I see progress in Jayden thanks to Josie, Ana, Joana, Peter, and Jesus. Thank you!
Hitting some bumps in the road to healthy eating and nutrition?
When Should I Consider Feeding & Nutrition Services?
You may consider feeding & nutrition services if your child:
- Avoids entire categories of food textures and has a generally restricted range of accepted foods.
- Has a strong emotional reaction to the presentation of new foods
- Rarely eats the same food as the rest of the family
- Frequent gags, chokes or coughs during meals
- May have respiratory problems
- Has/had difficulty making the developmental transitions (breast to bottle to cereal to mixed textures, etc.)
We Treat:
- Food allergies and sensitivities
- Anxiety
- ASD or SPD
- Constipation
- General oral motor deficits or those related to:
- Down Syndrome
- Cerebral Palsy
- Neuromuscular disorder
- Picky eating/problem feeding associated with complex medical histories:
- NICU babies
- GERD
- Tube feedings
- Respiratory distress
- Cardiac diagnoses
Areas We Serve
- Downers Grove
- North Mayfair
- Westmont
- Oakbrook Terrace
- Darien
- Albany Park
- Edgebrook
- Forest Glen
- Jefferson Park
- Clarendon Hills
- Lisle
- Hinsdale
Who We Serve
At The Clubhouse, we support children of all ages, from toddlers learning to transition to solid foods to adolescents with long-standing feeding challenges. Our feeding and nutrition services are tailored to each child’s developmental stage, sensory profile, and medical or behavioral needs.
We work with children experiencing a wide range of concerns, including picky eating, oral-motor delays, food sensitivities, sensory aversions, and feeding difficulties related to medical conditions. Families are referred by pediatricians, early intervention programs, schools, or reach out directly.
Feeding Therapy Techniques & Methods
Food Chaining & Food Exploration
This method introduces new foods by linking them to foods the child already likes, based on similar taste, texture, color, or shape. Through playful, non-pressured exploration, children learn to tolerate, interact with, and eventually taste new foods, gradually expanding their diet.
Systematic Desensitization
For children with significant aversions to certain foods or textures, we use a slow and gradual step-by-step process. This might start with simply looking at the food, then touching it, kissing it, and finally tasting it, moving at the child’s own pace to reduce anxiety.
Appetite Manipulation & Meal/Snack Scheduling
We work with families to structure meal and snack times to ensure the child arrives at the table with a healthy appetite. This natural motivation makes them more open to trying new foods and helps regulate their hunger and fullness cues.
Positive Reinforcement & Mealtime Strategies
We use encouragement and positive reinforcement to celebrate all feeding successes, whether it’s touching a new food or taking a bite. We also teach practical mealtime strategies to create a calm, structured, and predictable environment that promotes positive behaviors at the table.
Collaboration & Goal Setting
Our therapy is a team effort. We collaborate closely with parents, and when necessary, with occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and dietitians to address any underlying oral-motor or medical concerns. Together, we set realistic and personalized goals for each child.
Program Structure
Every child’s therapy journey at The Clubhouse begins with a personalized nutrition/feeding plan built on their unique needs and strengths. Our structured process ensures steady progress, meaningful goals, and ongoing support for your family.
Here’s a quick peek of our process:
1- Initial Assessment
We start with a comprehensive feeding assessment to understand your child’s current eating habits, nutritional intake, food sensitivities, and the mealtime dynamics. This helps us identify the root causes of feeding challenges and create a solid foundation for their therapy plan.
2- Goal Setting
Based on the assessment, we develop a customized Feeding Intervention Plan (FIP) with clear, measurable, and family-centered goals. These goals are built to support nutritional wellness and everyday success at the family table.
3- Schedule Options
Therapy schedules are flexible and tailored to your child’s tolerance and needs. We offer multiple session lengths and frequency options, from intensive programs to weekly sessions, to ensure consistent progress.
4- Progress Tracking
Our feeding specialists track your child’s progress during each session using data-driven methods, monitoring everything from food exploration to successful bites. This ensures we stay on target and make informed adjustments as needed.
