​Child with Swallowing Difficulty (Dysphagia): Safe Swallowing Strategies

These strategies are important to ensure that feeding is safe and pleasurable for you and your child. Ensure that the child is:

Awake and alert

Optimally positioned during feeding

        Optimal positioning means:

• Appropriately upright

• There is no hyperextension of the child's neck

• Child is well supported in a chair/buggy

Provided with verbal/tactile prompts for swallows

Fed slowly

Provided pacing and rest breaks as recommended by your speech therapist  

• STOP feeding if the child persistently coughs, chokes or displays fatigue

• No oral feeding if the child is unwell (if on minimal oral trials/pleasure feeding)

• No force-feeding of the child

Ref: K21