Feeding Team

The CLIU feeding team provides evaluation and intervention for children with documented or suspected difficulties with safe and effective eating.

• The primary goal of the feeding team is to ensure safe nutrition and hydration to students during school hours and at home as determined by a Feeding Evaluation adhering to guidelines provided by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
• The primary case managers of the feeding team consist of a speech language pathologist and an occupational therapist with expertise in sensory/oral motor difficulties and dysphagia (swallowing disorder).

Because swallowing mechanics are complex, sometimes it is unclear if a feeding evaluation should be requested for a student. To gain clarity, consult with key team members, including the student's parents, occupational therapist, and speech-language pathologist. The following may help guide these team conversations:

• Is the student demonstrating any of the following symptoms: Coughing, gagging, choking, watery eyes, runny nose, wet vocal quality, delayed or audible swallow, difficulty breathing, or vomiting?
• Is there a concern regarding the amount of food and/or liquid the student consumes throughout the day?
• Has there been a change in status (i.e. weight loss, injury, surgery) or medical recommendations regarding diet increase/decrease?
• Does the student have a history of persistent upper respiratory infections or recurrent pneumonia?
• Does the student exhibit any of the following behaviors: Holding food in their mouth, overstuffing, swallowing food whole, taking longer than 30 minutes for a meal, or showing signs of fatigue (i.e. difficulty with maintaining upright posture throughout the meal or slowed chewing)
• When relevant, input from the student's medical providers can offer valuable insight.

Request Feeding Team Evaluation Services
To request Feeding Team Evaluation services, use this link Feeding Team Referral.

Prior to requesting services, make sure the following three forms are completed and available to upload when submitting the Feeding Team Referral document.

1.  The Feeding and Swallowing Intake Form provides a case history outlining the student's medical history and observed behaviors by the parents. Users may fill the form in online, download and save to their computer, and forward to the school district.

• • Feeding and Swallowing Intake Form 
  • Feeding and Swallowing Intake Form (Spanish/Espanol)

2.  The Consent for Release of Information Form gives permission for the child's doctor to release information to the Feeding Team. Users may fill the form in online, download and save to their computer, and forward to the school district.

• • Consent for Release of Information Form
  • Consent for Release of Information Form (Spanish/Espanol)

3.  The Permission to Re-Evaluate (PTRE) Form provided by the requesting school district. Prior to requesting/issuing the PTRE, be sure the Consent for Release of Information Form and the Feeding/Swallowing Intake Form are completed and sent to the school district issuing the PTRE.

4.  Once accompanying documents are uploaded into the School Age Request for Services form and submitted, the Feeding Team will begin the feeding evaluation process.