Bottle Feeding Difficulty
Inefficient suck, poor suck-swallow-breathe coordination, feeding fatigue, prolonged feeds, or inability to sustain adequate oral intake.
For Practitioners
A dedicated outpatient institute for infants with complex early care needs.
The Institute for Infant Feeding and Early Development provides multidisciplinary infant specialty care, including feeding evaluation and therapy, lactation-informed support, nutrition and growth services, developmental evaluation, and NICU follow-up. We accept referrals from pediatricians, APPs, neonatologists, NICU teams, lactation consultants, dietitians, and developmental specialists.
About the Institute
Multidisciplinary infant specialty care, built for clinical collaboration.
The Institute for Infant Feeding and Early Development is an outpatient specialty practice focused exclusively on infants birth through 12 months. We're built around a multidisciplinary model, bringing feeding therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, lactation, nutrition, and developmental care together under one roof, so referring providers get focused specialist support without fragmenting a family's care.
We work alongside referring providers as a coordinated part of the care team. Our goal is to complement the clinical management your patients are already receiving with focused, high-quality specialist support and clear communication back to the referring team.
- Speech-language pathologists with specialized infant feeding credentials
- Occupational therapy, nursing, and registered dietitian support on staff
- Function-based evaluation across feeding, swallowing, and development
- Individualized treatment planning and family partnership
- Neuroprotective and developmentally informed care
- Coordination across pediatrics, neonatology, lactation, nutrition, and therapy
Clinical Credentials
Co-Founder Qualifications
- MS, CCC‑SLP: Master of Science, Speech-Language Pathology
- SLPD, CCC‑SLP: Doctor of Speech-Language Pathology
- CNT: Certified Neonatal Therapist
- CLC: Certified Lactation Counselor
- C‑ELBW: Certified Extremely Low Birth Weight Specialist
- NTMTC: Neonatal Touch & Massage Therapist Certification
Both co-founders hold ASHA certification, Certified Neonatal Therapist credentials, and Neonatal Touch & Massage Therapist Certification. Ally also holds the Certified Lactation Counselor and Care of the Extremely Low Birth Weight Neonate credentials. Their direct Level III and IV NICU experience informs their outpatient work, alongside occupational therapy, nursing, and nutrition specialists.
Who We Serve
Common referral presentations.
We evaluate and treat infants birth through 12 months across feeding and swallowing, lactation, nutrition and growth, occupational therapy and development, and NICU follow-up. The following represent common referral indications.
Poor Intake & Growth Concerns
Infants not meeting expected volume, with suboptimal weight gain trajectory where feeding function is a contributing factor.
Oral Motor & Swallowing Concerns
Suspected or confirmed oral motor dysfunction, pharyngeal dysphagia, aspiration risk, coughing or choking during feeds, or wet vocal quality.
NICU Graduate Follow-Up
Post-discharge infants requiring continued outpatient feeding support, progression monitoring, and caregiver preparation for home routines.
Solid Food Progression
Infants struggling to progress to purees, textures, or table foods, including oral sensory concerns or prolonged texture refusal.
Developmental Concerns
Infants presenting with torticollis, head-turning preference, motor asymmetry, tummy-time difficulty, sensory processing concerns, or delayed milestones, including those with a NICU history.
Nutrition & Growth
Infants with weight gain, intake volume, formula or fortification questions, or other growth and nutrition concerns warranting specialist dietitian evaluation, whether or not feeding function is involved.
Core Services
Clinical services available through referral.
Feeding Evaluations
Full evaluation including caregiver interview, feeding history review, clinical observation, oral motor assessment, and functional feeding analysis. Findings and recommendations provided to family and referring provider upon request.
Learn moreOngoing Feeding Therapy
Individualized outpatient therapy for infants requiring continued support with feeding skills, progression, tolerance, or caregiver carryover into home routines.
Learn moreNICU Graduate Support
Focused outpatient follow-up for post-discharge NICU graduates, including feeding function assessment, intake monitoring, and coordination with pediatric follow-up teams.
Learn moreParent Coaching
Targeted caregiver education and practical guidance for families managing complex feeding routines at home, often integrated into evaluation and ongoing therapy.
Learn moreLactation-Informed Feeding Support
For families navigating breastfeeding and bottle feeding together, with attention to oral function, feeding transitions, and clinical alignment with lactation care.
Learn moreDevelopmental Evaluation & Therapy
Infant occupational therapy evaluation and treatment for torticollis, head-turning preference, motor asymmetry, tummy-time difficulty, sensory regulation, and emerging milestone concerns.
Learn moreNutrition & Growth Support
Specialist guidance for infants with weight gain, intake volume, or nutritional concerns, including coordination with dietitians and pediatric teams around formula, fortification, and dietary progression.
Learn moreCommon Referral Scenarios
Clinical presentations frequently seen through referral.
NICU Discharge Planning
NICU teams and neonatologists referring premature or medically complex infants for outpatient feeding follow-up, with ongoing support for intake, progression, and caregiver preparation.
Pediatric Growth & Intake Concerns
Pediatricians and APPs identifying growth concerns or inadequate intake warranting functional feeding evaluation.
Bottle Refusal or Feeding Aversion
Infants who have stopped accepting feeds, developed aversion behaviors, or present with significant mealtime disruption requiring clinical evaluation.
Lactation & Oral Function Overlap
Lactation consultants referring when oral function concerns, transfer difficulty, or latch abnormalities suggest a feeding therapy evaluation is warranted.
Solid Food Delay or Refusal
Pediatricians or dietitians referring when texture progression is significantly delayed, inconsistent, or outside developmental expectations.
Referral Process
Direct, organized referral with clear follow-through.
Referral partners can contact us directly by phone or through our secure online referral tool to initiate a referral or discuss a patient. Please don't email clinical information or a completed referral. Families may also self-refer. Following evaluation, we provide recommendations to the family and, upon request, a written summary to the referring provider.
- Contact our team to initiate the referral or discuss the patient
- Provide relevant clinical background: diagnosis, feeding history, specific concerns
- Submission does not book an appointment. The family calls (972) 836-7080 to schedule
- Evaluation summary available to referring provider upon request
Contact the Practice
To refer a patient or discuss a clinical question, reach our team directly.
- Phone: (972) 836-7080
- Email (general questions only): info@infantexperts.com
We aim to respond to referral inquiries within one business day. Please don't email clinical information or a completed referral. Use our secure online referral tool instead.
Download the Referral Form (PDF) →Why Referral Partners Choose This Practice
What referring providers can expect.
Infant-Only Specialization
Infants are our sole clinical focus. That specialization, combined with direct Level III and IV NICU clinical experience, means we understand medically complex infant populations in a way most outpatient practices don't.
Advanced Credentials
Our co-founders hold advanced credentials in speech-language pathology and neonatal therapy, with additional credentials in lactation, extremely low birth weight care, and neonatal touch and massage across the team.
Clear Follow-Through
Evaluation summaries are available to referring providers within 48 hours. We treat every referral as part of an interdisciplinary care relationship, not a one-time handoff.
Rapid Access
We work to offer same or next day scheduling when clinically appropriate, important for families navigating time-sensitive feeding, developmental, or nutrition concerns after NICU discharge or during early infancy.
Get Started
Refer a patient or connect with our team.
To submit a referral, discuss a patient's clinical situation, or learn more about our services, contact us directly. We welcome inquiries from any provider involved in the care of infants, across feeding, development, nutrition, lactation, and NICU follow-up.