The Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida Reviews

Janneke 2025.08.29

     

The Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida has changed our lifes. Our daughter had feeding issues from infancy. She never took full feeds, would vomit extensively, or go long periods without eating. It was incredibly stressful, and we hoped that transitioning to solids would improve things. Unfortunately, it didn’t. Our local hospital recommended EMDR therapy, but when that didn’t help, they suggested a hunger provocation to force her to eat. We had various outpatient therapy sessions, but that also yielded no results. We felt completely stuck, and the likelihood of needing a feeding tube was increasing. At 20 months, she was still dependent on breastfeeding. In my extensive search for a solution, I came across the PFI. In our first online meeting, Andrea was able to achieve more than we had with all our hospital visits and therapy sessions, which gave us hope. We were incredibly fortunate to join the program. On day one, Taylor and Andrea identified the core issues and developed a plan. Andrea referred us to a GI specialist, whom we were able to visit immediately. Allergies were ruled out, and the team began working with our daughter — teaching her to chew and swallow, building her skills step by step. Andrea, Taylor, and Diane made the feeding sessions very enjoyable and built trust with our daughter. With their experience and expertise, they could distinguish between medical limitations and behavioral habits. We were discharged within six weeks of the intensive program. Our daughter now feeds herself and enjoys food. We never imagined we’d reach this point — our visit to Boca has truly been life-changing for our family. We cannot thank Andrea, Taylor, and Diane enough. We wish their method was more widely available to families facing feeding challenges and to the practitioners who support them. They are true heroes!

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Dina G 2025.08.18

     

For over 3.5 years, my son struggled to eat. He had severe sensory challenges that caused him to gag on just about everything, as well as poor oral motor coordination that prevented him for chewing properly. His diet consisted solely of Pediasure, milk, a handful of pantry (junk) foods and some purees that he ate with much difficulty. After years of failed traditional outpatient therapy, his attitude toward food only continued to worsen. The local children’s hospital overseeing his care had no remaining option for him other than a feeding tube. In my relentless research and pursuit to get my son to eat, I stumbled upon the Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida and decided to get him assessed for their 8-week intensive program, to which he was admitted. My son graduated from their intensive a few days ago, and I can’t recommend it enough. Taylor and Andrea are absolute pros at everything feeding. They used incredible food chaining methods to help my son build upon the few foods he was willing to eat, and desensitized his overactive gag reflex. They did oral motor exercises and taught him how to chew. They helped modify his extremely negative mealtime behaviours and managed his tantrums kindly and firmly. They also taught me and my husband how to feed our son so we could copy their methods at home. As a bonus, the intensive program included daily OT sessions that gave my son an outlet to release his energy and regulate his sensory system. He adored his OT, Diane ❤️ Today my son eats various types of meats, eggs, cheese, pasta, rice, all kinds of bread and spreads, different snacks, some fruit and is working his way up towards vegetables. Taylor and Andrea accomplished in 8 weeks what could not be done by all kinds of therapists over the course of 3.5 years. They have literally changed my son’s life and that of our entire family. They were the answer to my prayers. And while the work still continues here at home, my son is finally free of Pediasure and on his way to making a sustainable, healthy recovery. Thank you, Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida. You are forever in our hearts and we will never forget you.

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Meghan Lenihan 2025.07.01

     

Our family cannot thank The Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida enough for their unwavering support for the two months our son, Keegan, was in their care. At the age of 2, shortly after his birthday, Keegan stopped eating altogether for an unknown reason. For 4 ½ years he would only drink from a baby bottle, which was his sole source of nutrition. Following an autism diagnosis and several years of therapies that proved unsuccessful, we decided that we needed help from feeding experts. In opening our search nationwide for a feeding program, we felt very fortunate to find this clinic a few hours from our home. Andrea and Taylor are absolute angels! Not only did they tackle helping our son to eat again, but they also worked through the pushback behaviors with such grace. If Keegan was having a particularly difficult day, they moved heaven and earth to find a place/way to make him comfortable and centered for his therapy. After 8 weeks of intensive feeding therapy, identifying a retracted tongue, performing exercises to loosen his neck (and tongue) muscles, Keegan can eat pureed food with assistance! He has also become very enthusiastic about trying solid foods as well! Andrea and Taylor did not give up on our son and provided us with the necessary tools to continue expanding his feeding journey. People like Andrea and Taylor only come along once in a lifetime, and we are so very thankful that we were able to meet them and share in their company/expertise. We would also like to thank Abrielle (OT) for keeping Keegan on track while he was away from his regular therapies. You were a bright spot in his day! For anyone who is contemplating reaching out for help, please don’t hesitate to do so. I promise it will be the best decision you’ve made for you and your loved one. Keep on shining Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida… we love you so much!

