Learn everything you need to know about oral sensory processing: oral sensory seeking activities, sensory diet ideas, calming benefits for picky eaters, sensory seekers and sensory sensitivities!
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Thank you to our sponsor, Chewigem USA. Chewigem USA provides a wide assortment of quality and safe chewy jewelry, which is perfect for oral sensory processing. So many kids with oral needs benefit from quick access to something to chew on like an inconspicuous piece of chew-jewelry!
Oral sensory processing can be one of the least understood parts of the sensorimotor system and sensory processing disorder.
But it’s a major factor in the development of feeding and eating skills, speech and language, tolerating daily activities such as teeth brushing, and for sensory seekers.
To learn more about the sensory system as a whole head to our complete guide on all things Sensory Processing!
What You Really Need to Know About Oral Sensory
There are three sensory systems that all receive input in the oral cavity or mouth:
1.Tactile (touch) – Orally, the tactile sense receives input when anything touches the lips, tongue, gums, and cheek. The tongue in particular has a lot of tactile receptors to give feedback on the way something feels or it’s temperature.
2. Proprioception (deep pressure) – The jaws can provide a ton of deep pressure input. Chewing and sucking gives lots of input to this sensory system. Cheeks can also respond to proprioceptive input while chewing, as they expand depending on bite size, and respond to food moving from side to side in the mouth.
3. Taste – The tongue has tons of receptors that allow it to taste various flavors such as sweet, salty, sour, and spicy.
Talk about a trifecta! No wonder so many kids have something oral going on! Since oral sensory processing is affected by three senses, your child could be over, under, or not processing any one or all of these sensory systems.
Again, this will be a unique combination for your child. For example, my son under-processes or seeks oral proprioceptive input, over-processes or avoids oral tactile input, and seems to fall somewhere in the middle range on taste with a slight preference to spicy and bold flavors.
Eating is one of the most common areas affected by difficulty processing oral sensory input.
You can find tons of information on “picky eating” by heading to Picky Eating and Sensory Processing, as well as How to Turn Picky Eating Around.
Oral Sensory Behaviors
There are some tell tale signs that your child is seeking, avoiding, or not registering oral input. I have organized these behaviors below into these categories, however this is just a guideline.
Some of the behaviors in this list may be indicative of other causes, especially when seen in isolation.
Under-Processing or Seeking
- Excessive or frequent Licking of various or random objects
- Excessive or frequent Chewing of non-food objects like shirt sleeves, bed sheets, wood, paper, crayons, pencils, toys
- Biting toys or people, especially when unprovoked or when overly excited
- Chews on inside of cheeks
- Bites or sucks in lip frequently
- Mouth or suck on various objects, pacifiers, or toys (Check out if your child needs to wean from the pacifier and if so, how to do it!)
- Loves very spicy, salty, or sweet foods
- Bites nails
- Prefers crunchy foods
- Grinds teeth
- Purposely stimulating the gag reflex
- Excessive messiness or seemingly unaware of food mess to lips and mouth during eating (past the age when this is considered typical)
- Stuffs mouth with food purposely, or holds food in mouth for extended periods of time instead of swallowing
Over-Processing or Avoiding
- Gags at the taste or sight of certain textures
- Dislikes brushing teeth
- Prefers specific texture of foods, either crunchy or soft
- Loves bland foods with little or no flavor
- Prefers foods smaller in size
- Avoids messy or mixed textures of food
- Prefers a certain temperature of food or dislikes extremes like frozen or warm
- Overly sensitive to mouth getting messy during eating
- Persistent picky eating despite general techniques to help
Low registration
- Seems to have difficulty chewing various foods
- Difficulty using a straw (*This is also commonly associated with poor oral-motor skills, which refers to coordination and strength of mouth movements)
- Drools and spits frequently
- Frequently spits food out of mouth while eating
- Food seems to accidentally fall out of mouth
- Loses track of food in mouth and as a result, will gag/choke on foods (*This gagging is different than I listed under over-processing. In this case, gagging doesn’t happen instantly, but after the food is in mouth. This type of gagging can also be caused by poor oral-motor skills)
My hope is that, with this information, you can start to think twice about some of the oral behaviors your child is exhibiting. Maybe you didn’t realize that some of your child’s quirks had an oral sensory motivation behind them.
Once you start looking at why they are doing what they are doing, it will change your response, which leads us to the last question… how can you help your child?
Supporting Your Child’s Oral Sensory Needs
I took a continuing education class once and the instructor said, “oral sensory input is the quickest way to get the sensory system regulated” when it’s dysregulated. That’s a big statement! We then went on to watch a video that showed a boy getting too much stimulation on a swing during therapy.
The therapist noticed and stopped the swing ride. The little boy immediately ran around the room desperately and obviously looking for something. He found a squishy ball and sunk his teeth into it instantly like it was a steak.
You could see the immediate release. I watched that video many years ago, but it had a big impact on me as an OT, and how I treat oral sensory input – with a lot of importance!
Oral Sensory Processing Activities and Tools for Toddlers and Kids
I encourage you to experiment with each of these activities as part of your child’s unique sensory diet and notice what tends to calm, alert, and/or organize your child. Check out How to Create a Sensory Diet (with a free template), to help you begin to set up a sensory diet.
