Treatments

Feeding Disorder

Picky eating is something most parents deal with at some point in time. It’s not unusual for a child to have favorite food items, and avoid others. When does picky eating become something more? While a picky eater may have foods they avoid, children with more involved feeding concerns are so restricted they have less than 20 accepted food items. These children often exclude whole food groups based on sensory experience (avoids wet and craves crunchy, eats only white colored foods) and experience meltdowns during meal times. These eaters will experience “food jags” where repeated exposure to a desired food item leads the child to no longer accept that food item, leading to an already limited food inventory to shrink further. Children with these types of feeding challenges often have accompanying sensory or oral motor challenges which contribute to the way they are experiencing foods at meal times.

Assuming these children will eat when hungry only causes additional stress in the feeding environment. Treating underlying sensory, motor, oral, and behavioral differences can help encourage more positive feeding experiences. The SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach to Feeding Program developed by Dr. Kay Toomey uses desensitization techniques in a hierarchy of increasing engagement with food items to expand the child’s food inventory in a positive and encouraging environment. Children will learn to accept new food items based on a change of one sensory category while gradually moving from tolerating these new items in the room, on their plates, smelling, touching, tasting, and finally eating. Smiling Star Speech & Language SLP, Jill Robinson, is a trained SOS provider who enjoys working with families and their child to experience a fun, positive, and non-threatening feeding experience.

Fun feeding facts:

Eating is a learned behavior, and as such, can be molded and changed.

Being messy and exploring food leads to greater acceptance.

Food is food and any food item can be consumed any time of day, breakfast for dinner is great.

Meal times are social time, time to connect, share, and engage with the people we love.

How do I know if my child is more than a picky eater?

These families experience stress at each meal. Many times, feeding challenges have existed from early on, usually having difficulties with transitioning to different food items, experiencing gagging, crying, and refusal to eat. If you feel each meal is a battle, a feeding assessment can be the first step towards a more peaceful and nutritious meal time.