feeding
Therapeutic progress in safely consuming an increased diet
Clinical observation
Oral-motor examination of color, strength, symmetry, range of motion, and atypical features
Respiratory status
Chewing and clearing patterns
Oral-motor awareness of structure and function
Hypo/hypersensitivity and aversions
Behavioral responses
Seating, posture, and positioning
Quality of voice, motor speech, and cognition
Cranial nerve function
Oral care
Home life support
Feeding routine
Safety precautions
Age-appropriate utensils
Speech, language, sensory, oral-motor, feeding, swallowing, and behavioral strategies
Environmental modifications
Common Diagnoses
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Oral, pharyngeal, esophageal dysphagia
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Difficulty chewing
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Signs/symptoms: overstuffing, coughing, choking,
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Failure to thrive
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Lack of adequate weight gain
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Food selectivity
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Tonal issue, lack of postural stability/body control
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Limited volume intake
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Texture selectivity
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Total or partial food refusal
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Transition from tube feedings to feeding by mouth
You or a loved one may be exhibiting signs or symptoms, such as: overstuffing, coughing, choking, shortness of breath, vomiting, and/or spitting up.
Evidence-Based Treatment
Sadia Akhtar, CCC-SLP has clinical training and experience in implementing strategies including:
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Sensory-Motor Feeding
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Facial Massage
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Sequential Oral Sensory Feeding
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Food Chaining
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Coordination of Suck-Swallow, Bite-Chew-Swallow Patterns
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Home Exercise & Feeding Program
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Food Exploration, Play, & Tolerance
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Oral Motor Awareness
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Parent/Caregiver Education
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Postural Control & Alignment
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Self-Feeding Skills Training
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Strengthening of Oral Motor Structures
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Visual, Verbal, & Physical Cueing
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Behavioral Techniques
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Free Water Protocol
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Diet Texture Modifications
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