Children’s Specialized Hospital – Pediatric Feeding Disorders and Severe Behavior Program

The therapists, Shayne and Gabby are very good at what they do. Craig and Liam are awesome. Very friendly and helpful in every way.

A little over a year and a half ago my husband and I were told about the Robert Wood Johnson Children’s Specialized Hospital – Pediatric Feeding Disorders and Severe Behavior Program. To give some background, our son was diagnosed with a posterior tongue tie at 15 months, which prior to this time was unknown. Unfortunately during this time, our son started to develop a severe food aversion since every time he would try to chew/swallow food with any consistency, he would choke and ultimately vomit. This would cause him to completely avoid anything that wasn't of the consistency of yogurt or peanut butter. This went on for several years until we were told about the RWJ Children’s Specialized Hospital – Pediatric Feeding Disorders and Severe Behavior Program. From day 1, Dr. Emma, Ms. Casey, and their team made a plan that was specific to our son, and laid out the 12 week intensive plan to help address and "retrain" both his physical and emotional aversions to food. While my husband and I could write a short novel on all positives of this program, we will just leave it with this statement. THIS PROGRAM WORKS!!!! We took a family vacation just a few weeks after the completion of the program, and we got the biggest surprise of our life... our son ate an entire slice of cheese pizza on his own! His speech also improved after the completion of this program (it was explained to us that it's due to him now using his mouth and chewing muscles more naturally). As a parent worrying about how to get your child basic nutrients, and now seeing him willingly ask for different foods is a joy that almost can't be explained. To any parent that has a child with severe food aversion, we would implore you to check out this program. You will not be disappointed!

My son is 8 years old. Before attending the feeding program, he was on Pediasure only, about 8 to 10 bottles a day, to maintain his weight, and he couldn't eat or drink water for about 2 years because of his feeding disorder. The program is a lifesaver for him and me. I'm so proud of him, he is eating family table foods, drinking water, juice, and some fruits. He is coming a long way. I would like to congratulate the entire staff for doing an amazing job with my son, and all the love and patience they show for all the children is a plus.

My 7 year old son attended this program and it was life changing. He ate maybe three safe foods and wouldn’t even try anything else. It was greatly impacting his life and ours physically and mentally. Between the process for insurance and the wonderful staff I cannot express how amazing this program is. It changed my child completely. He is mentally positive around the idea of food and eats and drinks over 22 target foods with no issue. The staffs support made this so much easier on all of us. It was worth every tear and every drive to and from their facility. My son misses his therapists everyday and they continue to support us through outpatient. We are so blessed by this program and highly recommend!!!!

The feeding team has been absolutely amazing in supporting my son with his feeding disorder and has truly been a lifesaver for our family! Not all superheroes wear capes—most wear scrubs, and some are angels in disguise. Shout out to Team Orange for your dedication and compassion. A heartfelt thank you to Emma, Casey, Nikki, Ileana, Rob, Brian, and Mayra for everything you do! Umar and I will miss you all!

Worst Place ever

THE BEST OF THE BEST!!! My son is eating so many more foods that are nutritious

What can I say , they really know what their doing. Treated my daughter great and got her to eat . I gained so much trust with the team that worked with my daughter , THANK YOU GUYS WITH ALL OF MY HEART

The Severe Behavior Program at Children’s Specialized Hospital–Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services (CSH–RUCARES) in Somerset, is a distinguished and exceptional program. When we first walked through the doors of RUCARES, we couldn’t have imagined the transformative journey that awaited us. Our child made tremendous progress at RUCARES, with significant improvements in behavior. The programming has been highly effective, and our child is thriving. Caregiver training, home visits and community visits have been a part of the RUCARES program which has helped with generalization of skills and responses and has tremendously benefitted our family. They also have a family support coordinator to provide guidance to caregivers on various topics related to their child. The smiling faces and palpable energy within the program are a testament to the remarkable work being done by each member of the team. Every clinician, therapist, and staff member at RUCARES brings a unique blend of knowledge, expertise and passion to the work they do. We greatly appreciate and admire their relentless efforts and unwavering support. The RUCARES team doesn't just provide services but offers families hope, understanding, and the belief that meaningful progress is possible even in the most challenging circumstances. The wholeheartedness and perseverance shown by them are an inspiration. Each member of our child’s team went above and beyond to meet his needs. We were amazed by their attention to detail, swift responsiveness, and ability to make quick programming adjustments as needed to ensure the best outcomes for our child. Their collaboration with us has been extraordinary. The excellence in care, compassion, dedication and thoughtfulness shown by the team truly touched our hearts. We will forever be deeply grateful for the profound impact the RUCARES Severe Behavior Program has had on our child and our family.