Adolescent Evaluation
FOCUS for Mealtime Success offers the highest quality evaluation and treatment for adolescents with feeding and mealtime challenges. There are a few different types of evaluations that are offered through FOCUS. Our intake coordinator will be happy to discuss with you which evaluation will best meet your needs. Wondering if your adolescent would benefit from support in this area? Click here to find out.
Comprehensive Evaluation
Specialty FOCUS Oral Motor Evaluation
Insurance Evaluation
Clients whose evaluation is covered by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC) insurance plans are eligible for our abridged evaluation to assess oral motor and feeding skills. This evaluation requires 45 minutes to 1 hour of assessment and includes a brief two-page written report. An evaluation feedback/goal-setting meeting is strongly encouraged but not covered by this insurance plan and must be paid for out-of-pocket, if desired. This evaluation is not comprehensive but is sufficient to determine eligibility for occupational therapy services.
Screening
Adolescent Treatment
Individual therapy works to address the foundational areas required for successful eating. Occupational therapists at FOCUS for Mealtime Success have specialized training and utilize the FOCUS Program, a whole-body, systematic approach developed to address the complex and multifaceted needs of clients who experience challenges around mealtime. Eating is a complex and multisystem skill, so FOCUS practitioners believe it is not helpful to target treatments solely on the individual’s mouth, but to consider the individual’s whole body and all environmental, contextual, physical, and psychological factors as part of a collaborative and systematic approach to treatment. Each therapeutic treatment program is based on the individual needs of the client and is tailored to meet the individual’s unique goals. A combination of whole-body work and targeted oral motor skill work is included throughout the course of treatment. Treatment goals may include strengthening the postural muscles necessary for eating, increasing strength and control of different oral structures necessary for eating, decreasing oral sensitivities, and working towards exploration with food to expand food repertoire. In addition to these specific goal areas, other areas addressed on an ongoing basis include environmental set-up, food preparation skills, and promoting organization and regulation during mealtime.