Expert Feeding and Swallowing Therapy in Canterbury

In Australia, so much of our social and family life revolves around food. From family dinners to weekend BBQs, eating and drinking should be a safe, enjoyable, and nourishing experience. But when a child or adult experiences feeding and swallowing difficulties, mealtimes can quickly become a source of immense stress, anxiety, and health concerns.

At daar, our highly trained Speech Pathologists in Canterbury provide comprehensive feeding and swallowing therapy (dysphagia management) for both children and adults. We are dedicated to ensuring that eating and drinking is safe, comfortable, and positive for you or your loved one.

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What is Feeding and Swallowing Therapy?

Speech Pathologists do much more than just help with talking! Because we are experts in the muscles and nerves of the mouth, throat, and voice box, we are also the primary allied health professionals trained to assess and treat difficulties with chewing, sipping, sucking, and swallowing.

At our Canterbury clinic, we divide our services into two main areas: Paediatric Feeding Support and Adult Swallowing (Dysphagia) Management.

Paediatric Feeding Therapy (Infants, Toddlers & Children)

If every meal ends in tears, frustration, or a refusal to eat, you are not alone. Paediatric feeding therapy helps children who struggle with the physical, sensory, or behavioural aspects of eating.
We support children facing challenges with:

Transitioning to Solids: Difficulty moving from breast/bottle to purees, or from purees to textured table foods.
"Picky" or Selective Eating: Expanding the diet of children who will only eat a very limited range of foods (often related to sensory aversions or Autism).
Oral Motor Weakness: Difficulty coordinating the lips, tongue, and jaw to safely chew and swallow food.
Gagging or Choking: Frequent coughing, gagging, or vomiting during or immediately after meals.

Practitioner supporting child during a play activity.

Signs You or Your Child May Need a Swallowing Assessment

Because safe swallowing is critical to overall health, it is important not to ignore the warning signs. Contact the team at daar in Canterbury if you notice any of the following:

In Children:

Mealtimes consistently take longer than 30–40 minutes.
Arching the back, crying, or pushing food away during feeding.
Drooling excessively or food continually falling out of the mouth.
Only accepting foods of a certain texture, colour, or brand.
Poor weight gain or reliance on nutritional supplements.

In Adults:

Coughing or throat-clearing during or immediately after eating and drinking.
A feeling of food being "stuck" in the throat or chest.
A "wet" or gurgly sounding voice after drinking.
Unexplained weight loss or recurring chest infections/pneumonia.
Taking a very long time to finish a meal due to fatigue or difficulty chewing.

The daar Approach to Feeding and Swallowing

Our approach is deeply rooted in safety, empathy, and evidence-based practice.

For Adults: We conduct a comprehensive Clinical Swallow Examination. We will observe the muscles of the mouth and throat, trial different food and drink textures, and provide immediate recommendations. This may include prescribing specific texture-modified diets, thickened fluids, safe swallowing strategies, or referring for an instrumental assessment (like a swallow x-ray).

For Children: We take the pressure off. We use evidence-based sensory and play-based approaches to gradually expose your child to new foods in a fun, positive, and safe environment. We work heavily with parents to establish stress-free mealtime routines at home.

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daar behaviour therapist in a clinic appointment with a kid

NDIS & Medicare Funding Options

Our Canterbury clinic provides accessible support through various Australian funding pathways:

NDIS: We provide thorough swallowing and feeding assessments, mealtime management plans, and ongoing therapy for Self-Managed and Plan-Managed NDIS participants.
Medicare: Eligible patients can access partial Medicare rebates through a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan provided by their GP.
Private Health: HICAPS is available on-site for immediate claims via your "Extras" cover.

Child learning emotional regulation skills with Positive Behaviour Support

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can you provide NDIS Mealtime Management Plans?

Yes. Our qualified Speech Pathologists have extensive experience in drafting comprehensive NDIS Mealtime Management Plans. These formal documents give clear, safe instructions to support workers and family members on how to safely prepare food and assist a participant during mealtimes.

What happens if my child gags during therapy?

Safety is our top priority. Our speech pathologists are highly trained to distinguish between an oral-motor struggle, a sensory gag, and a true choking hazard. We move at your child’s pace. In sensory feeding therapy, a child might spend weeks just looking at, touching, or smelling a new food before they are ever asked to taste it. We never force-feed.

Is my child just a "fussy eater" or is it something more?

Many toddlers go through a typical phase of fussy eating where they exert independence. However, if your child's diet is dropping below 20 different foods, if they are dropping entire food groups (like refusing all meats or all vegetables), or if their selective eating is heavily impacting family life and their nutrition, it crosses over into a paediatric feeding disorder. An assessment at daar can clarify this and offer a clear path forward.