Swallowing Awareness Day: Supporting CYP with Eating and Drinking Difficulties

This Swallowing Awareness Day, Words First highlights the everyday challenges faced by children and young people with eating and drinking difficulties and showcases our dedicated, school-based strategies to create supportive mealtime environments.

Recognising the Challenge

At Words First, we’re proud to be part of Swallowing Awareness Day—a day dedicated to highlighting the struggles faced by individuals with eating, drinking, and swallowing difficulties, also known as dysphagia. This year, the day falls on 19th March and aligns with Nutrition and Hydration Week, making it the perfect time to shine a light on an issue that too often goes unnoticed.

For most of us, eating, drinking, and swallowing are everyday activities we rarely think twice about. Yet for some, these essential actions can be a significant challenge, affecting their quality of life and potentially leading to further health complications. Speech and Language Therapists play an important role in supporting individuals swallowing difficulties.

Our Commitment at Words First

At Words First, our work is with children and young people in educational settings, and while we don’t offer an extensive dysphagia service, we work closely with schools and healthcare professionals to support children and young people with eating and drinking difficulties.

Our approach is to provide positive mealtime training for school staff, demonstrating practical adjustments such as optimising posture, using appropriate cutlery, and utilising communication tools like mealtime placemats to create a supportive and efficient eating environment. Working strictly within our school-based remit, we also collaborate with our NHS colleagues to ensure that established eating and drinking guidelines are followed for every child in our care.

In addition, we support children with more complex challenges. Whether it involves managing feeding difficulties such as ARFID or PICA, setting up food exploration groups to expand a limited repertoire, or assisting with saliva management and arranging referrals to a GP when needed, our goal is to help these children enjoy their meals.

“We believe that every child deserves the best possible support to thrive, and that includes addressing their eating and drinking difficulties. Our commitment is to provide comprehensive care within our scope that enhances their quality of life,” says Megha Sarin, a Speech and Language Therapist with a special interest in Dysphagia at Words First.

Working Together for Better Outcomes

Our work is about the little steps that make a big difference in a child’s day-to-day life. From hands-on training for educators to real-world collaborations with health professionals, every action we take is aimed at creating a more supportive mealtime experience. While we focus on providing ongoing support for children with dysphagia, we also encourage wider community awareness of the challenges these children face.

Celebrating Global Nutrition Initiatives

As part of Nutrition and Hydration Week, the Global Tea Party is one of the highlights this year. This event not only underscores a strong commitment to improving nutritional care but also brings communities together. With around 3 million people in the UK at risk of malnutrition, it is more important than ever to promote good nutritional practices and ensure everyone has access to the care they need.

Did You Know?

Did you know that dysphagia in children can sometimes go undetected, yet early identification is vital for better outcomes? Although we are not primarily involved in the diagnosis of these issues, at Words First we advocate for the importance of recognising swallowing difficulties as early as possible. Early identification can lead to timely referrals and interventions that make a significant difference in a child’s nutritional intake and overall well-being.

Join Us in Making a Difference

This Swallowing Awareness Day, we invite you to join us in recognising the challenges faced by those with dysphagia and the importance of early identification. Together, we can support better care practices and improve the lives of children and young people who face these daily challenges.

For more information and to view some inspiring graphics, please visit the RCSLT Swallowing Awareness Day 2025 page.