Swollowing and Chewing

[promysed]

My 13 month old daughter wont chew or swollow her food. I feed her table food now but its soft,graduate foods for toddlers and sometimes 3rd food fruits and veggies.she will take a couple of bites then she will hold it in her mouth I would move my mouth as if Im chewing to see if she would repeat me (she normally would repeat any sound or movement)..But she'll do it once or twice then she would stop and stare.she therefor after  would just sit there and hold her food. then she would fuss and cry but still holds the food,I then would have to struggle to get the food out her mouth.sometimes she would even gag on it or may even throw up.  I also thought maybe its because she's teething.could it be?I try to instruct her to chew but she just not doing it.what are ways I can get her to chew and swallow her food? is this a sign of some type of disorder? will I have to take to see a specialist for speech and swallow?is it a phase?could it be she just not ready for regular food (maybe go back to  strictly baby food)?

[specialmom]

Speech therapy at this age does work on feeding issues.  It could be some motor planning difficulty which is part of the brain's messaging and sensory system.  I would say that it is likely if she has trouble with this, she may have some trouble with articulation and speech.  Is she developing on time in other ways?  

My son has sensory integration disorder.  He did hit all of his milestones on time or early but he gagged and had difficulty swallowing.  I didn't realize it until he was 3 that this was what was going on.  Kids with sensory also have texture issues.  Meat is particularly hard and my son at 5 still prefers not to chew meat.  I cut it up very tiny but rarely will he eat something like cut up chicken breast.  I have to get creative with protein.  We've done occupational therapy since he was 4 and it has helped almost everything and most people can't tell he has a delay of any sort.  And delay has nothing to do with intelligence----  he's super smart vs his peers.

There are programs for birth to age 3 in which your child could be evaluated (sensory wouldn't be talked about yet) for speech therapy in which feeding issues would be addressed.  (assuming you live in the US).  These are free  programs provide by law for early intervention.  Check with your pediatrician or local children's hospital for a referrel.  

In the mean time, baby food is fine and maybe some of the kid things that are for those age that kind of melt.  Maybe some super soft noodles but one at a time.  My son had his worst choking situation with cherios at 10 months.  Scared me to death, so it is not worth it to force it too much.  That is why a speech therapist who deals with this would be great to give you suggestions.  I wish I had realized at such a young age as your little one to get some help with that.  You are a smart mom!!