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Alex Alonso 2025.05.13

     

I wish I could leave a million stars! Our son began his journey with a severe food aversion rooted in traumatic feeding experiences as an infant. He refused all solids and would gag, choke, or spit up anything we tried. But in just a few months, thanks to the incredible team—especially his number one, Cam—he's now enjoying full meals and snacks! Taylor and Andrea are true professionals who run an outstanding program. My wife and I are beyond grateful for the love, patience, and expertise they’ve poured into helping our little man thrive.

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ELIZABETH GUERRERO, PA 2025.05.09

     

A Miracle in Boca Raton: A Mother’s Day We’ll Never Forget There are moments in life that redefine everything you thought you knew about love, hope, and faith. For our family, that moment came through a small boy with a big spirit—our sweet three-year-old grandson, Aiden. For months, we watched Aiden struggle. He wouldn’t eat—only drink milk. Mealtime became heartbreak, and our hearts ached watching this beautiful boy cry, tantrum, and turn away from food. We prayed endlessly, asking God for guidance, for strength, for a miracle. And God answered. He sent us to the Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida in Boca Raton. He sent us angels on earth, Ms Cam, Taylor McKenna and Kayla McKenna extraordinary women who not only helped Aiden, but loved him like he was their own. And how could they not? He’s a light, full of life, and it just needed to shine. From the front staff to the therapists, every person in that office treated Aiden with patience, joy, and unwavering support. They created a space of healing, of hope. They gave him a chance. Aiden entered an intensive feeding program. It was hard. It was emotional. But through God’s grace and the hands of these dedicated women, he passed with flying colors. Today, my grandson is eating grapes. He’s eating turkey sandwiches, eggs, fish, pretzels—and even a cupcake. A CUPCAKE! He still loves his bottle of milk, but now he will joining us at the table. He eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He smiles. He laughs. And he no longer cries at mealtime. It is nothing short of a miracle. This Mother’s Day, I received the greatest gift of all watching my grandson enjoy a meal with us, something we only dreamed of before. To my son and his girlfriend: thank you for never giving up. Your strength has been incredible. To the Pediatric Feeding Institute: no review, no rating, no words could ever express what you’ve done for us. You deserve a hundred stars, not just five. To any parent reading this, wondering if help is possible, yes, it is. The Pediatric Feeding Institute offers more than therapy. They offer love, understanding, and transformation. Don’t lose hope. Miracles still happen. We are living proof. Thank you, God. Thank you, Ms. Cam, Taylor and all Therapists.Thank you, Kayla. Thank you to every single soul at the Institute. You changed our lives. And Aiden? He’s just getting started.

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Jaifet Martin 2025.05.09

     

Pediatrics Feeding Institute of South Florida is the one and only best institute for feeding therapy and occupational therapy. When my daughter was diagnosed with Dysphagia, Sever Acid reflux, and failure to thrive I was told that she would need intervention. I was referred to various occupational therapy providers in and out of state but I felt like they wasn’t experience enough or knowledgeable to help my daughter recover. My daughter will be crying in pain and refused to eat. I use to feel lost and helpless at times because I didn’t see my daughter getting better and none of the therapy were working. I got fed up and I knew that I had to advocate for her. I knew there was help out there the right one I just had to keep looking and not give up. I am so grateful that I found Pediatric Feeding institute of South Florida. They knew right away how to help her with her therapies. They used different Techniques to help Achieve her sensory food aversions and motor skills. Andrea helped me as well by referring me to the right doctors to help my daughter get the right treatments. I learned so much with Andrea about my daughter eating disorders. It helped me to feel confident and to apply those skills at home when I was feeding my daughter. I’ll have to say it wasn’t easy it was a long recovery but I knew I was in good hands with Andrea. But now I can say my daughter is doing so much better and no longer have no more eating problems. She is happy and enjoying her meals. Thank you so much Pediatric feeding Institute of South Florida !!!

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Ash McGarr 2025.02.23

     

Taylor and staff were fantastic! Our daughter (has low muscle tone) received feeding therapy and went from purée foods only (8 months) to chewing and eating typical solids (18 months). We received helpful tips and guidance each week during therapy sessions. We appreciated the virtual sessions given we are located over an hour away from the institute. Our daughter has now met the planned goals and recently graduated from this therapy. The Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida was an important piece in our child’s development. We highly recommend their service and expertise.

