While many parents know that Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) treat speech and language disorders, you might not know that SLPs also treat children with feeding difficulties. Strong feeding abilities are vital to help infants and children with growth and development and a child’s relationship with food can have long-term consequences.
There are various milestones each child will meet for the first three years. Feeding abilities differ from child to child, but most children follow a predictable progression of feeding and swallowing stages. The following list serves as a guide of the critical milestones expected for feeding development. As with any milestones, there is a range of normal. You should contact a qualified feeding therapist if you have any concerns.
Birth - 4 Months
Can only digest liquids (milk or formula)
Has oral reflexes for suckling and swallowing well
Recognizes a nipple or bottle
Latches onto nipple or bottle
Tongue is able to move forward and backwards for suckling
4-6 Months
Begins to show an interest in solid food
Mouths and gums solid foods
Opens mouth when food is presented
Moves from only suckling to sucking
Introduction of pureed foods and cereals can occur during this time
Moves pureed foods from front of mouth to back
Can sit up in a highchair
6-9 Months
Can hold and drink from a bottle while seated in a high chair
Introduction of open cups held by an adult can begin at this age (6 months) - some loss of liquid is expected
Opens mouth and wait for the spoon to enter
Uses upper lip to clean off the spoon
Begins to eat thicker pureed and mashed table foods
Gag reflex declines as child becomes used to solid foods
Early chewing develops and babies learn to coordinate sucking and up and down munching
Feeds self crackers
9-12 Months
Chewing using a rotary jaw action emerges
Ready to eat an increased variety of foods, progressing from mashed foods with noticeable lumps to soft cooked vegetables, soft fruits, and finger foods
Can take most of their liquids through a cup and drink through a straw
Might be ready to start self feeding with utensils
12-18 Months
Most children stop using their bottles and begin to exclusively drink from open or straw cups
Drinks with four or five consecutive swallows
Controlled biting skills improve and children can bite through a hard cookie if teeth are present
Uses tongue to move food around the mouth easily
Eats chopped table food and participate in family meals
Able to bring a spoon to mouth, turning spoon over en route
18-24 Months
Chews a broad range of food
Self-feeds most of the time
Able to swallow with lip closure, although may not do so all the time
Has precise up and down tongue movement
Can eat and drink with no spillage
Chews using a variety of jaw movements, including round and round, up and down, and side to side
Develops clear preferences for certain foods
24-36 Months
Able to manage any type of food (still necessary to cut some foods that are choking hazards)
Eats the same food at meal times as the family
Has clear likes and dislikes of foods and may develop picky eating habits
Able to use utensils well to stab food with a fork and scoop with a spoon with little spillage
Can help you cook and clean up
Children will continue to refine their feeding skills as they grow. If you have any concerns about your child’s feeding skills, contact us to request a feeding assessment with one of our speech-language pathologists.