Michigan Pediatric Therapy

Bottle feeding can present a variety of challenges for both infants and parents. These difficulties can stem from a range of issues, including:

🍼 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Some infants may refuse the bottle altogether, preferring breastfeeding or finding it difficult to adapt to the bottle ni**le.
🍼 𝐍𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: Infants used to breastfeeding may struggle with the different sucking techniques required for bottle feeding.
🍼 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: The flow rate of the bottle ni**le can significantly impact an infant’s willingness to feed. Too fast or too slow a flow can cause frustration and feeding aversions.
🍼 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Incorrect positioning during bottle feeding can lead to discomfort, air swallowing, and subsequent gas or colic.
🍼 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬: Some infants may have heightened sensitivity to the bottle ni**le's texture or the formula's taste and temperature.

Check out our new blog to explore the intricacies of bottle feeding and how feeding therapy, especially from an occupational therapy perspective, can assist children in overcoming these challenges.

This sweet child was unable to breastfeed due to tethered oral tissues (TOTs) and muscle tightness. She has made such great strides through occupational therapy work at MPT and has won a gold medal for breastfeeding like a champ and is even excelling in eating puréed foods. 🏅

Drop a👏 or 🩷 to show her your love!

This little one came to OT for breastfeeding and bottle feeding issues due to lingual tongue tie. We did pre- and post-op work and made great improvements in the coordination of the tongue and suck-swallow-breathe pattern and oral-motor stretches for the cheeks, lips, and tongue. At the time of discharge, he was mastering table foods and drinking from a straw independently. 🥤 Go buddy go!

Drop a👏 or 🩷 to show your love!

Who can benefit from speech therapy? Children with:

🗣️ Speech delays/late talkers
🗣️ Apraxia of speech
🗣️ Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
🗣️ Stuttering or fluency disorders
🗣️ Voice disorders
🗣️ Articulation disorders
🗣️ Cognitive-communication disorders
🗣️Language disorders
🗣️ Hearing impairments

At your first child's first appointment, our licensed speech-language pathologists (SLPs) will go through multiple assessments with you and your child and create a goal-based treatment plan and home programming regimen in order to put your child on a positive path forward.

Emmett went from being very stiff and unable to turn his head to now looking around and seeing it all! Now that he is not stiff anymore, he can open his mouth to properly breastfeed. 🌟

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘵'𝘴 𝘔𝘰𝘮: "𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 13 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴—𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦!"

Drop a👏 or 🩷 to show Emmett some love!

🏫 With the start of a new school year right around the corner, here are 8 tips for packing your picky eater's lunchbox: 🎒

1. 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬: letting them choose components gives your child a sense of control and ownership
2. 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬: start with small portions of new good alongside their favorite items
3. 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐬: use cookie cutters to shape sandwiches, fruits, and vegetables to increase the visual appeal
4. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐱: aim to include protein, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats
5. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲: one at a time and in small quantities paired with familiar foods your child enjoys
6. 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐬: include healthy dips such as hummus, yogurt-based dips, or guacamole
7. 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥: you can always pack extra snacks if your child tends to be a light eater
8. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐋𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐧: include a small note or a fun sticker in your child’s lunchbox to make lunchtime enjoyable

If mealtimes are stressful or you are concerned about your child's picky eating, don't hesitate to reach out and schedule an evaluation for feeding therapy. Michigan Pediatric Therapy is here to help make mealtimes fun again for the whole family!

📱 (248) 939-4030
🌐 mipediatrictherapy.com
📍 Farmington Hills, MI

This month we're going to feature a series of little graduates! Let's get a👏 or 🩷 to show them some love!

This little one came in for poor latching, body tension, and she was leaning to one side. But this little warrior made hard work look easy! Her vitality and desire to gain skills had her excel and use both sides of her body evenly. Happy graduation day! 🎓

🚨 EXCITING NEWS! 🚨 Michigan Pediatric Therapy is now offering pediatric 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲! Our licensed speech-language pathologists (SLP) meet your child where they are, addressing their specific frustrations and challenges. We guide them on a journey of discovery, helping them experience the joy of expressing their needs, wants, and thoughts through words. Give us a call to set up a speech evaluation today: (248) 939-4030.

