Cleveland feeding & swallowing therapy is a service that can be provided alongside speech therapy — particularly for children with developmental delays, neurological conditions, or structural abnormalities affecting oral motor function. Since both therapies target overlapping muscle groups and functions related to the mouth, throat, and breathing coordination, it makes sense to integrate them into a comprehensive treatment plan that can enhance outcomes for children facing challenges in both speech and feeding.

Why Speech Therapists Provide Feeding & Swallowing Therapy

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are the primary professionals trained in both speech therapy and feeding/swallowing therapy. Although speech and feeding & swallowing are technically separate functions, they are closely-related. SLPs are qualified to treat both, thanks to their expertise in:

• Oral-Motor Function. SLPs have specialized knowledge of the muscles involved in speaking, chewing, and swallowing.
• Anatomy & Physiology of the Oral & Pharyngeal Structures. They understand how disorders of the mouth, tongue, and throat affect both speech production and safe swallowing.
• Respiration & Coordination. Since speaking and swallowing both require breath control, SLPs are skilled in interventions that optimize airflow, swallowing safety, and vocal function.
• Neuromuscular Re-education. Many children with speech difficulties also have oral-motor weakness or incoordination, affecting their ability to eat, drink, and manage saliva effectively.

Not all children referred to us for Cleveland feeding & swallowing therapy are going to need speech therapy, but it’s not uncommon when they do. One of the benefits of a multidisciplinary clinic like Therapy & Wellness Connection is that not only are a “one-stop-shop” for parents of children who need multiple intervention services, but we can offer a more holistic approach. While a speech therapist can provide both feeding & swallowing therapy and speech therapy, occupational therapists and ABA therapists can also bring their own perspectives and strategies for issues like extreme picky eating due to sensory processing disorder, etc.

How Feeding & Swallowing Therapy and Speech Therapy Complement Each Other

There are a number of ways that feeding & swallowing therapy and speech therapy complement each other when offered at the same time. Among those:

1. Strengthening Oral-Motor Skills.
   • Many children with speech sound disorders also have difficulty with chewing, lip closure, or tongue movement, impacting both speech clarity and safe eating.
   • Exercises targeting tongue control, lip strength, and jaw stability can improve both articulation and feeding efficiency.
2. Improving Breath Support & Coordination.
   • Speech and swallowing both require proper breath control.
   • Children with weak breath support or coordination difficulties (e.g., those with cerebral palsy or prematurity-related respiratory issues) benefit from therapy that targets controlled breathing for speech while ensuring safe swallowing.
3. Enhancing Sensory Processing for Speech & Eating.
   • Children with sensory aversions (e.g., autism, sensory processing disorder) may avoid certain textures in food and struggle with speech sounds requiring similar oral movements.
   • SLPs use desensitization strategies to help children tolerate food textures and improve articulation precision.
4. Building Coordination Between Speech & Eating Movements.
   • Conditions like apraxia of speech involve motor planning deficits, which can also impact the coordination needed for safe chewing and swallowing.
   • Therapy that strengthens neuromuscular control can improve both speech clarity and feeding mechanics.

Diagnoses That May Require Both Feeding & Speech Therapy

Several conditions necessitate simultaneous speech and feeding therapy, including:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Sensory sensitivities and oral-motor delays can lead to both speech and feeding challenges, such as food refusal or difficulty forming speech sounds.
• Cerebral Palsy: Muscle tone issues affect both speech production and the ability to chew and swallow safely.
• Down Syndrome: Hypotonia (low muscle tone) impacts oral-motor function, making both speech articulation and feeding coordination difficult.
• Prematurity & NICU Graduates: Many premature infants develop oral aversions, weak suck/swallow patterns, and delayed speech/language development.
• Apraxia of Speech: Difficulty with motor planning affects both speech clarity and the coordinated movements needed for eating.
• Cleft Lip & Palate: Structural abnormalities can cause articulation disorders and difficulties with sucking, chewing, and swallowing.
• Neurological Disorders (e.g., Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke, Muscular Dystrophy): These conditions can lead to dysarthria (speech difficulties due to muscle weakness) and dysphagia (swallowing difficulties).

By addressing speech and feeding/swallowing difficulties together, SLPs can create a well-rounded treatment plan that maximizes a child’s ability to communicate effectively and eat safely. This integrated approach ensures that children receive targeted interventions for both oral-motor function and communication, helping them gain essential life skills in speaking and eating simultaneously.

Therapy & Wellness Connection – your connection to a life without limitations – provides feeding & swallowing therapy and speech therapy to children in Akron, Cleveland, Brecksville-Broadview Heights and surrounding communities. We also offer occupational therapy, ABA therapy, summer camp, day programs/social skills groups, education services, vocational counseling and more. Call us at (330) 748-4807 or send us an email.

Additional Resources:

Pediatric Feeding & Swallowing Therapy, ASHA

More Blog Entries:

How Akron Speech Therapists Identify Developmental Language Disorders