Paediatric Feeding Solutions

perience for parents and families. There is so much information out there (often conflicting) in books, on social media, online, when speaking to friends or doctors - it can be so confusing figuring out what is right for your child. Professional assessment, advice and understanding is paramount to help solve the puzzle of each child's individual feeding issues. 'One size fits all' approaches are often unsuccessful or may even make the problems worse. We at our practice are trained experts in all areas of paediatric feeding, and our goal is to work closely with families to help them understand their child's eating skills and challenges, to feel more positive at mealtimes, and to feel empowered and in control with strategies and therapy techniques that will help their little one. Some eating difficulties can be resolved relatively easily, or often significant changes and improvements can be seen very quickly and efficiently with personalised and targeted help. Paediatric Feeding Solutions will provide you with expertise, best practice intervention, non judgemental understanding, genuine support - in turn you will see results, change, and progress. Please feel free to contact us to discuss an appointment for assessment and advice for your baby, toddler or child if they are presenting with any of the following:

- Difficulties breast or bottle feeding
- Seeming to 'choke' or cough when breastfeeding, bottle feeding or drinking fluids from a cup
- Difficulties transitioning to first solids
- Weaning challenges (from breast or bottle)
- Gagging on lumpier solids, or refusing to eat foods that have any lumps or texture (eg. only wanting to eat purees)
- Difficulties transitioning to finger foods or family meals
- Difficulties with chewing or swallowing food
- Food refusal
- Fussy or picky eating
- Drinking large amounts of milk but little interest in food
- Challenging behaviours at mealtimes
- Food jags eg. getting 'stuck' on eating only certain foods, having a very limited or restricted diet
- Regular vomiting during or after mealtimes
- Sensory Processing differences effecting ability to eat or accept certain types or textures of foods
- Developmental, medical or physical conditions that might be impacting on feeding ability


MEET OUR CLINICIAN

Shannon is a family focused and personable Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist (Bachelor of Health Science, Speech Pathology), who specialises in paediatric development and paediatric feeding. She qualified as a Speech Pathologist in 2003 and since then has worked professionally as part of various multi-disciplinary teams in Ireland, Darwin and Adelaide; treating babies, young children, school aged children and their families. For the past 6 years Shannon has worked in a senior role in the acute hospital setting, providing services to paediatric outpatients as well as paediatric and newborn inpatients on the Children’s Wards and in the Special Care Nursery. This service provision targets paediatric feeding difficulties, medical complexities, and delayed or disordered development. Shannon is highly skilled in assessing, treating and managing a wide range of feeding challenges, and is committed to ongoing professional development. She has undertaken substantial additional training specific to paediatric feeding; covering but not limited to oral hypersensitivity and aversions, sensory processing difficulties, perinatal mental health, medically complex neonate and infant feeding issues, feeding intervention approaches, positive parenting, behaviour management techniques and paediatric swallowing. Shannon is passionate and enthusiastic in her role as a clinician and very much sees parents and siblings as a valued and integral part of the ‘team’ when dealing with developmental and feeding challenges. Her empathy, perception and understanding, her ability to tailor make goals and therapy suggestions individual to each family, her own experiences and insight as a mother and her absolute passion for working with babies and young children have resulted in positive outcomes for dozens of families that she has treated. We welcome all enquiries and questions and look forward to hearing from you.

**Skype consults are offered to interstate families. Medicare and Private Health rebates are available to eligible families (speak to your GP or Health provider, or ask us more about what entitlements you are eligible to).