Campus Location
Abilene Campus (Residential)
Date of Award
12-2024
Document Type
OTD Capstone
Department
Occupational Therapy
Degree
OTD
Faculty Advisor
Amy Gibbs
Site Mentor
Kellie McAden
Secondary Site Mentor (if needed)
Shayli Smith
Capstone Coordinator
Leslye Molamphy
Specialization
Program Development
Focus
Feeding Therapy
Abstract
This capstone aimed to identify parent experiences in feeding therapy. The literature highlights the high prevalence of pediatric feeding disorder and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder among the pediatric population with the prevalence numbers growing in children with disabilities. Occupational therapists provide a unique contribution to a feeding therapy team, examining the diverse needs of every individual in a holistic manner including physical, developmental, cognitive, and psychosocial factors. Current literature often overlooks parent perspectives when looking at feeding therapy. Literature acknowledges the stress inducing nature of feeding therapy on parents but falls short in exploring viable solutions to these challenges. This capstone looked to help bridge this gap by exploring parent experiences and feelings through administration of a survey and a comprehensive interview to parents during their child’s feeding therapy sessions at West Texas Rehab Center (WTRC). This capstone collaborated with the Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology departments to analyze the parents and their experiences throughout the Playful Plate feeding program. Throughout the 14-week process, parents were asked to complete a comprehensive survey followed by participation in an interview. The results of this project highlight the importance of tailoring parent education during the feeding therapy process. Feedback from the surveys and interviews revealed that parents need more targeted support, including more face-to-face time with their feeding therapist, more varied food hierarchies, and additional guidance for home carryover. These findings will guide the Playful Plate Feeding Program at WTRC to better address parent needs and improve therapy outcomes.
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