Feeding
My child will not eat
Is every meal a struggle? Are you concerned about how restrictive your child's diet is? Do you stress when you run out of your child's preferred food? Does your child eat at least one nutritious food?
As parents and caregivers, these are all important questions we ask ourselves. When your child will not eat or has a very restrictive diet, it can be very stressful and frustrating as a parent. This may not be passing phase in your child's taste development - it may be something more.
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Sometimes, figuring out whether your child is a "picky-eater" or "problem-eater" is a challenge. The SOS Approach to Feeding can help your child.
What is the SOS Approach to Feeding?
The SOS Approach to Feeding stands for Sequential-Oral-Sensory, and is an evidence-based feeding program. The SOS Approach to Feeding assess and address all of the underlying causes of feeding difficulties. This approach focuses on increasing a child’s comfort level by exploring and learning about the different properties of food - furthermore, this approach allows a child to interact with food in a playful, non-stressful way, beginning with the ability to tolerate the food in the room and in front of them, then moving on to managing the smell of the foods, learning about how foods feel on the body, and in their mouth, and then finally how to enjoy tasting and eating new foods.
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Before utilizing this approach in your child's therapy session, an occupational therapist will gather pertinent sensory information, as well as a detailed 3-day diet history. This information will help your therapist develop a personalized approach towards your child's feeding development and goals.
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For more information about the SOS Approach to Feeding visit SOS Approach to Feeding