Speech-Language Pathologist
Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are here to help children grow and thrive in many important areas, including feeding, swallowing, speech, language, cognition, and voice. For children with congenital heart disease, feeding and meeting developmental milestones can sometimes be challenging. During your child’s hospital stay, an SLP will work closely with you and your child to support safe and comfortable feeding as well as promote speech and language development. When needed, they may also complete specialized swallowing assessments (Modified Barium Swallow Studies) to better understand how your child eats and drinks.
SLPs are part of a caring team that includes nutrition, occupational therapy, and other specialists. Together, they create an individualized feeding plan designed just for your child. SLPs help assess how safely and effectively your child can feed and may recommend special techniques, bottles, or positions to make feeding easier and safer. Families are an important part of this process, and your SLP will provide guidance and education to help you feel confident in caring for your child’s feeding needs.
In many cases, an SLP will begin working with your child before surgery and will continue to provide support through discharge. They will be there when feeding begins again after surgery, guiding you through each step of the process. If your child needs ongoing support after leaving the hospital, the SLP will also help connect you to outpatient services to ensure your child continues to make progress.
SLPs are here to walk alongside you and your child every step of the way. With care, compassion, and expertise, they help make feeding safer and easier, support your child’s communication and growth, and give your family the confidence to continue the journey beyond the hospital.