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Reply from The Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida 2025.02.23

Thank you for your kind review! It was a pleasure working with her and your family!

Anushka van Huyssteen 2025.01.31

     

This program changed my son’s life as well as mine forever. My 1 year old son started to eat three puree meals a day in the fist week and after a couple of weeks we never used his g-tube. He went from not eating/drinking anything by mouth to having all of his meals be sold hard foods and drinking milk in between. I am indebted to Taylor and Andrea. I found this program when I was heart broken, exhausted and numb. After multiple GI specialist and speech/feeding therapists, I felt for the first time like I was given a life jacket. The science backed knowledge, anatomy of muscles and mouth function and experience with g-tube related babies was so much more than all the specialist we had seen in the past. My son needed therapy to work on oral motor, sensory, and behavioral to over come his fear of eating food. Receiving feeding therapy and OT every day was what my son needed to get him off his g-tube. There is no doubt that if we did not do this program I would still be feeding him through a g-tube. Moving to Boca Roton for two months in order to do this program was the best investment we made for my son. No GI specialist suggested an intensive feeding program and I had a feeding specialist tell me not to do the intensive feeding program for fear of being too intense for a 1 year old. I say this because I felt very overwhelmed with having to advocate for my son and with that comes a lot of second guessing. But after finding Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida , reading about the success rate and going for an evaluation I knew my son needed to be enrolled in their intensive feeding program. The love, playfulness and dedication we received each therapy session is still with me to this day. Andrea, Taylor and Sarah was able to guide and show my son he can do hard things with the right support and tools. I am writing this one year after graduating the intensive feeding program. My son still eats all kinds of veggies, nuts, meats and snacks. We never went back on the g-tube and got the clear to take it out 6 months ago. Back story for anyone needing more reassurance to do this program: My son was diagnosed with failure to thrive at 3 months due to reflux that turned into a feeding aversion. He received a feeding tube and was referred to a feeding specialist. We had two tongue tie and one lip tie release done by the time he was 4 months to help him suck his bottle. We tried every bottle even Medela Special Needs Feeder. After 7 months of feeding therapy from two different feeding specialist my son was still receiving all of his 10 feedings through the g-tube day and night to help him gain as much weight as possible. My son would play with his food during feeding therapy and be happy and messy and I was told the eating will come just give it time. As the months went by I saw no change in wanting to eat or drink milk by mouth. As soon as food was brought to his mouth he would refuse or start to cry. During this time I was dealing with multiple projectile vomiting episodes during the day from the milk I was pumping through the tube. Feeding would take an hour per feed so for most of his life he would sit in his bouncer or high chair being hooked up by the tube. Resulting in very few opportunities of tummy time and laying felt to play on his mat and just roll around. We had to start physical therapy because he wasn’t sitting up by himself or showing no signs of crawling due to not having strong muscles by 10 months. Again this program and the people changed our lives!

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Reply from The Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida 2025.01.31

We are thrilled to hear he is still doing so well! We loved every moment of working with your family and our heart is full knowing we have made such a positive change in his and your lives. Thank you for your kind words and please keep in touch!

Gabi Scalzitti 2024.12.16

     

We absolutely love the Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida and highly recommend it! Taylor changed our daughter's life. We first saw her when she was just a few weeks old after her tongue tie surgery. She evaluated her, gave us tips for bottle/nipple changes and taught us how to do her mouth stretches. This led to a huge improvement in her bottle feeding. We then came back months later when she was having a hard time eating solids. We worked with Taylor for a few months and our child who wouldn't put one piece of solid food in her mouth now eats everything and loves food! Taylor changed our daughter's relationship with food, taught her how to eat and also taught us how to best help her. This was the best thing we could have done for our daughter and we highly recommend working with her!! We are forever grateful for their services!

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Reply from The Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida 2025.01.31

I am so grateful to have met and have been able to help her learn to eat! I’m so happy she continues to do well and enjoy food! I miss her!

