Do you accept insurance?

No, at this time, Little Cardinals Speech and Feeding is a private pay practice. This allows us to work outside of the constraints of insurance. We don’t need to wait for prior-authorization, get referrals from physicians, or prove medical necessity. Treatment is personalized to each child, working towards the goals that are most important to the family.

What ages do you treat?

Little Cardinals accepts clients from birth to about age 12. Have a teen who needs services? Please reach out and we can discuss on a case-by-case basis to see if we will be a good fit for your needs.

What is feeding therapy and does my child need it?

Feeding therapy helps infants, toddler, and children who are having difficulties with eating or drinking for a variety of reasons. We work on improving oral motor skills necessary for chewing, swallowing, latching to breast or bottle, and drinking from cups/straws. Signs and symptoms of feeding disorders include:

• Refusing breast/bottle

• Difficulty maintaining a latch 

• Milk dribbling from corners of mouth

• Causing nipple pain or damage

• Poor weight gain

• Poor endurance or falling asleep during feedings

• Open mouth posture at rest

• Coughing/choking during feeding

• Difficulty accepting solids at 6-7 months

• Difficulty progressing from purees to soft solids by 8 months

• Unable to drink from an open cup or straw by 12-18 months

• Limited repertoire of foods

• Anxiety around new foods

• Negative mealtime behaviors

• Difficulty moving/chewing food in the mouth

• Frequently overstuffing mouth

• Gagging or vomiting 

• Extended mealtimes (>30 minutes)
  

What is a tongue or lip tie? Does my child need it released?

Everyone has a frenulum, which is a small band of tissue under the tongue and upper lip. However, this piece of tissue becomes a tie when it is unusually short, thick, or restrictive. The key to identifying tongue and lip ties is how the frenulum impacts function. This is why you will hear that you can’t diagnose ties from a picture. Appearance or structure is only one piece of the puzzle. What really matters is how the frenulum under the tongue or lip affects range of motion and ability to eat, speak, or keep the tongue up at rest. It is extremely rare to have a lip tie without a tongue tie, but not so uncommon to have a tongue tie without a lip tie. Some people even have cheek ties. At Little Cardinals, Kori has extensive training in ties and will be able to help you determine whether your child’s difficulties are due to ties or other challenges.

Where are you located?

I am based in the Easley/Powdersville area, and travel about 20 minutes from my home to evaluate and treat your child in the comfort of your home! This area generally includes Easley, Powdersville, Piedmont, and downtown Greenville. I will occasionally stretch my boundaries, if my schedule can accommodate the extra drive time. See map below for general service area: