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- +971 553119743
- +971 54 329 1664
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20+ Years of Clinical ABA Excellence | 7,000+ Children Supported Across UAE
Is Your Child Struggling to Eat?
Picky eating, food refusal, gagging, or a very limited diet can make mealtimes stressful. Austin Center in Karama, Dubai, provides evidence-
based feeding therapy to improve eating skills and make mealtimes easier.
Picky Eating & Food Refusal
Sensory Feeding Difficulties
Chewing & Oral-Motor Skills
Feeding Support for Children with Autism
Help your child eat with greater confidence and comfort.
4.9/5 Rating
Trusted by 2,000+ families
10 years
Pediatric Care
You may hate mealtimes.
You may make elaborate meals while everyone else eats normally.
Your child may eat only crackers and milk.
You may hear
“They’re just picky.”
“They’ll grow out of it.”
“You’re too soft.”
But in the back of your mind, you know something is wrong.
Feeding problems impact more than your child’s diet.
They impact your parenting confidence.
They impact family mealtimes.
They impact your child’s growth and health.
You’re not failing.
Feeding problems are treatable.
At Austin Center in Karama, Dubai, we believe feeding therapy requires a compassionate, patient, and scientific approach — not blame.
[ Talk to a Specialist Today].
Feeding therapy helps children who have difficulty eating, chewing, swallowing, accepting different foods, or managing mealtimes. Feeding difficulties may include picky eating, food refusal, sensory aversions, gagging, chewing difficulties, or a very limited diet. Early intervention can
support safer and more comfortable eating, while feeding therapy may help improve oral-motor skills, food tolerance, feeding skills, and positive
mealtime behaviors.
If you recognise even one or two of these, an assessment is worth it.
Author " Asha Susan, BACB (USA) & IBA Certified Behavior Analyst Email - asha.austin@gmail.com
Feeding therapy helps children who have difficulty eating, drinking, chewing, swallowing, accepting different foods, or participating comfortably
during mealtimes. Therapy is individualized to the child’s feeding skills, sensory needs, oral-motor abilities, food preferences, and family routines.
At Austin Center in Karama, Dubai, feeding therapy supports children with a range of feeding difficulties, with parent involvement and collaboration
with other professionals when needed.
● Children who are extremely picky or eat a very limited range of foods
● Children who refuse certain foods, textures or food groups
● Children who gag, cough, choke or have difficulty chewing
● Children with sensory-related feeding difficulties
● Children with autism or developmental delays who have feeding challenges
● Children experiencing persistent mealtime stress or difficulty eating enough
● Expanding food variety and improving food acceptance
● Chewing, oral-motor and age-appropriate feeding skills
● Managing sensory responses to food textures, tastes, smells and appearance
● Reducing mealtime stress and difficult feeding behaviors
● Developing more comfortable and functional mealtime routines
● Supporting safe and effective eating and drinking when appropriate
Early assessment can help identify the factors contributing to a child’s feeding difficulties and determine whether feeding therapy or referral to other healthcare professionals is appropriate.
Senior Pediatric Speech & Language Therapist (SLT)
Feeding therapy is a pediatric clinical intervention that targets difficulties in oral feeding, swallowing coordination, and age-appropriate eating skills.
It focuses on improving oral-motor function, sensory regulation, and functional mealtime participation.
It addresses disruptions in chewing patterns, swallowing safety, food acceptance, and progression of diet textures. The approach is based on
developmental feeding milestones and neuromuscular control of the orofacial system.
It is indicated for children with pediatric feeding disorder (PFD), pediatric dysphagia, or oral-motor delay. It also supports children with autism
spectrum disorder (ASD), cerebral palsy, developmental delay, or sensory-based feeding difficulties.
Children may present with food refusal, extreme selectivity, gagging, choking risk, prolonged feeding time, or inability to progress beyond certain
food textures. Some may rely on limited food groups affecting nutrition and growth.
Intervention includes oral-motor stimulation, graded exposure to textures, sensory desensitization, structured feeding hierarchies, and caregiver
coaching. Techniques are tailored to improve coordination, tolerance, and functional eating skills.
Early intervention supports safer swallowing, improved dietary variety, better nutritional intake, and reduced mealtime stress. It also helps establish
consistent, age-appropriate feeding behaviors across home and school environments.
Many families come to us after trying different approaches and often tell us they were looking for clearer guidance and more coordinated support.
Access to coordinated Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, and other pediatric services when additional support is needed.
Feeding programs are tailored to each child’s eating skills, food preferences, sensory needs, oral-motor abilities, and mealtime challenges.