Briana Fuqua 2024.07.13

     

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C B 2024.06.25

     

Our 4-year-old son, Connor, attended the Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida for 6 weeks in May/June 2024. He entered the program eating only a few solids, receiving most of his nutrients through his 4 feeds/day of formula through his g-tube. Andrea, owner & lead therapist, was able to diagnose Connor through a virtual evaluation with oral dysphagia & indicate that he wasn’t jaw grading his food, & immediately I knew this was the right fit for us. In just a few minutes, she was able to get him to do something no one else could get him to do, & 2 weeks later we were in Florida! Andrea & Taylor are exceptional in every way. Their knowledge, methods, & ability to adapt to each child’s needs are unmatched. They work so hard to ensure every child is successful & do not give up. They use combined approaches that include oral motor, sensory, & behavioral. Their approach was strict & firm but in a soft & positive way. It was the opposite of what I expected from “intensive feeding.” There was a lot of playing & fun while learning about new foods & eventually trying those new foods, & no vomiting, crying, or force feeding. They use an approach no other feeding therapist had ever tried, a technique called food chaining. They start with a food your child is comfortable with, & make small changes to get them to eat new foods. Through this method Connor learned about, tried, & eventually ate so many new foods. Connor averaged 1100-1400 calories/day orally, never lost weight, and hasn’t had a tube feed since day 7 of the program. He began the program weighing 27 lbs, & continued an upward trend finishing at 31 lbs. Over the 6-week program Connor ate 30+ different new foods! As a parent I was thrilled to watch him eat a variety of healthy/protein rich foods. We no longer need to strap Connor to a feeding pump 4 times/day anymore. Connor loved his therapists & was excited to go to “feeding camp” every day. They took the time to get to know each child, their likes/dislikes, & how they operate. For the little ones, they use a sticker reward system where they get to go to treasure box at end of the day. This was a great motivator for Connor! He was so proud at the end of each day. His therapists made sure that I was comfortable replicating their methods at home & allowed me to sit in every session to observe & be a part of. They understood the anxiety I felt just trying to get him to eat, and they reduced so much of that & made the entire experience enjoyable. The hardest part is transferring their new-found skills to home, but if you stick to the program, you will be successful. Connor still tests me at home a lot but I am firm & stick to everything they taught me. We have had very few setbacks, but he remains tube free! Children in the intensive program have 1 occupational therapy session/day in one of their two gyms equipped for climbing, jumping & all other sensory needs! The occupational therapist was incredible, she gave Connor lots of heavy pushing & pulling work which really helped him sit & eat during feeding sessions, and my son loved going to the gym each day. She answered all my questions & gave me lots of ideas for at home self-regulation & tools to use! The location is perfect, the facility is located near so many shops & restaurants, so many well-maintained playgrounds, splash pads, & trails that are all within 15 minutes of the facility. The beaches are beautiful & a great place to take a break on the weekends! Even though we were there for intensive therapy 5 days a week, we truly enjoyed the location & amenities nearby! Choosing this program was the best decision we could have made for our son, our lives are forever changed, and we are so grateful for the experience & help we received from Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida. Our only regret was not finding them sooner. Andrea & Taylor are so passionate about what they do & it shows in their work. They are the absolute best – the dream team! We HIGHLY recommend this program! -Parent of Connor

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Carolina Barros 2024.04.18

     

Andrea and Taylor saved our son’s life and transformed the lives of our entire family. Our son, autistic, 5 years old, had never eaten anything solid in his life due to a serious sensory disorder. The only food he ate for the last 2 years had been yogurt. Before he started the intensive treatment at the Feeding Institute, he was admitted to a hospital for 4 days, because he stopped drinking and eating. The only resolution proposed by the doctors was to start enteral nutrition (by tube). Andrea and Taylor were the only persons able to really help him, although we had sought help from several other professionals for years. Daniel graduated from the 8-week intensive course. He eats different foods that we could never have dreamed of. Our eternal gratitude to the entire team ( Andrea, Taylor, Sarah (OT) and Rachel. It was definitely the best decision we could have made it.

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Marissa Sander 2024.04.15

     

The Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida has vastly improved my son's quality of life. At one year of age, he was fully dependent on an Ng feeding tube for 9 months. He was assessed and placed in the four week intensive. During the first week, we were able to remove his feeding tube. By week four, he was eating with minimal assistance. The staff was wonderful but the therapists are the magic makers. They cared for our son like he was their own. They empathized with our family and worked to make progress possible, considering our practical hurdles and accommodating our family's needs. I highly recommend this program and its therapists to any family that has a child struggling with feeding difficulties.

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Emily Starr 2024.04.03

     

I had a struggle with my daughter's eating since she was 6 months old. She would take one bite of a solid food here and there and that was it. She lived on pouches- it's the only. way I could get anything of substance into her. I was told by multiple providers that she would grow out of it, but the stress of her not eating began to ware on me and it was clear the problem was not getting better. After working with Taylor for 4 months, it is night and day. My daughter EATS now. I truly never thought I would see the day. She is now 17 months old and eating is now just normal toddler stress level instead of my kid refuses food stress level- which let me tell you- is a huge difference. Thank you to Taylor and the team for being so patient and effective on this journey. We are forever grateful!

