Happy Hungry Hippos

Mrs. Charlene was amazing with my 3 year old daughter! I contacted Charlene in June 2021 after my daughter aged out of Babies Can't Wait. She came highly recommended by my daughter's SLP at the time who had started feeding therapy with her briefly in January before aging out. My 3 year old struggled with extreme picky eating (i.e. looks at a food and declares "no" without even trying it). By working with Mrs. Charlene we discovered several things: 1. It was most likely behavioral, 2. Our eating habits as parents needed to change to help her and 3. eating needed to be fun for her to be willing to taste and try new foods. My daughter ended up doing so well at her sessions that we "graduated" quickly in November. It took a few months but my daughter is MORE willing to taste and try new foods. She tastes new things and eats things she doesn't normally eat at school now. We learned strategies and techniques to help at mealtimes and worked on therapy meals at home. She's done so well and we are continuing to make progress at home with trying new things - she likes hot dogs now (the meat part) and likes to eat it cut up. I have to add also that little sister also came sometimes to Mrs. Charlene's with her big sis and she silently aspirates due to her congenital heart defects. She helped my husband feel not so afraid to get her on the track to eating solid foods. We are more willing to get the baby to eat and explore now and feel we have the tools to help our second child compared to when we had our oldest.
Thank you so much Mrs. Charlene for all you've done to help us with our daughter's eating!

We started with feeding therapy at 10 months old and absolutely love Charlene! She is so cheerful and energetic and my little guy loved her. She is very educated and observant and was able to spot a tongue tie early on. With her tips and tricks and weekly therapy, we have made a lot of progress in 6 months! I should add my son has Down syndrome and aspirates thin liquids so he isn’t an easy case!:)

Charlene works wonders with kids who struggle with feeding issues. My son worked with her when he was 4-5 as his palate was very limited and she expanded his taste tolerance in food. She helped to teach me how to work with him through therapy meals and using techniques that encourage trying new food. A few years later when he started to drop foods again during covid we went back and she continued to work her magic. She is professional but still makes it fun and keeps the kids engaged. The service that she offers is incredibly hard to find and she is very talented. We are so lucky to have Happy Hungry Hippos in our life!

We had such a wonderful experience with Charlene at happy hungry hippos! My 3 year old daughter (who is so picky and ate like 5 things in total and would NOT try anything new) ate food with Charlene that she would never usually even touch with me at home. Also, I, as a busy mom of a 3 year old and a 10 month old, learned sooo many techniques and tips to help her try new things at home with me. Charlene made it fun and simple to help my daughter with opening up and trying new things. I will HIGHLY recommend happy hungry hippos to anyone who crosses my path.

When you have a child with special needs, the amount of specialists needed can be overwhelming, but finding therapists that are the "right fit" for your child, even more so. Charlene came highly recommended by another one of my daughter's therapists, and I am so thankful to have found her! She has a very clinical style that is a direct reflection of her long experience in her field. She is attentive, flexible, and always takes her time with us. She is knowledgeable about products on the market that can be helpful, and also works well with coordinating therapists. My experience with Charlene over the past few months has been amazing, and for my daughter its been life changing. I would give her a hundred stars if I could, and recommend her to anyone who is looking for feeding therapy!