Feeding Support

Challenges with feeding can be one of the most stressful puzzles a family can face. Why is feeding such a tricky area of development? Because feeding involves just about every other developmental skill (and often relies on underlying skills that are already very challenging for neurodivergent kids). Fine motor, gross motor, and oral motor skills, sensory processing, emotional regulation- all of these are necessary for a successful feeding experience. All of these demands, combined with whatever baggage we as parents have acquired around food (and most of us have quite a bit)- it’s a miracle any kids manage to eat at all.

As a pediatric Occupational Therapist, I have years of training and experience supporting picky eaters and their families. I use an approach called SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) to guide my work. Feeding therapy often starts with sensory play with familiar foods, with playful exploration gradually expanding to foods that are similar to preferred foods, a process called Food Chaining. Feeding therapy is play-based for an important reason: play helps children feel calm in their bodies. When we help children repeatedly pair a feeling of calm with exposure to food, this reduces their anxiety and helps them feel braver in their exploration. At Rumpus OT, we will support your child’s feeding skills by building towers out of watermelon cubes and painting with ketchup. We will work together to gradually expand your child’s tolerated foods and to create strategies together to support their regulation before, during, and after meal times.