ABSTRACT PURPOSE: to check the connection between feeding disorders and speech language disorders in children. Thus, we tried to characterize the type of disorder in association with the child's speech and language performance, as well as the kind of interaction among mothers and their children. METHOD: the subjects in this research were 24 children (between one and eight year old) diagnosed with feeding disorders, and their mothers. Children were video-recorded while eating and were also evaluated in regard to their speech and language status. Mothers were interviewed about their attitude towards children concerning eating habits. RESULTS: out of the researched children, 46% manifested speech disturbs, 25% had speech and language disorders and 29% showed no changes. Therefore, 71% of those children proved to have some sort of alteration in phonological acquisition or production and/ or in language. CONCLUSIONS: it was possible to identify a close relation among feeding disorders and parafunctional habits, which makes easy for an articulation disorder to take place, mainly with a change in tongue-tip and teeth-ridge phonemes. As for the language, the children showed a language delay of around one year when compared to those of the same age group.
Speech; Language; Feeding Behavior; Children
