Feeding disorders are very common. Though it is hard to quantify, “[a]pproximately 20-50% of normally developing children, and 70-89% of children with developmental disabilities” (1) have a feeding disorder. How does this happen so frequently?!
According to Dr. Kay Toomey’s research and reviews of other studies, of children who have feeding disorders, between 65-95% of cases are caused by both behavioral and natural, organic causes (2017) (2). In other words, more often than not, a feeding disorder is not just behavioral! For example, a child that has undiagnosed reflux or allergies has learned to refuse food, because they have learned that food causes them to have an upset stomach. They may continue to refuse food even after receiving treatment for the initial physiological problem. A child that has choked on some solids because of undiagnosed oral dysphagia will begin to only eat liquid and purees to avoid choking. A child that is refusing crunchy foods could have sensory processing disorder and benefit from desensitization. A child that is having a hard time breathing will refuse food in order to get enough oxygen to survive. The examples could go on and on. Every child is different, and needs to be diagnosed and treated holistically.
Some signs that may indicate your child could have a feeding disorder include:
If your child eats less than 20 foods
If mealtimes take more than 30 minutes
If they refuse all of food of a certain texture or color, or are they having difficulty transitioning to solids
If they are choking, coughing, or gagging while eating
If they are demonstrating a lot of negative behaviors during meal times
If they have difficulty with mealtime routines or have a hard time sitting at the table
If they have difficulty chewing or swallowing (example: food left in their mouth after they’ve finished eating)
If you think your child could have a feeding disorder, or you feel that you’ve exhausted your options at home and don’t know where else to go, your child could likely benefit from a feeding evaluation and possibly feeding therapy. A pediatric feeding specialist can help you determine the cause, if a cause is present, make appropriate referrals, and plan the best course of treatment. Slowly, your child will become an adventurous and independent eater!
MetroEHS emphasizes that ABA therapy is not a lifelong commitment but a structured program aimed at equipping children with essential skills. From the outset, each child receives an individualized treatment plan tailored to their unique needs and developmental goals at MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy.
Dawn Sterling, Regional Director of Behavioral Health at MetroEHS, explains, “We like to think of working ourselves out of a job… it’s not necessarily a lifelong thing that you have to experience, especially for those that are in ABA therapy.” This perspective underscores the organization’s commitment to empowering children to achieve independence.
Individualized Planning and Early Intervention
The process of graduating from ABA therapy is highly individualized. Ashley Lewis, Clinical Director at MetroEHS, notes that planning for graduation begins early in the therapy process. “We like to start talking about graduation early… so that we know what goals that we want to go for and how we want to target each and every one of those goals,” she says. This proactive approach ensures that therapy is goal-oriented and progress is continuously monitored.
Early intervention is a cornerstone of MetroEHS’s philosophy. By engaging children in therapy at a young age, the likelihood of achieving developmental milestones and preparing for school increases significantly.
Life After ABA Therapy
Graduation from ABA therapy marks the beginning of a new chapter. Post-graduation, children may continue to receive support through other services offered by MetroEHS, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, and participation in social or playgroups. These services aim to reinforce the skills acquired during ABA therapy and ensure their application across various environments .
The goal is to prepare children for success in school and beyond, fostering independence and confidence in their abilities.
Learn More About MetroEHS Services
MetroEHS Pediatric Therapy offers a comprehensive range of services designed to support children with developmental challenges. For more information about their programs and how they can assist your family, visit metroehs.com or call 248-970-8402
Embarking on the journey through ABA therapy with MetroEHS means partnering with a team dedicated to revealing the “super” in every child.
We love working in Southeastern Michigan as we get to work with hard-working families and amazing businesses like Emagine who intentionally create special experiences for members of the community that can get overlooked.
Join Emagine For A Sensory Friendly Movie!
Sensory Friendly Screenings provide modifications to the theatre atmosphere without modifying the film for those who experience sensory issues.
Sensory Friendly Film Screenings
Select Emagine locations will host a unique, sensory friendly screening twice a month, with specific modifications made to ensure an enjoyable experience for individuals with sensory needs and their supporters. Their sensory friendly programing makes going to the movies a more enjoyable experience for families, children, and teens with sensory needs. All sensory friendly films will be shown in 2D. *Note there are no modifications made to the film.
What does Sensory Friendly mean?
First, it means sensory friendly experience (lights up a bit, sound down a bit). Second, if your child needs to get up, move, dance, sing…No problem. Third, guests are welcome to bring a safe snack for any food allergies or food avoidance/restrictions.
First Showing of the Day. On-Sale dates vary. Check the website or Emagine app for theatres and showtimes.
The Little Mermaid Saturday, June 3, 2023
Elemental Saturday, June 17, 2023
Where
Tickets are available at the box office, online at Emagine-Entertainment.com or through the Emagine App. To purchase tickets and for a full list of showtimes visit Emagine-Entertainment.com On-Sale dates vary. All films, locations, dates, and times are subject to change.
