Help for Selective Eaters

Does your child have a limited diet or are they reluctant to try new foods? Do you have to prepare a separate meal for them and are mealtimes a stressful occasion?

We often see children who are selective eaters due to sensory difficulties affecting the way that they experience food. They might be specific about the way food looks, the taste or texture.

I specialise in helping children who are selective eaters and would love to offer my support. From speaking to many parents and children with selective feeding I know how challenging this can be.

I am able to provide a consultation with you as the parent and any other family members or education staff who might be involved in your child’s day-to-day care.

Specific advice will be offered around ways to introduce new food to your child in a fun, relaxed way and a plan will be made to gradually introduce foods with different textures and tastes.

Food therapy sessions are a fun and effective way to increase exposure to new foods. I use the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding, developed by Dr Kay Toomey, a Psychologist. It is a widely recognised approach that has wonderful evidence supporting the effectiveness in treating feeding difficulties.

The sessions offer a playful way to discover the properties of food without the pressure to eat.

Following the therapeutic intervention, we would hope that children would be more willing to explore new foods and different textures, feel less anxious during mealtimes and that family or education staff would feel more empowered to support the child in the development of their feeding.