Scope of practice definitions in feeding, eating, and swallowing across the lifespan

Despite a recent publication by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA, 2021) regarding recommended language for use, a majority of states do not specifically mention feeding, eating, and swallowing (FES) as an occupation. To date, only 25 states and the District of Columbia mention feeding in their scope of practice (AOTA, 2025a). This article is a call to action imploring occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) to advocate for clear and decisive language appropriately depicting our role in feeding, eating, and swallowing (FES) within each state’s scope of practice. It is imperative that the remaining states and Puerto Rico update their scope of practice to maintain FES as a covered treatment area for occupational therapy.