This week I sat down with Morgan Hammond, a speech and language pathologist and early intervention and feeding therapist.  We are talking to Morgan today about how oral dysfunction can lead to fussy eating behaviour in children, and its impact on breathing, sleep, behaviour & nutrition.

In this episode, Morgan & I chat about:

  • What encouraged Morgan to get into early intervention and feeding therapy;
  • The issues Morgan sees in private practice;
  • Morgan shares how feeding difficulties can relate to breathing, sleep, behaviour & nutrition;
  • The components of feeding therapy;
  • We touch on what oral dysfunction is & how this impacts food choices;
  • Causes of oral dysfunction, including Ear, Nose & Throat complaints, gut health issues, allergies & sensory needs;
  • The impacts oral dysfunction can have on negative associations with food;
  • Things to look out for when it comes to oral dysfunction including:
    • Persistent gut issues;
    • Mouth breathing and snoring;
    • Nightmares and waking often;
    • Restricted diet and what their food choices can tell you;
    • Duration of meal times;
  • Advice on finding the right speech pathologist for you. 

We hope you find this podcast episode insightful.