Frequently Asked Questions

A paediatric dietitian is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) who specialises in supporting the nutrition, growth, and feeding needs of babies, children, and adolescents. They assess growth, dietary intake, and feeding skills, and provide practical, evidence-based strategies to support health, development, and family mealtimes. 

Paediatric dietitians are university-trained health professionals who are accredited and regulated in Australia. The term “nutritionist” is not regulated. Dietitians can work with medical conditions, growth concerns, tube feeding, and NDIS plans, and provide clinical reports when needed. 

Nutritionists play an important role in the health of the community - but they are *generally* not able to provide therapy at an individual level.

A child may benefit from seeing a paediatric dietitian if there are concerns about growth, feeding difficulties, picky eating, allergies, medical conditions, nutrient intake, or stressful mealtimes. Early support can prevent small issues from becoming bigger concerns. 

No, a referral is not needed to see a paediatric dietitian privately. However, a referral may be required if you are accessing Medicare rebates or NDIS funding. 

A referral from your GP is required to use a GP Chronic Condition Management Plan or an Eating Disorder Care Plan. 

A referral from your Paediatrician is required if you are claiming Item 135: Attendance Services for Complex Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

Yes. Paediatric dietitians regularly support children who are selective with food, eat a limited range, or refuse certain textures or food groups. Support focuses on improving nutritional intake while reducing mealtime stress and supporting positive feeding relationships. 

We look at the whole picture — your child’s growth, nutrition, sensory preferences, routines, and family context. Strategies are practical, realistic, and designed to reduce mealtime stress while supporting nutritional adequacy. 

Some level of picky eating is common in early childhood. However, if a child eats very few foods, avoids entire food groups, experiences distress around meals, or shows poor growth, it’s a good idea to seek professional support. 

Picky eating usually involves food preferences but still allows enough variety to meet nutritional needs. ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) involves significant restriction that affects nutrition, growth, health, or daily functioning and often requires specialised, multidisciplinary support. The dietitian team at Family Dietetics are skilled at diagnosing ARFID in children and adults. 

 ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) is a feeding and eating disorder where a child significantly restricts the amount or variety of foods they eat. This can impact growth, nutrition, health, and daily life. ARFID is not about body image and is often linked to sensory sensitivities, anxiety, or past feeding experiences.

Yes. At Family Dietetics, we support children with ARFID by assessing nutritional intake, growth, and feeding history, and working alongside families and other professionals when needed. Support focuses on nutritional adequacy, reducing stress around eating, and building confidence over time. 

Paediatric Feeding Disorder is a condition where a child has ongoing difficulty with eating that affects nutrition, growth, development, or daily functioning. It can involve medical, nutritional, feeding skill, and psychosocial factors, and often benefits from coordinated, multidisciplinary support. 

PFD goes beyond typical picky eating. It may involve difficulties with chewing or swallowing, limited intake affecting growth or nutrition, distress around meals, reliance on supplements or tube feeding, or significant family stress. These difficulties usually persist without targeted support.  

Yes. At Family Dietetics, dietitians play a central role in PFD management by assessing nutrition intake, growth, feeding skills, and mealtime patterns. We work closely with families and other therapists to support safe feeding, nutritional adequacy, and gradual progress. 

Often, yes. Feeding difficulties commonly involves input from dietitians, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and medical professionals. We collaborate closely with other providers to ensure consistent, child-centred care. 

Not usually. Instead of rigid plans, we focus on flexible strategies that fit your family’s routines and your child’s needs. Where needed, we provide clear guidance to support nutrition without increasing pressure around food. 

Texture refusal can be related to sensory processing differences, oral-motor skills, past medical experiences, or anxiety around eating. A paediatric dietitian works with the family and, when needed, other therapists to support safe and gradual progress. 

No. We take a pressure-free, child-led approach. Our goal is to support safety, nutrition, and gradual progress without distress. Forcing or pressuring children to eat often makes feeding difficulties worse. 

Feeding therapy supports children who have difficulty eating, drinking, or participating in meals. This may include challenges with food variety, textures, chewing, swallowing, appetite, nutrition intake, or mealtime stress. Feeding therapy focuses on improving both nutritional adequacy and feeding skills, while supporting a positive and safe relationship with food.

Feeding therapy is often part of a multidisciplinary approach and may involve dietitians, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and medical professionals, depending on a child’s needs.

Children may benefit from feeding therapy if they:

• eat a very limited range of foods
   
• struggle with textures, chewing, or swallowing
   
• rely on supplements or tube feeding
   
• have Paediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD), ARFID, or developmental differences
   
• experience distress or anxiety around meals
   
• are not meeting nutrition or growth needs

 Dietitian-led feeding therapy integrates hands-on feeding support with clinical nutrition expertise. At Family Dietetics, feeding therapy is delivered by paediatric dietitians who are trained to assess and support both how a child eats and what nutrition they are receiving.

This approach allows feeding skill development and nutrition management to happen together, rather than in isolation.

1. Nutrition and feeding skills are addressed at the same time

Dietitians are uniquely trained to assess:

• nutritional adequacy
   
• growth and weight patterns
   
• supplement or tube feeding needs
   
• medical nutrition considerations
   

This means feeding therapy sessions can directly support:

• reducing reliance on supplements where appropriate
   
• improving intake safely
   
• supporting growth while feeding skills develop
   

2. A strong focus on real food and meals

Dietitian-led feeding therapy places meals and foods at the centre of therapy. Sessions are practical, child-led, and focused on helping children feel safe and confident with food, rather than simply meeting exposure goals.

3. Clear scope and collaboration

Dietitian-delivered feeding therapy works within dietetic scope of practice and alongside:

• speech pathologists (for swallowing and detailed oral motor assessment)
   
• occupational therapists (for sensory and motor integration)
   
• psychologists (for anxiety, trauma, and eating disorder treatment)
   

Families benefit from coordinated care rather than overlapping or conflicting advice.

4. A pressure-free, family-centred approach

At Family Dietetics, feeding therapy is:

• non-forceful
   
• developmentally appropriate
   
• responsive to the child’s cues
   
• supportive of family routines and values
   

Progress is gradual, realistic, and focused on long-term wellbeing.