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A team of specialists at the Pediatric Aerodigestive Center, part of Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ, provides ongoing support to children who have received treatment for congenital airway abnormalities, including follow-up care after surgery, device care, and management of chronic conditions caused by congenital problems of the airway.

Our child and family support services and resilience programs are provided by Sala Institute for Child and Family Centered Care. These include child life services, social work, and other health and support services.

Psychological Support

Managing congenital airway disease can take an emotional toll on a child and on family members and caretakers. Our psychologists and social workers offer counseling for children and families through individual or group therapy.

Wellness Programs

Specialists at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital offer a variety of wellness programs to support children, their siblings, and their parents during treatment for congenital airway conditions.

Our child life specialists help children adjust to being in the hospital by using play and other therapies. Children in our pediatric intensive care unit have access to art therapy, music therapy, pet therapy, yoga, and social work and chaplaincy services.

Our specialists also provide counseling sessions for siblings to prepare them for hospital visits.

Speech and Feeding Therapy

A speech pathologist at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Rusk Rehabilitation can help to determine if your toddler or young child requires assistance in developing communication skills. He or she also administers therapies for speech impairments caused by congenital airway abnormalities.

Our specialists can also provide feeding therapy, in which a therapist helps children who have problems bottle feeding, chewing, or swallowing food to strengthen the muscles of the mouth, improving the child’s ability to eat.

Developmental Support

Children who have a congenital airway condition diagnosed during infancy are at greater risk of developmental delays, including motor, cognitive, and speech delays.

Our experts provide screening, evaluation, and care for infants and children with congenital airway abnormalities who are at risk of developmental problems. Screening begins soon after diagnosis and continues every six months for up to two years.

If needed, our neuropsychologists can refer your child to occupational, physical, and speech therapists at ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Rusk Rehabilitation or to specialists in your community. These therapists can help your baby to reach developmental milestones, such as taking a first step or beginning to talk.

Child and School Advocacy

Children with congenital airway abnormalities may be absent from school for treatments and illnesses. Specialists at the Pediatric Aerodigestive Center ensure that your child receives the educational and therapeutic services he or she needs.

Our specialists identify and help to manage learning disorders and are available to meet with your child’s teachers and therapists. They offer advice about finding a school or educational setting that can support your child as he or she develops. If your child’s needs change, they can suggest alternative academic settings.