My son, Isaac, using a Chewigem USA chewy necklace.
Oral Sensory Processing and Chewing Activities
Use these activities for sensory seekers that are often biting their shirt, pencils, or other people as a safe alternative:
- Crunchy Foods (raw veggies, pretzels, chips, nuts, hard granola bars, popcorn, apples, etc.)
- Chew or put vibrating oral toys in or around the mouth
- Chew on chewy jewelry or sensory chew toys
- Chewing gum (kids, younger than you may think, can handle this with proper supervision)
- Chewy foods (fruit leather, dried fruits, licorice, fruit snacks, beef jerky, bagels, marshmallows, raisins, tootsie roll, etc.)
Sucking/Licking Input Ideas
These are also great activities for seekers as they also provide a lot of proprioceptive input and can be calming and regulating:
- Sour hard candies
- Popsicles
- Thick drinks through a straw (applesauce, milkshake)
- Suckers
- Drinking from a sports bottle
- Ice cubes
Blowing (generally organizing input) Activities
- Blowing up balloons
- Blowing bubbles
- Whistles
- Harmonicas
- Party blowers
- Pinwheels
Oral Sensory Processing Input Activities
These oral sensory activities will stimulate your child, but it’s most beneficial if you take small steps for getting used to this input for kids with sensory sensitivities (more on this below):
- Vibrating oral toys to put in or around the mouth
- Drinking carbonated beverages
- Eat, taste or lick sour foods (grapefruit, lemons, pickles, Sweet Tarts, Lemonheads, etc.)
- Eat, taste or lick spicy foods
- Eat, taste or lick salty foods
Oral Sensory Processing Activities for Avoiders
- Slowly increase tolerance of a vibrating toothbrush
- Use a firm pressure when brushing teeth, brush cheeks, tongue, and along gums well, too!
- Play in a sensory bin! Of course, this isn’t directly affecting oral input, it is improving the tactile system as a whole and can have a dramatic effect.
- Explore new foods with no pressure to eat them. Talk about the foods color, texture, and smell.
If your child is avoiding oral sensory input, some or all of these activities may not be welcomed. However, the above activities can be broken down into small steps, and will help to desensitize the oral sensory input that is being over-processed.
In addition, any of the other activities can also be used for avoiders, but will likely need to be broken into very small steps they can tolerate.
On that note, as a reminder, remember to never force any sensory activity, your child should always be an active and willing participant.
Even better is when they initiate a sensory diet activity on their own! (Get a list of over 100 Sensory Diet Activities, for the whole sensory system)
And, if you think your child has some difficulty with how they’re eating, you’ll also want to check out oral motor exercises.
Want a Free Printable?
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Oral Sensory Causing Picky Eating??
Don’t miss our free picky eating workshop “3 Keys to Finally Turn your Picky Eater Around”. Learn how to tackle picky eating without losing your sanity, and help your child have a positive relationship with food for life.
Alisha Grogan is a licensed occupational therapist and founder of Your Kid’s Table. She has over 20 years experience with expertise in sensory processing and feeding development in babies, toddlers, and children. Alisha also has 3 boys of her own at home. Learn more about her here.
I have a student who is constantly pushing and pulling the table he sits at as well as picking saliva from his mouth and rubbing it on the table. What are some things I can do to help with this?
Hi Bobbie,
I definitely think proprioceptive input prior to sitting down or fidgets while seated would help. We do have some sensory strategy ideas for the classroom as well!
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table OT
Hi! My niece that is constantly bititing is tounge. It seem already a type of behavior. She does it all the time. Which tool could better help her. Thanks
Hi Ana,
Definitely try a vibrating tooth brush or a nuk brush in his mouth to give extra sensory input. Try this regularly with foods that are chewy, crunchy, and strong flavored to see if it helps him decrease this seeking behavior. There are also things called “chewelry” that you can look up that he may like.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Do you have suggestions on games/activities to play with oral sensory kiddos? Sensory bins don’t work well as I have to make everything edible and things cant be small. Help!
Hi Danielle, we also have a resource on oral motor skills with other ideas. But as far as sensory bins, there are some ways to make them edible. Some of our favorites are cereals (crunched up or ground), chia seeds, puddings, and even cooked grains like pastas, rice, etc.
Best,
Laura
Your Kid’s Table team member
Hi
This information is very invaluable to parents like myself who has challenging eating situation. My 4 years old son has eaten only five dishes and had never eaten any snacks, vegetables and fruited. He eats only soft texture stew like food. Also he still often bites and licks toys and pencils. Looks like combination of both over AND under processing. Since he is extremely picky about food (he would not eat anything other than the 5 dishes), can’t use food for desensitization.
What tool would you recommend?
Thank you so much!
Hi Reena! Thanks for reaching out! You can try sensory bins with him to see if that helps with desensitization! Here is a blog post with sensory bin suggestions 🙂
Also, check out our free picky eating workshop for tips to help with his eating. Save your seat here!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi, thank you so much for all the amazing content. It has been more valuable than several different sessions with therapists.
