Happy Thanksgiving to all of my blog followers. Thank you all for reading my blog as it is my passion to help children learn to love eating and mealtime.
Thanksgiving is a great time to enjoy food with family, however to a child with sensory feeding challenges it is a nightmare. Try these tips to help your child be most comfortable around your thanksgiving table!
1. Try to serve the food buffet style, so that it is not on the table directly in front of your kiddo.
2. Take your child over to the food and serve approx. 1 tsp of all the options on a smaller salad plate for visual opportunities (put that plate on the table next to his/her plate of food)
3. Bring a food that is "preferred" to help with the smells and visual experiences of all the foods around.
4. Tell your child before going to Thanksgiving dinner that he/she will NOT be forced to try any new foods. (Most children become anxious when they anticipate an event with tons of non-preferred foods)
5. Try to make it fun for you child, and allow him/her to touch and explore with the "traditional" (non-preferred) Thanksgiving foods. Give your child an extra fork, so he/she can use it to explore the foods on the separate plate.
6. If your child becomes anxious with the foods, or if you feel that it is sensory overload, remind him/her to take a deep breath.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Gagging, pocketing, and spitting out foods...
If you are experiencing any of the following with your toddler or child, you need to read this post! Everyday, children come into my office that want to eat, but just can't figure it out, and unfortunately parents read their cues as "I do not like this food".
1. If your child is gagging on foods, especially if they are a new texture or flavor, it might not be that he/she does not like the food. When babies are born, their cheeks are lined with tastebuds. When we first introduce foods, they get a BLAST of flavor (even though we perceive purees to have no flavor) and they may shiver, make a "yuck" face, or gag. These are all signs that they are adapting to the flavors. Do not stop trying this food with your child.
If your toddler or preschooler is gagging on foods, it could be a hypersensitivity to texture, taste, or temperature. If you stay consistent as I mentioned in my previous posts, you will be able to desensitize your child's mouth to accept new and different textures and flavors.
2. If your child is pocketing foods you need to consider the following:
- Is the food you are offereing a complex texture? (ie: chicken, raw veggies, etc)
- Is the food you are offering in too big of a piece for your child to chew?
- Will your child eat other foods (chew and swallow them) while they are storing the other food in their cheeks?
These are all very different scenarios. The bottom line, if your child is pocketing foods, DO NOT let them sleep with these foods in, run around with the food in their cheeks, or get up from the table with the food in their cheeks, as it can be a safety hazard.
3. If your child is spitting out foods. More often than not it is a texture/taste dislike for the food. However, a small percentage of the time it is a significant oral motor issue. Take a look at your child, when the food goes into their mouth, are they trying to chew it? Do they repeatedly put the spit out food back in their mouth? If your child picks up a piece of food, puts it in his/her mouth, spits it out and keeps trying that same food, chances are he/she is having a difficult time understanding how to chew it and it may not be a dislike or "picky" eater situation.
As with all feeding difficulties, it is important to assess the mealtime and gather all the facts to determine if your child is giving you cues about why he/she is exhibiting these behaviors. When in doubt contact an occupational therapist!
1. If your child is gagging on foods, especially if they are a new texture or flavor, it might not be that he/she does not like the food. When babies are born, their cheeks are lined with tastebuds. When we first introduce foods, they get a BLAST of flavor (even though we perceive purees to have no flavor) and they may shiver, make a "yuck" face, or gag. These are all signs that they are adapting to the flavors. Do not stop trying this food with your child.
If your toddler or preschooler is gagging on foods, it could be a hypersensitivity to texture, taste, or temperature. If you stay consistent as I mentioned in my previous posts, you will be able to desensitize your child's mouth to accept new and different textures and flavors.
2. If your child is pocketing foods you need to consider the following:
- Is the food you are offereing a complex texture? (ie: chicken, raw veggies, etc)
- Is the food you are offering in too big of a piece for your child to chew?
- Will your child eat other foods (chew and swallow them) while they are storing the other food in their cheeks?
These are all very different scenarios. The bottom line, if your child is pocketing foods, DO NOT let them sleep with these foods in, run around with the food in their cheeks, or get up from the table with the food in their cheeks, as it can be a safety hazard.
3. If your child is spitting out foods. More often than not it is a texture/taste dislike for the food. However, a small percentage of the time it is a significant oral motor issue. Take a look at your child, when the food goes into their mouth, are they trying to chew it? Do they repeatedly put the spit out food back in their mouth? If your child picks up a piece of food, puts it in his/her mouth, spits it out and keeps trying that same food, chances are he/she is having a difficult time understanding how to chew it and it may not be a dislike or "picky" eater situation.
As with all feeding difficulties, it is important to assess the mealtime and gather all the facts to determine if your child is giving you cues about why he/she is exhibiting these behaviors. When in doubt contact an occupational therapist!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
My Turn!!
Self-feeding is an important milestone. Your child should be learning to use the spoon or fork by 8-10 months. They should be self feeding AT LEAST 50% of the meal by 1 year of age. There are a few scenarios to address if you are having difficulty with self-feeding....
1. My child refuses to self-feed. If your child refuses to use the spoon or fork, you need to assess the situation. Will your child bring other food (ie: crackers, puffs, etc) to his mouth? If the answer is yes, then you know he/she's capable of self- feeding at this time. My suggestion is to have your child help your hand bring the spoon to his/her mouth. Eventually, you can put his/her hand on the spoon (with your hand further down the handle) and guide it to their mouth.
2. My child refuses to take food from a spoon. If this is the case, have you tried giving your child a spoon or fork and teaching them to do it by themselves? 25% of the cases I see are children who have been labeled as "picky eaters" or "refusing to take purees", but once I give them control of mealtime (give them a utensil and teach them how to use it) they begin to eat because they have a sense of accomplishment and independence.
3. My child uses a spoon, but spills and so I just do it for him/her. The only way to teach your child to not spill, is to let him/her practice feeding. I always suggest forks, because they are MUCH easier (the food stays on!!). Or, you can use a spoon with something like yogurt and just dip it instead of scooping so much onto the base of the spoon.
As with all feeding concerns, it is best to rule out bigger issues. If your child is not self-feeding, check his/her fine motor milestones and make sure he/she is on track. That way you will be able to tell if it is an "I don't want to" or an "I can't" situation.
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