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Hope and healing
for children who
struggle to eat
Happy Hungry Hippos, LLC, specializes in pediatric feeding assessment and treatment of a variety of feeding disorders. With two decades of experience, I, Charlene Kurkjian, OTR/L am a highly trained occupational therapist who offers comprehensive assessment and treatment to address each child’s specific needs.
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Feeding Challenges

Eating is a necessity for development and growth, but it is also a common challenge for many children and a source of stress and frustration for parents. Happy Hungry Hippos Feeding Program offers professional skilled therapy to help your child develop a positive relationship with food.

Pediatric Feeding Disorders are a diverse group of problems that present in various ways. Without appropriate treatment, these disorders can have lasting effects on a child's physical and emotional development. 

Some Common Feeding problems include:

  • Extreme picky eating (eating fewer than 15-20 foods)
  • Difficulty eating an age-appropriate diet
  • Difficulty chewing, biting foods, overstuffing, or poor oral control
  • Poor weight gain
  • Feeding tube dependence
  • Bottle or formula dependence
  • Mealtime tantrums, or mealtimes exceeding 40 minutes
  • Inability or refusal to feed self
  • Distress and anxiety with new foods
  • Inability to adapt to different textures

There is a better way…

With the appropriate therapy, your child can develop age-appropriate feeding skills, accept a wide variety of textures and tastes from all food groups, and accept oral calories for appropriate growth. This creates peaceful mealtimes for you and your child. 

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Our Program

Happy Hungry Hippos pediatric feeding center is a program designed to support optimal growth and development. 

Your child has their own unique sensory behaviors regarding trying new foods. We design a program to help them decrease their fears and anxiety regarding food. The program gives you tools to encourage and help build on your child’s new confidence and relationship with food. We believe positive reinforcement and praise bring long-term change. 

Our program uses the SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) approach to feeding and Beckman Oral Motor Therapy and focuses on building a foundation for oral feeding and developing oral feeding skills in a positive, child-friendly environment. Feeding therapy is fun for the child, and children are never force-fed. We will work closely with your pediatrician and specialty physicians to coordinate you and your child’s care.

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Melissa L.

Mother of Twins

Kim-Ann

Mother of Levi

Charlene is truly the best occupational therapist and not only helped Levi but our entire family with food. I tagged some of my friends that know Levi’s struggle with food/texture, it literally started from him being a few months old. Before this therapy, Levi would not touch a fruit or vegetable and never consider any kind of meat, chicken, or fish. Charlene has broken so many barriers, and we have seen results from the first visit. She is truly invested in him. She is so in-tune with his anxiety and fear. Seeing Levi actually eat pizza, hotdogs, bananas, oranges, strawberries, sweet peppers, peas, corn, chicken nuggets, fish sticks and so much more is one of the most emotional hurdles we have overcome. I’m so proud of him. He is doing so much better than I ever imagined. Thank you so much for all that you do for us!

Jenna K.

Mother of Dean

Meet Charlene Kurkjian, OTR, Owner

Charlene is a GA state-licensed occupational therapist. She received her degree at Indiana University School of Rehabilitative Medicine and has over 30 years of experience in the field.

Specializing in pediatrics, Charlene has worked in various pediatric settings including inpatient, outpatient rehabilitation, school systems, and private practice. She has received extensive training in the specialty area of feeding and sensory integration. After specializing in feeding for several years at a pediatric outpatient clinic, Charlene opened her own feeding clinic in 2008.

Training and Certifications

SOS Feeding Therapy
Beckman Oral Motor Therapy
CHOA Advance Feeding Competency

Our Services

Evaluation

oral-motor skills
mealtime behaviors
reaction to food type and textures/sensory difficulties
self-feeding skills and positioning

Further Treatment

development of individualized treatment plans aligned with parents' goals
caregiver education and training in the feeding protocol
sensorimotor therapy
nutritional counseling/education
oral-motor therapy
child behavior management strategies

Get Started

We appreciate you coming to Happy Hungry Hippos, LLC for specialty feeding therapy! Below are the items we will need to get your child started for therapy.
Call us at 404-933-9869 with any questions, we are here to help!

Please click the link below, download and fill out these forms completely and email to [email protected]
FAX completed forms to  866-430-3367
or MAIL them to us at:
Happy Hungry Hippos, LLC
1525 Haven Crest Drive
Powder Springs, Georgia 30127
Please bring these forms to your first appointment.

Have your doctor fax prescription for services
(Occupational Therapy for Feeding Difficulty) to 866-430-3367.
Bring the original prescription to your first appointment.

Once we’ve scheduled your first appointment we reserve this time for you and your child. Please call ASAP if you cannot attend. Bring a copy of your intake forms.

Located just off the Marietta Square in Cobb Cty, our clinic offers skilled feeding therapy by an occupational therapist.

 

Mailing Address
1525 Haven Crest Drive
Powder Springs, Georgia 30127

Treatment Location
20 Whitlock Pl Suite 101
Marietta, Georgia 30064

Phone: 404.933.9869
Fax: 866-430-3367
[email protected]

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