Skip to content
The New Years
First time here?

Preparing for your visit

Our goal is to make you and your child feel safe, playful, and supported as we navigate their development together. Here is what to bring and what to expect, by evaluation type.

Feeding Foundations (Feeding Therapy) evaluation

What to bring

  • A few foods your child always eats, and a few they sometimes eat
  • A sample of the utensils your child uses at mealtime
  • Their drinking container: bottle, sippy cup, straw cup, or open cup

Your therapist may:

  • Observe your child interacting with and eating the foods you bring
  • Observe how your child moves and navigates their environment
  • Use tools and toys to observe your child’s oral-motor function
  • Ask you questions about mealtime routines and setup
  • Ask you questions about feeding history and early milestones

Lactation evaluation

What to bring

  • Any feeding supports you are currently using
  • If bottle-feeding: any bottles you are using or trying to use
  • If supplementing: a small amount of milk (pumped, expressed, or formula) to have on hand
  • If looking for pumping support: your pumps and any flanges or inserts

Your lactation consultant may:

  • Observe a feeding session (nursing and/or bottle-feeding)
  • With your permission, place hands on the baby or in the baby’s mouth to assess feeding skills
  • With your permission, provide hands-on assistance with pump fit and flange sizing

Strong Starts (Developmental Milestones) evaluation

What to bring

  • For infants: a swaddle blanket to lay under your baby during the evaluation
  • For babies, toddlers, and children: comfortable clothing they can move freely in, and grip socks if they have them

Your therapist may:

  • For infants, with permission, observe your baby in just a diaper to see movement, muscle tone, skin, and breathing
  • Use play and movement activities to assess cognitive, motor, emotional, behavioural, and sensory functions
  • Invite you to participate or observe, depending on what is being evaluated

Oral Restrictions Journey

What to bring

  • Any bottles you are using or trying to use
  • A swaddle blanket to lay under your baby during the evaluation
  • If supplementing: a small amount of milk to have on hand
  • On the day of release: a small amount of milk for post-release healing

Your team may:

  • Observe a feeding session (nursing and/or bottle-feeding)
  • With permission, observe your baby in just a diaper to see movement, tone, and breathing as it relates to feeding and oral function
  • With permission, assess feeding skills and oral function
  • On the day of release: walk through the procedure and steps, review pain management, remain with you, support the first feed, and guide post-release rehabilitation