Now Available on Amazon: Hugo’s Brave Bite
404.933.9866 charlene@happyhungryhippos.com
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 oneself
- 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.
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 that positive reinforcement and praise lead to long-term change.
Our program uses the SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) approach to feeding and Beckman Oral Motor Therapy, focusing 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 your and your child’s care.
Meet Charlene Kurkjian, OTR, Owner
Charlene Kurkjian, OTR/L, is a Georgia state–licensed occupational therapist with over 30 years of experience helping children and families thrive. She earned her degree from Indiana University School of Rehabilitative Medicine and has dedicated her career to pediatrics- working across inpatient, outpatient, school, and private practice settings.
Her true passion is feeding therapy. Charlene has received extensive training in pediatric feeding and sensory integration, and has spent the past two decades specializing in supporting children with extreme picky eating, food aversions, and ARFID. In 2008, she opened her own feeding clinic, where she continues to provide compassionate, evidence-based care for families navigating complex feeding challenges.
Charlene is the author of the children’s book, Hugo’s Brave Bite, which helps kids approach new foods with curiosity and confidence. Her mission is to transform the way families experience feeding, making mealtimes a place of progress, joy, and connection.
She is also developing new resources for parents, including online education and support programs, to make feeding therapy more accessible to families everywhere.
Grounded in her faith, Charlene finds purpose in serving families and joy in time spent with her husband, four children, and seven grandchildren.
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
Mailing Address
1525 Haven Crest Drive
Powder Springs, Georgia 30127
Treatment Location
20 Whitlock Place, Suite 101
Marietta, Georgia 30064
Phone: 404.933.9869
Fax: 866-430-3367
charlene@happyhungryhippos.com
Located just off the Marietta Square in Cobb County, our clinic offers skilled feeding therapy by an occupational therapist.
Copyright 2026 Happy Hungry Hippos
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20 Whitlock Pl Suite 101, Marietta, Georgia 30064
Phone: 404-933-9869 | Fax: 866-430-3367 | charlene@happyhungryhippos.com
