Frequently Asked Questions

What areas do you service?

Tampa Bay, Florida

What age range do you Service?

3 Step Services provides feeding therapy to children ages 1 year to 10 years old.

Do you accept insurance?

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What are the signs my child is struggling with oral-motor skills?

Oral-motor skills refer to the coordinated movements of muscles in the mouth, jaw, lips, and tongue. Children's oral-motor skills develop through infancy to toddlerhood, typically in a specific sequence that supports feeding, speech, and other essential functions such as chewing, drinking, and using utensils.

Some signs your child may struggle with oral-motor skills:

-Refuses to eat or try foods that are developmentally normal for their age

-Eats or drinks for very long periods of time

-Gags or spits out food

-Prefers to graze throughout the day rather than sit down for meal time

What are the signs my child's feeding difficulties are being influenced by sensory processing difficulties?

Sensory processing challenges are commonly seen in children with feeding difficulties. Eating involves engaging multiple senses—taste, touch, sight, smell, and even hearing. Children who are “sensory sensitive” or over-responsive may become overwhelmed by certain textures, smells, or appearances of food. Children who are sensory "under-responsive" may struggle with noticing hunger cues, food pocketing, and difficulty chewing. During feeding therapy, we gently and gradually introduce new foods in a way that respects your child’s sensory preferences and build positive associations with mealtimes.

With advanced training in both sensory integration and pediatric feeding disorders, I take a holistic approach to therapy that supports the whole child. This means looking beyond just the act of eating and understanding how sensory integration challenges may be affecting your child’s experience of food.