Stories
Pediatric feeding therapy makes swallowing easier
Greyson Reiss was born in February 2016 with Down syndrome. Greyson also has trouble swallowing (dysphagia) and regularly visits Central Coast Language and Learning Center for feeding therapy with speech-language pathologist, Courtney Long. His parents, Brent and Nina Reiss, share some of their story.
"It takes a village to raise a child, and outside of our friends and family, Greyson's therapists are part of that village. The combined efforts of his physical therapist, his occupational therapists, and his language and eating therapist can all be attributed to his developmental successes. Growing with him as we learn how to help him along, and to see him figure things out have been truly amazing moments." –Brent
What has your experience been like at Central Coast Language and Learning?
"We have seen significant improvement since we started with CCL&L. Courtney has been amazing with Greyson. She is so interactive and extremely knowledgeable. Greyson loves his sessions with her. I can't tell you how proud I am to see Greyson actually eat soft solid foods without gagging or choking. When he first started therapy it happened during every session but at some point, he started actually manipulating the food and he eats so well now. He is making such great progress." –Nina
What advice would you give other families in a similar situation?
"Seek out services for your child/children. We have continually asked for services like occupational and physical therapy even though Greyson didn't show a need at the moment. We knew he would need them. Getting started early with feeding therapy has been very beneficial." –Nina
Was there a moment during a therapy session that was particularly special or memorable for you?
"Greyson has adapted to his low muscle tone by relying too much on his skeletal system. He constantly locks out his joints so that the bones do the work instead of the muscles because they tire out quickly. When he stands and begins to loose his balance, he will keep his knees locked out and fall backward like a board. There is no instinct to put a hand out to catch himself or to bend his knees so he lands on his bottom. It all has to be learned. When he was falling one day during physical therapy, seeing him bend his knees so that he landed on his bottom instead of falling like a pancake flat on his back is a memory I will not soon forget. He is such an amazing little dude and I cannot wait to see how he'll progress." –Brent