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Reply from The Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida 2024.04.03

Thank you so much for your kind words! I loved working with her and seeing her improve her oral motor and feeding skills made me so happy! I’m so glad I was able to help your family!!!! Take care and I will miss her!!!

Ludmila Brown 2024.03.08

     

The Pediatric Feeding Institute has been a blessing in our lives. Our daughter started feeding therapy in March 2023 being 100% fed via g-tube, less than a year later she is able to eat and drink all her calorie needs orally and her g-tube has been removed. Our appreciation for everything our daughter was able to accomplish working with Andrea and Taylor is unmeasurable and we are forever grateful for that.

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Reply from The Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida 2024.03.08

It was a pleasure working with your family!! We miss her!!

Erica K 2023.12.24

     

Before attending their feeding intensive, my son had been in Feeding/Occupational Therapy for 4 years with minimal to no progress. He was on a G-tube, had texture issues and refused all things except for a few purees. The intensive was our last resort for him to learn how to eat. Andrea, Taylor and Sarah are the absolute best at what they do. Truthfully, after everything was done, I felt like they did not charge their worth. There is so much information in Andrea and Taylor's brain, it is a wonder to hear them accurately assess different issues. They have an answer or technique to resolve a plethora of feeding problems. They really are the experts. And Sarah has such great comebacks and responses to unruly children who don't want to be challenged. I learned a lot just from watching her. They are a godsend. I'd highly recommend their program.

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J & G Minecraft !! 2023.12.03

     

The Pediatric Feeding Institute is Amazing! From the first phone call to the therapist! My child was the picky child who wouldn't eat anything....but now has tried a lot of things I still personally don't eat! Thank you to Andrea for the help and the tips. I highly recommend this office! Thanks again to the entire staff.

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Reply from The Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida 2023.12.04

Thank you for your kind words! We are so happy we made a difference in your child's life!

C Lee 2023.12.02

     

Really good therapist. This place has changed my daughter’s life, she is eating so much better now. Ms. Abrielle and Ms. Sarah are amazing.

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Reply from The Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida 2023.12.02

Thank you so much! We are happy our team made a positive difference in your daughter’s life!

carlos gonzalez 2023.11.21

     

I can’t thank these amazing feeding therapists enough! They have changed my son’s life! My son is five years old on the autism spectrum and would only eat puréed foods. After completing the intensive feeding program, he now eats a variety of different foods! We have been home for a few weeks now, and he continues to accept all kinds of foods. It’s truly amazing the work they do here. Andrea and Taylor are AMAZING! They love what they do and it shows. If you are on the fence about starting the program, my advice is go ahead and DO IT! I promise you will not regret it and your child will thank you!

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Grateful Mom 2023.11.17

     

I cannot say enough amazing things about the Pediatric Feeding Institute of South Florida! The quality of care that my child received from the moment I scheduled my son's evaluation was beyond measure. My son was born early and had difficulties feeding from day 1, resulting in NICU stay for a month. For the first 6 months of his life, we were just getting by, because he was only taking the minimum oz he needed to grow and thrive. When it was time to start solids, my son could not have hated it more. He would not open his mouth and he would turn away and cry. His pediatrician recommended we have an evaluation done because he was no longer gaining weight like he should and he was not taking any solids. When I called to schedule, the person on the phone listened to all of my concerns and made me feel heard. She scheduled me initially for the first evaluation appointment, which was 2 weeks away. But then I received a call the next day that an opening was available sooner and of course we went. My evaluation with Taylor was eye opening and thorough. She identified things even my pediatrician missed. My son had a tongue and lip tie and possible reflux. She also recommended we see the occupational therapist because he was tilting his head to one side and was very tense, as well as see a GI doctor for the reflux. Taylor gave us the name of Dr. Lustman for his ties to be assessed by him and for release. However, she explained how therapy is important to prepare for him having a release. So far we have started our journey and have attended feeding and occupational therapy for 1 month with Taylor and Sarah. My son is already doing so much better even before his release, which is scheduled for 2 weeks from now. He is opening for the spoon without crying and turning away! He is even trying to feed himself with recommend spoon by Taylor. He is chewing on teethers and puffs! And most of all, he is happy when he is doing it! If I could give more than 5 stars I would! I am so grateful for everything they have done for us this far!

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