Film Synopsis
The Little Mermaid (Rated PG) The Little Mermaid is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
Elemental (Rated Pg) Follows Ember and Wade, in a city where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together.
In addition to Sensory Friendly Movies
Join Emagine Entertainment For A Variety Of Specialty Screenings
Providing Open Caption, Sensory Friendly, Dementia Friendly, Breakfast & a Movie, and Lunch & a Movie Screenings
Join Emagine Entertainment this June as they host a variety of specialty screenings for their guests. Each month guests can watch some of the newest film releases with an enhanced experience. Open Caption screenings provide subtitles for those with hearing impairments. Sensory Friendly Screenings provide modifications to the theatre atmosphere without modifying the film for those who experience sensory issues. Dementia Friendly screenings provide exclusively selected classic movies and musicals and encourage audience participation while providing guests with special door-to-door service. The Breakfast and a Movie and Lunch and a Movie allow guests to enjoy a full meal and concessions while they enjoy their film.
Open Caption Film Screenings
Select Emagine locations will host Open Caption showings of some of the newest film releases on Sunday and Wednesday afternoons all month long. Guests who experience hearing impairments will be able to enjoy the movie-going experience with audio subtitles displayed on the big screen for all to see. All open caption movies are shown in 2D. *Note: there are no modifications made to the film.
Locations: (Michigan) Novi, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, Hartland, Woodhaven, Quality 10 Powered by Emagine, (Minnesota) Eagan, Lakeville, Monticello, Rogers, White Bear, Willow Creek, (Wisconsin) Geneva Lakes, (Illinois) Frankfort, (Indiana) Noblesville, Portage
Films: On-Sale dates vary. Check the website or Emagine app for theatres and showtimes.
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Sunday, June 4, 2023 Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Sunday, June 11, 2023 Wednesday, June 14, 2023
Elemental Sunday, June 18, 2023 Wednesday, June 21, 2023
The Flash Sunday, June 25, 2023 Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Dementia Friendly Screening
Dementia Friendly Screenings include exclusively selected classic movies and musicals presented in a unique setting with softer sound and ambient lighting. Guests are able to interact during the presentation and encouraged to talk back, clap, tap their feet, sway, sing along and get up and dance. Emagine works with Dementia Friendly Saline to provide guests with a special door-to-door experience guided by a team of dementia friendly “Purple Angels.” These staff and volunteers act as guides for the guests beginning the moment they arrive until the moment they leave. More information can be found on Emagine’s website. Tickets can be purchaseddirectly through Dementia Friendly Saline.
Location: Emagine Saline
Films: Showings are the second Wednesday of each month.
Meet Me In St. Louis Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Pre-Show Mingling: 1:15-2:00PM Film Begins: 2:00PM
Breakfast And A Movie Screening
Each month, Emagine hosts a Breakfast and a Movie showing, at select theatres, of one of the newest family-film releases. Tickets are $24 each and include a full breakfast buffet, a 44oz. popcorn, and a 21oz fountain drink as well as a ticket to the showing.
Location: Emagine Royal Oak, Emagine Palladium, Emagine Canton
Film: On-Sale dates vary. Check the website or Emagine app for more information.
The Little Mermaid* Sunday, May 28, 2023
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Sunday, June 4, 2023
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Sunday, June 4, 2023
Senior Lunch And A Movie Screening
Each month, Emagine Royal Oak hosts a special Senior Citizen Lunch and a Movie. Tickets are $24 each and include a full lunch buffet, a 44oz. popcorn and a 21oz. fountain drink as well as a ticket to the showing. This offer is valid for guests aged 55 and up.
Location: Emagine Royal Oak
Film: On-Sale dates vary. Check the website or Emagine app for more information.
About My Father Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Where: Tickets are available at the box office, online at Emagine-Entertainment.com or through the Emagine App.
Film Synopsis
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (Rated P) Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered.
Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts (Rated P-13) Returning to the action and spectacle that have captured moviegoers around the world, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ‘90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce a whole new breed of Transformer – the Maximals – to the existing battle on earth between Autobots and Decepticons. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, the film arrives in theatres June 9, 2023.
The Flash (Rated P-13) Worlds collide in “The Flash” when Barry uses his superpowers to travel back in time in order to change the events of the past. But when his attempt to save his family inadvertently alters the future, Barry becomes trapped in a reality in which General Zod has returned, threatening annihilation, and there are no Super Heroes to turn to. That is unless Barry can coax a very different Batman out of retirement and rescue an imprisoned Kryptonian… albeit not the one he’s looking for. Ultimately, to save the world that he is in and return to the future that he knows, Barry’s only hope is to race for his life. But will making the ultimate sacrifice be enough to reset the universe?
He Little Mermaid (Rated PG) The Little Mermaid is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
Elemental (Rated PG) Follows Ember and Wade, in a city where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together.