Picky eating is a common concern among parents, impacting children's nutrition, growth, and overall well-being. From rejecting certain foods to limited dietary variety, picky eating can be frustrating and concerning for families. Our occupational therapists (OTs) specialize in addressing feeding challenges, offering valuable insights and interventions to help children expand their food repertoire and develop healthier eating habits. Give the new blog on our website on picky eating a read to explore the causes and contributing factors of picky eating, and how feeding therapy from an occupational therapy perspective can effectively support children and families.

A follow-up from our earlier post this month...happy graduation day, little one! Sometimes OT and CST is just so relaxing that babies sleep right through it! 😴❤️

Sensory integration therapy sessions can vary based on your child's specific needs. For instance, our "rainbow swing" offers vestibular input with varying pressure levels, promoting a soothing effect. Children can engage in climbing activities amidst its layers or find comfort in its tent-like enclosure. This swing is particularly effective for enhancing body awareness and improving motor planning skills.

"Thank you for entrusting us with your children's care!

"My son was born with oral ties and struggled to eat and gain weight. We were referred to MPT by two separate professionals. Miss Katie did a thorough evaluation and worked with the dentist prior to the revision procedure. Miss Katie and Miss Amanda worked with my son prior to the revision, and for months after. His growth, development, and progress are incredible. We found a bottle he could use successfully, he eats solids well, and we have watched him gain confidence.

Occupational therapy helped him develop his oral strength as well as his core strength. When we started, he struggled with every feed. Today, he is growing, sits up on his own and in his high chair, and continues to make incredible progress.

I cannot say enough amazing things about the women who helped our family." -Shera N.

Did you know that muscle tightness and tension can contribute to difficulties with infant feeding? Sidelying is a great position to help stretch and strengthen the muscles in the neck and is help if your child has torticollis as well.

Even deer come here for breastfeeding support! 😂🥰

Infant feeding is a critical aspect of a child's development, impacting their physical growth, emotional well-being, and overall health. From breastfeeding to bottle feeding, introducing solids, and dealing with picky eating, the journey can be both rewarding and challenging for parents. In particular, breastfeeding presents a unique set of challenges that can often benefit from specialized support. Occupational therapists (OTs) play a pivotal role in this domain, offering feeding therapy that provides crucial breastfeeding support. Check out our new blog post on our website that will explore the significance of infant feeding, common challenges in breastfeeding, and how feeding therapy from an occupational therapy perspective can help.

This little one came in for OT at just 2 weeks old after a tongue and lip tie revision. Occupational therapy and craniosacral therapy both before and after a tethered oral tissue (TOT) revision can be extremely helpful to strengthen the muscles of the mouth that were previously compensating and relieve muscle tension throughout the body. We provide caregivers with exercises that can be done at home to help expedite progress and we're happy to report that he is feeding well!

At Michigan Pediatric Therapy, we act as detectives to identify whether your child is a picky eater or a problem eater. We then determine which motor and sensory systems are affected. Our comprehensive approach involves individualized treatment plans tailored to your child's specific needs. It can be a long process, but we work side-by-side with you and your child to climb this mountain and add more foods to their diet.

We provide compassionate care through a gentle, hands-on approach with our pediatric patients.

Eating involves integrating input from all of our senses. Sensory processing issues can make this challenging for some children.

1. Touch: We help children become comfortable with different food textures. This includes being able to touch the food with their hands and tolerate it touching their lips or tongue.
2. Taste: Sensitivity to certain tastes can lead to food refusal. We work on gradually introducing new flavors in a non-threatening way.
3. Smell: Overreacting to food smells can cause gagging or vomiting. We help desensitize children to strong food odors.
4. Hearing: Some children are sensitive to the sounds of food, such as crunching or squishing. We address these auditory sensitivities to make mealtime more comfortable.
5. Vision: If a child refuses to eat foods that look "awful" or "yucky," we use visual desensitization techniques to make new foods more acceptable.
6. Proprioception: Children who only eat crunchy foods may be seeking specific sensory input. We provide alternatives that meet their sensory needs while expanding their diet.

