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Program aims to help children overcome feeding disorders

Heather Kadey

Heather Kadey (photo by Jim Howe)

Some children during early childhood refuse to eat certain types of foods or sufficient amounts of food. If this goes on long enough to affect their weight gain, growth or development, it might be time to see someone who specializes in feeding therapy. Heather Kadey is a behavior analyst who directs the feeding program in Upstate's department of pediatrics. She explains that patients may come to her after a medical evaluation from a pediatric gastroenterologist. Sometimes a complicated medical issue impacts a child's ability or willingness to eat normally. Some feeding disorders are tied to autism. Kadey explains the therapy and emphasizes that feeding disorders are not the result of bad parenting.

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