About My Father (Rated PG-13) The hottest comic in America, Sebastian Maniscalco joins forces with legendary Italian-American and two-time Oscar® winner, Robert De Niro (Best Actor, Raging Bull, 1980), in the new comedy ABOUT MY FATHER. The film centers around Sebastian (Maniscalco) who is encouraged by his fiancée (Leslie Bibb) to bring his immigrant, hairdresser father, Salvo (De Niro), to a weekend get-together with her super-rich and exceedingly eccentric family (Kim Cattrall, Anders Holm, Brett Dier, David Rasche). The weekend develops into what can only be described as a culture clash, leaving Sebastian and Salvo to discover that the great thing about family is everything about family.
Meet Me In St. Louis St. Louis 1903. The well-off Smith family has four beautiful daughters, including Esther and little Tootie. 17-year-old Esther has fallen in love with the boy next door who has just moved in, John. He however barely notices her at first. The family is shocked when Mr. Smith reveals that he has been transferred to a nice position in New York, which means that the family has to leave St. Louis and the St. Louis Fair.
Brittany: Hello! My name is Brittany, I am the bilingual Speech Pathologist at Metro EHS in Sterling Heights and Detroit.
Mallory: Hi! My name is Mallory, and I work in the Human Resources Department at the administrative office in Plymouth.
B: And we are so excited to announce that MetroEHS now offers speech therapy in Spanish and English!
M: That’s great! We can service Metro Detroit kids in their native language! But Brittany, can you tell me how to know if my child needs speech therapy?
B: Sure! If you have concerns about the language or articulation development of your child, it is possible that he/she might benefit from speech therapy. For example, if your child cannot pronounce certain sounds, does not say a lot of words or combine words to form sentences, or if you cannot understand him/her, we can do an evaluation to see if he/she qualifies for speech therapy.
M: That sounds great! What happens next?
B: After the evaluation, if therapy is necessary, we are able to initiate therapy in English, Spanish, or both languages to help your child communicate with family, friends and all of the people in the child’s life using their preferred language.
M: So cool! Are any other therapies offered?
B: Of course! We also offer therapy for feeding difficulties, stuttering, problems with social language secondary to autism, and the use of augmentative and alternative communication for children who are not able to talk using verbalizations. Here at MetroEHS we also offer occupational and behavior therapy at all of our centers. We have a phenomenal team of therapists that provide individualized services for your child. And Mallory, you can assist Spanish-speaking families get started, right?
M: Of course! We accept most insurances. I would be happy to answer any questions that families might have. Call our office to see if your child might benefit from speech therapy or other therapies in Spanish, English, or both languages. Our telephone number is 313-278-4601. We would love to talk to you!
Brittany: Hola! Me llamo Brittany y soy la terapeuta bilingue de habla en MetroEHS en Sterling Heights y Detroit.
Mallory: Hola! Me llamo Mallory y trabajo en el departamentro de recursos humanos en la oficina administrativa en Plymouth.
Brittany: Estamos emocionados de anunciar que MetroEHS ofrece la terapia de habla en ingles y espanol.
Mallory: Que excelente! Podemos proporcionar la terapia de habla a ninos en MetroDetroit en su idioma nativo. Brittany, me puedes explicar como saber si mi hijo necesita la terapia de habla.
Brittany: Por supuesto! Si tiene preocupaciones del desarrollo del lenguaje o de la articulacion de su hijo es posible que se beneficie de la terapia de habla. Por ejemplo, si su hijo no puede pronunciar ciertos sonidos, no dice muchas palabras ni combina palabras para hacer oraciones, o si no le puede entender a su hijo, podemos hacer una evaluacion para ver si califica para la terapia de habla.
Mallory: Suena muy bien! Que pasara despues?
Brittany: Despues de la evaluacion, si las terapias son necesarias, podemos iniciar las terapias en ingles, espanol o ambos idimos para ayudar a hijo a comunicarse con la familia, los amigos y todas las personas en su vida usando su idioma preferido.
Mallory: Guau(wow)! Ofrecen otras terapias?
Brittany: Tambien ofrecemos terapias para dificultades con la alimentacion, el tartamudeo, problemas con el lenguje social secundario al autismo, y el uso de comunicacion aumentativa y alternativa para ninos que no puede hablar con verbalizaciones. En MetroEHS, ofrecemos la terapia ocupacional y la terapia de comportamiento (ABA). Tenemos un equipo fenomenal de terapeutas que proporcionan servicios individualizados para su hijo. Mallory, tu puedes ayudar a las familiar que hablar espanol en la oficina, verdad?
Mallory: Por supuesto! Aceptamos muchos seguros medicos. Yo estaria encantada de responder a cualquier pregunta que tenga. Llame nuesta oficina para ver si su hijo se podria beneficiar de la terapia de habla en espanol, ingles, o ambos idiomas. El numero de telefono de la oficina es 313-278-4601. Nos encantaria hablar con usted.