5- Supervision by a Feeding Specialist
A licensed and experienced Feeding Specialist (such as an Occupational Therapist or Speech-Language Pathologist with advanced feeding training) oversees every program for quality, safety, and effectiveness. They also coach therapists and meet with families regularly to guide the process.
What People Say About Us
Over 95% of families leave us a 5-star review on Google! See what our families said about their experience at the Clubhouse:
My daughter’s behavior progress and language development has been extraordinary with the guidance of the wonderful staff at Communication Clubhouse.
I’ve been with Communication Clubhouse since my Son was 18 months old. Kyle is now 11 yrs old. He receives Speech, Occupational and ABA therapy in the Downers Grove office. I’ve had nothing but great experiences with this office. Honestly this is his 2nd home. Kyle has advanced so much because of them. I’m so appreciative to Communication Clubhouse.
The team at Communication Clubhouse have made a huge impact for our daughter and son. Both have learning disabilities and have benefited from the reading therapy, behavior therapy and occupational therapy.
P gives Olivia and Mary two thumbs up – and her parents give even more gratitude for the patience, persistence and support. Thanks to everyone at CC for your work!
When our daughter graduated from EI, we knew we wanted to stay with our OT and started attending sessions in the clinic. Sarah had a huge impact on the way we parent and how we support our daughter’s sensory needs. We loved her so much, and when she moved out of town, we were nervous about transitioning to a new OT. But Brianne is fantastic and it was a smooth transition. Our daughter had her sessions in the gym, which is an amazing space with so many different ways for children to work on their therapy goals. The space combined with Brianne’s creativity resulted in such fantastic growth that our daughter has since graduated from OT. We feel very grateful for the role Communication Clubhouse has played in our daughter’s development, and it is wonderful knowing that we have such a great place at our disposal should our daughter need additional OT services in the future.
The Clubhouse has been an incredible resource for our family! Our son came into the center only speaking a few words and is now speaking full sentences, labeling his emotions and having conversations! The sessions have been life changing and we couldn’t be more grateful of the dedication, time and grace that Ms. Megan has put in with our son! Thank you!
A wonderful place with caring staff and a nurturing environment! Two of my sons have gone here now and they both have shown remarkable improvement! My middle son went from barely speaking at all to now speaking full sentences. My oldest son started saying the “s” sound that he struggled with after just a couple sessions! They love coming here because they make it so much fun for kids that they don’t even realize they’re learning. Thank you so much!
We have been working with therapists from The Clubhouse since my twins were 18 months old and in early intervention. We then started going to The Clubhouse after they aged out of EI and have been there ever since for multiple types of therapy. My twins are almost 10. We love the therapists, office staff, program offerings, and schedule availability. This place is built for kids, they get it. I feel so grateful to have connected with this group of caring humans. They have made a huge impact for my kids and have helped them group tremendously! I would highly recommend The Clubhouse to anyone looking for pediatric therapy!
Our son has been going to Communication Clubhouse for six years and we love it. Wonderful people!!
Our Insurance Providers
The Clubhouse works with families with all major insurance coverage. We are proudly an in-network provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, and Medicaid. While we are not in-network with other insurance companies, we can provide the necessary documentation to submit for reimbursement to your insurance company.
Frequently Asked Questions
If mealtimes are creating stress and impacting your family dynamic, then support for feeding is recommended. Other signs your child may need support might be restricting whole food groups or textures, having strong emotional responses to new foods, or having to eat separate meals from the rest of the family. Children who have frequent gagging or coughing during meals may also benefit.
Feeding therapy can be sensory exploration of food, using food in play, preparing meals, experimenting with foods and collecting data, and much more. Our sessions focus on a low-pressure environment using a child-responsive approach.
Positive relationships with food start with a low-pressure environment and neutral language regarding foods. Therapists will work with each family to come up with changes to make at home as therapy evolves based around your child’s needs.
Typically, children receiving feeding therapy will receive services once per week, but this can vary depending on the needs of your child.