If your child has feeding difficulties, food refusal, faltering growth, or complex nutritional needs, you may be facing a long NHS wait with limited answers. This guide covers everything UK parents need to know about finding a private paediatric dietitian or feeding specialist.
A paediatric dietitian is a registered healthcare professional who assesses and treats nutritional and dietary problems in children from birth through adolescence. Feeding specialists — who may be dietitians, speech and language therapists, or occupational therapists with advanced feeding training — focus specifically on the physical, sensory, and behavioural aspects of eating.
A paediatric dietitian can help with faltering growth and poor weight gain, food allergies and intolerances, coeliac disease, tube feeding and weaning from tube feeds, eating difficulties linked to autism, ADHD, or sensory processing differences, nutritional management of conditions such as cystic fibrosis, diabetes, or renal disease, and selective or restricted eating that is affecting your child’s health or development.
Feeding specialists work with children who have difficulty coordinating the mechanics of swallowing, who are hypersensitive or hyposensitive to food textures, or whose anxiety around mealtimes is creating significant family stress. The two roles frequently overlap, and many clinics offer both under one roof.
You may want to seek a dietitian’s assessment if your child is dropping centiles on their growth chart or failing to gain weight as expected, has been diagnosed with a food allergy or intolerance and you’re unsure how to manage their diet safely, is tube-fed and you’re looking to transition to oral feeding, eats a very restricted range of foods that is causing nutritional concern, has been diagnosed with a condition such as autism, ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), cerebral palsy, or a chromosomal condition that affects eating, or if mealtimes have become a source of significant anxiety or conflict at home.
Your GP or health visitor can refer you to an NHS dietitian, but waiting times can be lengthy — often six months to two years depending on your area. A private paediatric dietitian can usually offer an initial assessment within two to four weeks.
You do not need a GP referral to access a private dietitian, though it is helpful to bring any relevant medical records, growth charts, and a food diary to your first appointment.
The NHS paediatric dietetics pathway can be slow, particularly for children whose difficulties are described as “complex feeding” rather than acute medical need. Families are increasingly turning to private practice to get faster access to assessment and treatment.
Your options include booking directly with a private paediatric dietitian (no referral needed), contacting a specialist feeding clinic that offers multidisciplinary assessment combining dietetics, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy, or asking your child’s paediatrician or SEND caseworker whether a dietetics referral can be prioritised or funded through an EHCP.
When searching for a private dietitian, look for someone who specialises in paediatrics and, where relevant, has specific experience with your child’s condition — whether that is autism and ARFID, complex medical needs, or allergy management. The SEND List includes only verified, HCPC-registered practitioners.
Private paediatric dietetics fees vary depending on the clinician’s experience, location, and the complexity of your child’s needs.
A standard initial assessment (60–90 minutes) typically costs between £150 and £350. Follow-up appointments (30–60 minutes) usually range from £80 to £180. Specialist feeding clinics offering multidisciplinary assessments may charge between £400 and £900 for a comprehensive package, which can include a written report suitable for school or EHCP use.
Some private health insurers — including Bupa, Vitality, and AXA Health — will cover paediatric dietetics if you have an appropriate policy and a referral from your GP or paediatrician. It is worth contacting your insurer before booking to check whether preauthorisation is required.
The cost of a private assessment is often offset by the time saved, the specialist expertise gained, and the detailed written report that can be submitted as evidence for an EHCP or school support plan.
At an initial appointment, the dietitian will take a detailed history covering your child’s medical background, birth and early feeding history, current diet and eating patterns, growth trajectory, and any previous investigations or diagnoses.
They will typically review your child’s growth charts and may take or request anthropometric measurements. A three- to five-day food diary completed before the appointment is extremely useful, and most dietitians will ask for one in advance.
Feeding specialist assessments may also involve observing your child eat — either in clinic or via a video recording you bring from home — to assess oral motor skills, sensory responses, posture, and mealtime behaviour.
At the end of the assessment you should receive a clear explanation of the dietitian’s findings, a personalised nutrition or feeding plan, and guidance on practical next steps. A written report is usually available within one to three weeks and can be shared with your child’s school, NHS team, or EHCP coordinator.