If any of these examples ring true for your child, don't hesitate to reach out to us today.

📱 (248) 939-4030
🌐 mipediatrictherapy.com
📍 Farmington Hills, MI

Today we celebrate Autistic Pride Day! At Michigan Pediatric Therapy, we are committed to celebrating and supporting the Autistic community and we strive to promote understanding, acceptance, and neurodiversity. 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇!

Happy Father’s Day to all the incredible dads out there! 🎉 Your love, dedication, and endless support make a world of difference. Today, we celebrate you and the special bond you share with your children. Thank you for everything you do! 💙

Bottle feeding issues and/or bottle rejection isn't always solved by simply trying one bottle after another. In fact, the flow rates of bottles differ from bottle to bottle, e.g., a flow 1 ni**le is different depending on the bottle manufacturer. Sensory factors can also impact bottle acceptance from the temperature of the breastmilk or formula, the angle that you hold the bottle, or the size and shape of the ni**le.

We are here to help you figure it out!

📱 (248) 939-4030
🌐 mipediatrictherapy.com
📍 Farmington Hills, MI

It's graduation day! 🎓 This little guy came in due to poor head shape. He started with delayed gross motor and fine motor skills. He also demonstrated poor oral motor feeding skills with tethered oral tissue. He was a true trooper! He steadily gained ground in his skill levels and what started as a mountain to climb, became an anthill due to this child's steadfast determination to succeed.

Did you know that motor skills impact eating? Learn more by checking out the new blog on our website; sneak peek below!

1. Postural Stability and Muscle Tone: Children need good postural stability and muscle tone to eat comfortably. If a child is worried about falling, they tend to get up, walk around, and graze, which can interfere with consistent eating habits.
2. Oral Motor Skills: Adequate jaw, lip, tongue, and cheek strength are crucial for proper chewing and biting. We assess these areas to ensure your child can handle a variety of food textures.
3. Choking and Gagging: Frequent choking, gagging, or coughing can be signs of underlying issues that need to be addressed to make mealtime safer and more pleasant.
4. Breathing and Eating Coordination: Proper coordination between breathing and eating is essential to prevent choking and ensure a smooth feeding process.
5. Fine Motor Skills: Being able to use utensils and pick up food with a pincer grasp is important for self-feeding. We work on these skills to promote independence at the table.

Our team of licensed and experienced occupational therapists continually attends various trainings to expand our knowledge base to better serve your children, Some of the recent trainings that we completed were on the topics of sleep training, bottle feeding, tethered-oral tissues (TOT), oral-motor issues in infants, failure to thrive, and infant formula.

Want a stack of our brochures in your office for your patients to grab? Let us know! We’d be happy to drop off them off to you. 😊

💤 Sleep is an activity of daily living that occupational therapy can help to improve. If your child has poor sleep habits, it could be due to sensory regulation issues or muscle tightness for example, and that is something that we can help you work through so that everyone is able to get a better night's sleep! 💤

Celebrate National Creativity Day by sparking your child's imagination with some colorful art activities! Drawing isn't just fun—it's also a fantastic way for kids to enhance their fine motor skills by strengthening the small muscles in their hands, crucial for tasks like writing. Here are some tips to get started:

🎨 Offer a variety of paper types for different textures.
🖍️ Provide markers, crayons, or colored pencils to explore various mediums.
🌈 Encourage creativity by experimenting with different colors and patterns.
📚 Use coloring books or templates to inspire new ideas.
👏 Offer positive reinforcement and praise for their efforts.
🖼️ Display their artwork proudly in their room.
✉️ Include personalized drawings in letters to loved ones to add a special touch.

Let your child's creativity soar and watch their skills blossom!

Look at that smiling face of someone who just graduated from OT! 🙌

We love graduation! 🎓 To us, it means that your child is on the road that they were meant to be on.