EVALUATION:
Evaluation is usually a two-hour session consisting of:
- Feeding, Eating, Drinking Evaluation
- Speech and Communication Evaluation
- Exploration of Potential Treatment Techniques
- Explanation of Findings and Treatment Ideas
- Video of Session Provided in Addition to Full Report
Birth to Age Two: The Developmental Pre-Feeding Skills Checklist by Suzanne Evans Morris and Marsha Dunn Klein is used to assess feeding. The Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale is used to assess communication.
Two Years - Adult: The Ages and Stages® Oral Motor Assessment by Diane Bahr is used to assess:
- Body and Mouth Movement
- Eating and Drinking
- Functional and Imitative Oral Movements
- Quality of Speech Movements
- Apraxia of Speech
This is a criterion referenced test based on the speech-language pathology literature as discussed in the textbook Oral Motor Assessment and Treatment: Ages and Stages by Diane Chapman Bahr (Allyn & Bacon, 2001).
Other appropriate speech and language assessments are used as needed.
TREATMENT:
Children: Usually 45-minute sessions focusing on feeding, eating, drinking, and/or motor speech.
Adults: Usually 1-hour sessions focusing on eating, drinking, and/or motor speech.
Communication and language needs are addressed along with oral function needs. Diane Bahr has been a feeding therapist since 1983. She currently spends much of her time treating motor speech disorders in:
- Individuals with Down syndrome
- Individuals with Autism
- Late talkers
- Individuals with Brain Injury
Feeding Techniques of Suzanne Evans Morris, Marsha Dunn Klein, Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson, Lori Overland, Diane Bahr and others used.
Motor Speech Techniques (all techniques used facilitate actual speech production):
- PROMPT
- Kaufman
- Marshalla
- Jelm
- Hammer
- Rosenfeld-Johnson
- Bahr
- others