Yes — you can self-refer to a private paediatric dietitian without a GP letter. Most private practitioners accept direct enquiries from parents, and you can book an appointment by contacting the clinic directly.
That said, having a GP or paediatrician’s letter or a copy of recent blood tests and growth charts will make the first appointment significantly more productive. If your child has been under an NHS dietitian or feeding team previously, request a copy of their reports to bring along.
For children with an EHCP, dietetics may be listed as a provision. If so, the local authority has a duty to fund it — you should not need to pay privately. Speak to your SENCO or SEND caseworker if you believe this applies to your child.
This varies considerably depending on the nature of the difficulty. For a straightforward dietary query — such as managing a newly diagnosed food allergy — one or two appointments is often sufficient to establish a safe eating plan and provide written guidance.
For children with faltering growth, complex medical conditions, or significant feeding difficulties linked to autism or ARFID, ongoing support is typically needed. Monthly or bi-monthly follow-up appointments are common during the active phase of treatment, tapering to quarterly check-ins as progress is made.
Intensive feeding programmes — where a child undergoes daily therapy over a two- to four-week block — are offered by some specialist centres for the most complex cases. These are intensive but can produce significant progress in a short time.
Your dietitian should give you a realistic expectation of the likely treatment timeline at the end of the first appointment, along with clear goals that you and your child can work towards.
No — you do not need an EHCP to access private paediatric dietetics. Any parent can book a private appointment directly.
However, if your child has or is applying for an EHCP, dietetics can be included as a provision if it is required to meet an educational need. For example, a child with autism whose restricted diet is affecting their ability to attend school or participate in learning may be entitled to dietetics support funded through their EHCP.
If dietetics is already listed in your child’s EHCP and the local authority is not providing it, you are entitled to request an alternative provider — and a private dietitian may be commissioned to fill that gap.
If you are in the process of applying for an EHCP, a report from a private paediatric dietitian can be submitted as supporting evidence. Clear, detailed reports from specialists carry significant weight in EHCP assessments and tribunals.
In the UK, the title “dietitian” is protected by law. Only practitioners registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) are legally permitted to call themselves a dietitian. You can verify any dietitian’s registration at hcpc-uk.org.
The professional body for dietitians is the British Dietetic Association (BDA). BDA members are bound by a code of professional conduct and have access to specialist paediatric networks and continuing professional development. Many paediatric dietitians hold membership of the BDA’s Paediatric Dietitians Specialist Group.
Feeding specialists who are not dietitians — for example, speech and language therapists or occupational therapists working in feeding — should hold their own HCPC registration in their primary profession and be able to demonstrate specialist feeding training and supervised clinical experience.
All practitioners listed on The SEND List have had their HCPC registration verified before their listing goes live. If you have any doubt about a practitioner’s qualifications, ask them directly — any reputable clinician will be happy to share their registration number.
Can a paediatric dietitian help with ARFID?
Yes. ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) is a recognised eating disorder and paediatric dietitians with specialist feeding experience regularly work with children who have it. Treatment typically involves a team approach combining dietetics, psychology, and sometimes occupational therapy. Your dietitian should be able to advise on whether a multi-disciplinary approach is appropriate for your child.
Is there a difference between a paediatric dietitian and a nutritionist?
Yes — and it is an important one. “Dietitian” is a protected title regulated by the HCPC. “Nutritionist” is not protected, meaning anyone can use it regardless of training. For children with medical or complex dietary needs, always ensure you are seeing a registered dietitian (RD), not an unregulated nutritionist.
What age range do paediatric dietitians work with?
Most paediatric dietitians work with children from birth to 18 years, though some also see young adults up to 25. If your child is approaching adulthood, check in advance that the clinician you are considering is comfortable supporting the transition to adult dietetics services.
Will the dietitian communicate with my child’s school?
Most private paediatric dietitians will provide a written report that you can share with your child’s school. With your written consent, they can also correspond directly with your child’s SENCO, class teacher, or NHS team. This is particularly valuable when dietary adjustments need to be made to school meals or during cookery lessons.
Every paediatric dietitian on The SEND List is HCPC-registered and verified before listing. Search by location to find a specialist near you across the UK.
Use these local pages to compare providers, local access routes and practical questions before enquiring.
Many children need more than one kind of support. These related guides help parents compare connected routes.