Dysphagia Clinic

• conducted by Shari Bessell of Sound Bites Therapy Services

• Fridays at Prosper Paediatrics at Burnside Hospital, Toorak Gardens

• for referred infants and toddlers with Dysphagia (swallowing difficulties)

Shari sees infants and toddlers suffering from Dysphagia (swallowing difficulties).

Your paediatrician or GP will refer your child to the clinic. Indications that your child has dysphagia include failure to suckle/latch for breast or bottle feeding; increased respiratory distress during feeding; faltering growth/failure to thrive; inability to meet nutritional requirements orally and feeding tube dependency; coughing or choking with food or drink; refusal to feed or oral aversion in infants.

The Dysphagia Clinic does not see children for fussy eating or chronic picky eating.

I find that being able to work alongside children and their parents through all their big achievements and milestones is really worthwhile. When first meeting your child, I feel it is important to get to know them a little before beginning any assessment of their swallowing difficulties.

When not wearing my speech pathologist hat, Shari loves to go out for brunch and coffee, take her dogs to the beach and cook!

Sound Bites Therapy Services offers Speech Therapy at their practice rooms in Blackwood and in-home visits. The Sound Bites Dysphagia clinic is managed with the co-operation and assistance of Prosper Paediatrics who provide the room and take payments at the desk on behalf of Soundites for any non-NDIS appointments. Alison Spurr is the founder and Director of Sound Bites Therapy Services.