Twenty-two-month-old Bishop is developmentally ahead in all areas, except eating. As he struggled to transition to solids, Bishop was terrified to go to the clinic for therapy and made no progress. His parents, Zachary and Madeline contacted Rainbows because they wanted him to be able to receive therapy at home, as he is more comfortable in that setting.
A year ago, Bishop began receiving speech and feeding therapy with Speech and Language Pathologists Chelsy Whalen and Rebecca Paden. “They are both great at meeting Bishop on his level and never forcing him to do anything,” said Madeline. “They are also comforting to myself and assure me we are doing a good job in navigating his feeding issues.”
While Bishop is still not eating solids, he has made incredible progress. Before Rainbows, Bishop would clench his mouth shut and cry when offered food. Now he is willing to lick and try small amounts of food. He enjoys trying to feed himself and likes exploring new flavors. Bishop also LOVES to sit at the table for dinner. “Getting him to sit at the table used to end in a meltdown, but now we often find him asking to sit at the table,” said Madeline. “Rainbows has not only helped Bishop make progress, but it has also taken away the financial burden. We were paying hundreds of dollars a month at the clinic he used to attend.”
“Bishop is such a smart, fun little guy,” said Chelsy. “It’s been exciting to watch him build his confidence and become comfortable with more foods. Madeline is very insightful and is a wonderful partner in finding what strategies work best to help Bishop progress.”
Bishop is a social and happy toddler. He loves to play with other kids. He enjoys reading books, playing with cars, and coloring. “My biggest wish for Bishop is for him to feel safe eating solids,” said Madeline. “Although longer term, I hope he keeps his love for learning and playing!”
Madeline works for a local nonprofit, and Zachary works in physical therapy. They are huge K-State fans and have season tickets for football. They also enjoy playing at the park in their neighborhood.
