Comprehensive Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Program

Providing Services For Children With Feeding Difficulties

Comprehensive Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Program

Feeding is a skill that helps us get nutrients and grow. For many children, feeding comes naturally, and meals can be a fun, social part of the day. However, some children have or will be diagnosed with a pediatric feeding disorder. This can make feeding very stressful and overwhelming for the entire family.

Our teams work with you to understand your child’s needs and form a treatment plan. This will help your child reach their feeding goals. It will also help you feel confident when working on eating with your child.

There are not many intensive feeding programs that have an integrated team of providers. The Comprehensive Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Program is the only intensive feeding program in Ohio. Each year, patients come from across the country and the world to see us!

Our Mission: The Comprehensive Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Program strives to partner and work with families to improve meals, development, and quality of life.

Our Services

At the Comprehensive Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Program, we treat children with a range of feeding difficulties. These are usually called pediatric feeding disorders. We understand how important it is to be supported by a trusted team of experts when your child has feeding difficulties. To best meet their needs, we gather a team of feeding experts. Our team is made up of medical providers, nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, dietitians, social workers, chefs, and child development specialists. They all specialize in working with children with feeding difficulties and complex medical needs. Below are the various services we offer:

Evaluation Clinic

The Comprehensive Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital provides a comprehensive assessment of children with feeding difficulties. The Evaluation Clinic provides basic feeding recommendations and coordinates appropriate follow up for your child.

Intensive Feeding Track

The Comprehensive Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Program's Intensive Feeding Track is an intensive outpatient treatment option. It is for children with feeding difficulties who have tried traditional outpatient therapies and have not fully achieved their feeding goals.

Co-Treatment Outpatient Program

The Comprehensive Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Program's Co-Treatment Outpatient Program is for children with complex feeding difficulties who have tried traditional outpatient feeding therapies and have made limited progress in oral-motor skill development, with a child’s behaviors being a main barrier.

How Do We Get an Appointment?

Patients must have a physician referral.

Contact your Primary Care doctor to have a referral faxed, along with a copy of your child’s growth chart and last office visit notes, to (614) 355-8694.

Once we receive the referral, we will mail you a packet of paperwork. Please complete and mail or email this information to our clinic as soon as possible. You will be notified once your intake paperwork has been reviewed.

After the paperwork is received, we will call to schedule your child’s evaluation.

Intake Forms for Families 

Please mail paperwork back to the clinic or email completed forms to FeedingClinicVM@NationwideChildrens.org.

Our Team

Our team consists of a variety of specialists including Pediatrics, Psychology, Social Work, Nursing, Clinical Nutrition, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy.

Meet Our Leadership

Praveen Goday

Praveen Goday

Praveen Goday, MD, is a pediatric gastroenterologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He is the Director of the Nutrition and Feeding Programs and a clinical professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University.

Robert Dempster

Robert M. Dempster

Rob Dempster, PhD, is a psychologist in the Pediatric Psychology Program at Nationwide Children's Hospital and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He serves as program director for the Comprehensive Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Program.

Patient Resources

Child eating

Is Your Child Underweight? Ideas to Make Food Count

When your child is a picky eater, very active, or refuses meals and/or snacks, their growth may not be consistent. This may be displayed on their growth chart as declining percentiles, weight plateaus, or constant ups and downs.

Nationwide Children's Hospital Patient Stock Photo

Connecting Families

Do you feel like nobody understands what you're going through after your child's diagnosis? Nationwide Children's Hospital's Connecting Families program can match you with a peer who has gone through what you are going though. Learn more and apply here.

Nationwide Children's Hospital Patient Stock Photo

Classes for Parents and Kids

Search and register for the latest classes. Parents and kids will find courses on everything from babysitting and parenting to ADHD and diabetes.

Nationwide Children's Hospital Patient Photo

Triple P

The Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) gives parents new ideas and a chance to meet other parents. This program is for parents and caregivers of children 0 to 6 years old. It will cover parenting concerns such as obedience, bedtime routines and shopping frustrations. It also helps parents manage behavior and prevent problems from occurring in the first place.

How and Why to Thicken Liquids

If your child has dysphagia, you may need to thicken the liquids he or she drinks. Thickened liquids may help to protect the airway.

Feeding Matters – Serving Kids with Pediatric Feeding Disorder

Feeding Matters is the first organization in the world uniting families, healthcare professionals, and the broader community to improve the system of care for children with pediatric feeding disorder through advocacy, education, support, and research.

MyPlate – U.S. Department of Agriculture

Remember the food pyramid? Meet MyPlate, the official symbol of the five food groups. Learn how to make MyPlate work for you.

Oley Foundation (tube feeding information)

The Oley Foundation is a non-profit home nutrition therapy community and advocacy group with a mission to enrich the lives of those living with home IV nutrition or tube feeding through advocacy, education, community and innovation.

A Kid Again – Recreational activities for families

A Kid Again offers free local events and activities called Adventures for families who have a child facing a life-threatening condition. We handle all expenses and details, so you can simply enjoy quality time with your loved ones.

Cap4Kids

Access a comprehensive list of resources for different type of needs.

Ronald McDonald Family Resource – Red Treehouse

Redtreehouse.org supports families and children with challenges, disabilities, and health care needs by helping them find the resources they need to thrive.

Professional Resources

American Speech-Language Hearing Association

ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 228,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology assistants; and students.

Feeding Matters – Serving Kids with Pediatric Feeding Disorder

Feeding Matters is the first organization in the world uniting families, healthcare professionals, and the broader community to improve the system of care for children with pediatric feeding disorder through advocacy, education, support, and research.

Pediatric Feeding Disorder Professional Resource for Screening

Healthcare professionals are encouraged to utilize the diagnostic term, "pediatric feeding disorder" and related ICD-10 codes to promote the use of common, precise, terminology needed to advance clinical practice, research, and health-care policy for children with feeding difficulties.

Pediatric Feeding Disorder Consensus Definition and Conceptual Framework

Read an article written by experts regarding the Consensus Definition and Conceptual Framework when it comes to a Pediatric Feeding Disorder.

IAPFS – International Association of Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing

IAPFS is an international group of clinicians who treat pediatric feeding disorders.

Our Locations

Downtown Close To Home Center at 495 E. Main St.

Downtown at 495 E. Main St.