Parents receive practical strategies to support feeding progress and positive mealtime routines at home.
Structured intervention based on the child’s individual assessment, feeding abilities, developmental needs, and therapy goals.
Engaging, age-appropriate activities help children gradually develop greater comfort and participation during feeding.
Therapy is guided by trained pediatric professionals who develop individualized goals based on each child's needs.
Early support can help address persistent feeding difficulties before they become more disruptive to nutrition, family routines, and mealtimes.
Feeding progress is regularly reviewed, including food acceptance, feeding skills, tolerance, and participation.
Therapy focuses on practical skills such as food acceptance, chewing, managing different textures, and participating more comfortably in meals.
Parents are actively involved in assessment, goal setting, therapy planning, and progress reviews.
When appropriate, feeding therapy can be coordinated with Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Psychology, and other pediatric services for
comprehensive support.
See why thousands of parents trust our specialized, multidisciplinary approach over standard clinical settings when it comes to their child's development.
| What parents compare | Austin Center | Typical clinics |
|---|---|---|
| Pediatric Feeding Experience | Specialized pediatric feeding support within a multidisciplinary child development setting | General pediatric or mixed-age practice |
| Individualized feeding plans | Feeding goals tailored to the child’s eating skills, sensory needs, oral-motor abilities, and food preferences | Standardized or less individualized programs |
| Feeding difficulties supported | Picky eating, food refusal, limited food variety, texture sensitivity, chewing difficulties, gagging, and mealtime challenges | May address a narrower range of feeding concerns |
| Parent coaching | Practical parent guidance to support feeding strategies and positive mealtime routines at home | May be optional or separately offered |
| Multidisciplinary team | Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Psychology andSpeech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Psychology and other pediatric services available when appropriateother pediatric services available when appropriate | Services may be provided separately |
| Oral-motor & feeding skills | Focus on age-appropriate chewing, feeding skills and oral-motor development where clinically appropriate | May have limited specialist feeding support |
| Sensory feeding support | Individualized strategies for children who have difficulty with food textures, tastes, smells or appearance | Sensory needs may not always be specifically addressed |
| Child-centered approach | Gradual, engaging and supportive intervention based on the child's tolerance and readiness | Approach varies by clinic |
| Progress Monitoring | Regular review of feeding goals, food acceptance, feeding skills and participation | Progress monitoring may vary |
| Family-centered care | Parents involved in assessment, goal setting, home strategies and progress reviews | Parent involvement varies |
| Early intervention | Early support for persistent feeding difficulties to promote safer, more comfortable and functional eating | Early intervention may not be a primary focus |
| Integrated pediatric care | Feeding therapy can be coordinated with other pediatric professionals when additional assessment or support is needed | Care may be more fragmented |
We talk about your concerns and feeding history.
We assess oro-motor skills, sensory responses, swallowing safety and mealtime behavior.
Specific objectives based on your child’s needs.
Exposure, oral motor intervention, desensitization, positive reinforcement.
Your child will be given a home strategy that you can practice with.
Measurable expansion of food variety and skill improvement.
When my daughter was three years old, we visited Austin Center, Karama, with concerns about feeding. She was very picky in eating and used to eat only yogurt and bread. She would cry when we tried to give her anything new.
After an initial assessment, the team recommended starting with Feeding Therapy sessions. We also understood how feeding challenges are often linked with sensory responses, and they explained the role of Sensory Integration Therapy in helping children become more comfortable with different textures and tastes.
We began the sessions at Austin Center, and we could see gradual changes in how she eats within the first 2 months. They didn’t force her to eat new food—instead, they helped her build trust step by step. Alongside this, they also guided us through Parent Training & Guidance so we could support her during meals at home.
"“We were very worried because our daughter was eating only a few familiar foods and refused almost everything new. Mealtimes had become stressful for our whole family. After starting feeding therapy at Austin Center, we were given practical strategies to introduce foods gradually without pressure. S..."
Behavior Analysis Standards
Dubai Health Authority Compliance
Approved Educational Therapy Practices
Sharjah Health Authority Guidelines
Rehabilitation Council of India Standards
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4.9/5 Rating
Trusted by 2,000+ families
Call us
+971 54 329 1664
971553119743
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Ansar Gallery Building, Karama, Dubai
Mon-Sat • 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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Al Nahda Clinic, Sharjah
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Metro
5 min walk from ADCB / BurJuman
From Bur Dubai
10 min — easy parking
From Deira
15 min via Maktoum Bridge
From Al Qusais
20 min via Sheikh Rashid Rd
From Al Nahda, Sharjah
20 min — near Dubai border
