
East Valley Feeding Therapy, LLC
Helping To Find Answers to Your Child's Feeding Struggles
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Poor weight gain
Volume limiting
Delayed oral motor skills
Selective Eating
Sensory Feeding Difficulties
Swallowing difficulties
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No matter what the issue is, mealtimes should not be a struggle. If you are finding that you are dreading when it is time to feed your child please reach out for help with feeding therapy.
You have arrived to the place where you can find answers to your child's feeding difficulties. With a wealth of experience and knowledge to help you solve your mealtime struggles and begin enjoying food with your child!
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What We Do
At East Valley Feeding Therapy, we are passionate about helping children with feeding difficulties reach their full potential. We work with families providing a range of individualized services to meet the needs of each child, from infants to teens.
Our approach to feeding therapy is focused on the whole child, taking into account their physical, cognitive, and emotional development. We strive to provide a safe and positive environment that encourages children to explore and learn about food in a fun and supportive way.
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With parents and families as primary partners in the advancement of feeding we can address oral motor skills, develop a positive relationship with food and expand a child's food repertoire.
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When referrals are needed we have professionals in the community that we collaborate and work with to provide comprehensive and multifaceted care.
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Does My Child Need Feeding Therapy?
Is it Just "picky eating"?
My child snacks all the time but isn't gaining and growing as he or she should.
My child is struggling to chew solid foods.
My child prefers to drink meals.
My child will only eat dry, hard, crunchy foods.
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Your Child May Benefit From Feeding Therapy If You Notice Any of the Following:
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Child eliminates entire food groups
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Child eliminates foods that require advanced chewing skills
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Child relies on formula for adequate nutrition
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Child pockets or orally holds food in cheeks or spits food out after chewing
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Child eats small volumes of food throughout the day or "grazes"
Feeding difficulties are unique to every child. When a child has a feeding difficulty it can become all-consuming for families and can interfere with daily living in a multitude of ways.
Every child is unique along with the feeding difficulty and the history behind the problem. Overcoming the obstacles and reintroducing food in a new stress-free manner can help children become happy, independent eaters.
Still unsure? Feedingmatters.org has a great questionnaire for families that can provide even more answers.
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About

My name is Jennifer Urich MS, OTR/L and I am the owner of East Valley Feeding Therapy. I am a mother of three grown children and two spoiled pups. Originally from Oregon I have been in Arizona for over 20 years and raised my children here. I received my bachelor's degree in psychology from Arizona State University and later pursued my master's in occupational therapy from A.T. Still University. I have worked with children in some capacity for over 30 years. I have specialized in feeding as an occupational therapist and worked on multidisciplinary teams at Phoenix Children's Hospital for over 10 years. I have developed feeding groups and various feeding programs at clinics and treated privately in home.
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In my experience, I have never treated two children that have identical feeding difficulties. This is a complex and multi-factorial problem that families face. Children with enteral feeding tube nutrition and those that require formula supplementation face different challenges than those with severely selective eating. Each family system is unique as is each family's perspective of the feeding difficulty.
School-age children face challenges that require additional support outside of the family system.
I am here to help navigate the different aspects of feeding and to help support families to move forward and make feeding enjoyable for the child. I use a child-led approach with natural tools in my therapy session.
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