The mission of the Nutrition Counselling is to provide appropriate dietary guidelines for children and youth with disabilities who attend counselling session at the centre.
The Session will help the children to improve
- eating behaviors
- physical growth and development
- self-feeding
- acceptance of food types and textures
- sucking, chewing, biting and/or swallowing skills
- meal-time behaviors
- the quality of the diet
- Immunity
- Sleep pattern
- Gastro intestinal function
The nutrition counselling involves various steps in order to reduce food allergy, life style diseases, overcome nutritional deficiencies and gives awareness on the substitute foods .
The nutrition counselling constitutes
Assessment of
- Existing Dietary pattern using 24 hr recall method
- food allergy and preferences
- Intake of food supplements and multi vitamin tablets
Diet plan on the basis of
- Dietary guidelines of the disability
- Food preferences of the individual
- RDA
Delivery of the diet chart with explanation on
- Ways to prepare food
- Ways to feed
- When to feed
- What to feed.
Nutrition and Disabilities
Nutrition is essential for promoting growth and development in children and promoting and maintaining good health in adults. Good nutrition enables individuals to reach their full physical, mental, and emotional potential. Individuals with disabilities are often at risk for nutritional problems resulting from:
- Special eating or feeding problems that make it difficult to meet nutritional needs
- Movement or neurological limitations that affect activity levels and alter calorie needs
- Weight problems (overweight or under weight)
- Diets that are inappropriate or unbalanced
- Vitamin and mineral deficiencies and other side effects of long term or multiple medications
- Alternate forms of feeding, such as G & J feeding tubes
- Special nutrient requirements.