Our son is a year old and I think he is showing Low Registration sensory behaviour. He is very keen to try our table food and will happily chew on a variety of foods but gags/vomits once he has to swallow or when he loses track of the food and it ends up on the back of his tongue.
Should I do all of the activities mentioned in the article?
I’ve read the article and the link you posted to the LemonLimeAdventures article and there are a lot of oral avoiding behaviour in our son as well. Is it possible that he can be a combination?
For example, at one stage he loved playing with a toothbrush and would have it in his point constantly. On the other hand will he only eat smooth purée and jogurt, and gag/vomit if there’s even a little bit of texture. He also mouths non food items all the time
And yes! It is possible to have a combination of sensory processing systems!
My 9 month old daughter has always had difficulty feeding from a newborn baby with her bottle/formula to now, weaning.
When she was 4 months old she was diagnosed with suspected cows milk protein allergy and was eventually subscribed hypoallergenic formula. Since weaning she seems absolutely fine with any cow milk products from cheese to yogurts etc.
However, she has never liked to be spoon fed so I have chosen to use baby led weaning and its has taken a few extra months but she finally has interest in food, which has been a great relief!
The problem now is that she doesn’t really swallow any food, she’s very keen to put the food in her mouth and give it a good chew/suck on it but then she just pushes it out with her tongue!
Should I be concerned? Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Helen! Thanks for reaching out! Sounds like she’s making great progress! Most of the time, when a baby has food they’re spitting out or that’s falling out of their mouth all the time, it’s because of their oral motor skills. To help with this, try using a toothbrush on your babies gums a couple of times a day. It sounds strange, but that toothbrush actually causes your baby’s tongue to move around. And, that actually helps to strengthen it! You can read more about baby spitting out food here. Hope that helps!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi Kara! Thanks for reaching out! Gagging can be a common issue with babies/toddlers, mainly due to their sensitive gag reflux or even sensory sensitivities! Oral motor exercises, like the ones mentioned in the post, can definitely help to desensitize that gag reflux and strengthen his oral muscles. Go ahead and try any of the exercises that are appropriate for his age! In addition, we have a post about gagging that you can check out here!
Best,
Kalyn
Hi Alisha, My 10 month old doesnt mouth on objects or toys. If I offer him finger foods he just plays with them doesn’t bring them near his mouth. He sucks on his fingers sometimes and will take teether with my help for a short while.Does he has sensory issue or its a developmental delay? I am really confused and worried as most babies this age do mouthing. Please help
Hi Hina! Thanks for reaching out! Because he’s so young, it’s hard to say. But since he’s not mouthing objects or toys, which is common for this age, it could be that he just hasn’t made that connection. I would work on this with him outside of meals with all kinds of teethers and toys. Show him how to do it and gently guide his hand to his mouth. If he gets close at all, then give him big cheers and praise- this will be motivating for him. When he eats his purees, let him get some on his hands and try to quickly get it to his mouth. It may be messy, but he needs to make this connection. Don’t force, but keep trying and again give praise for anything he does that is in the right direction. We have more information and tips on this topic in our post here! Hope that helps!
Best,
Kalyn
Thank you so much for your reply. I will try out what you have suggested and see how it goes. Really appreciate your response.
Hi there! No problem! Let us know if you have any other questions 🙂
Best,
Kalyn
my son is 5 year old and does not eat any food. he like only pediasure that too kesarbadam . he is still drinks only on bottle we tried all option of weeding but he starves without eating rather than drinking on tumble or eating solids. frequent Chewing of non-food objects like shirt sleeves, bed sheets, and dislikes morning brushing. we are almost left out on any option for feeding him any food. kindly suggest on how to make him eat food
Hey Anitha,
so sorry you are having trouble with getting your son to eat foods, we know how hard this can be. I would make sure to try to have him interacting/touching of foods (you can do this outside of mealtimes as well) to get him used to the different textures. Also, we do have a free workshop that might help with some suggestions for you! You can save your seat HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hii,i have 3 year old son and he don’t like to eat anything by himself,he likes milk,water …He also eats food that is dal rice n vegetable but that should be in semi solid which h he can gulp direct and to be feeded by me ,and it should come from back side of mouth and he don’t accept any thing to be touched his face from front….He don’t put any food in his mouth by himself and he is feared of stucking in his throat…I have to feed him everything by taking him in my lap…He don’t allow to touch his face and keep moving constantly so I cant feed him without hixing his hands n den he opens his mouth…Plz suggest me how I can remove his fear of eating n bring interest in him
Hi Swapna,
We know it can be such a challenge when our kids have trouble feeding. You might try spending some time focusing on brushing teeth his teeth daily. This can really help desensitize the inside of his mouth. We also have a post, Self-Feeding that would be helpful for you to check out. I hope that helps!
Best,
Andrea
Hi, this is a great article which actually helped me to understand the issue with my 15 month old baby. He never ate anything since he was 6 month old except milk and he got all the symptoms of Oral sensory issue with Under processing or seeking Behaviour as you mentioned in your article. He ticks off all the points of the above category.
Now as I understood what is wrong so what shall I do to improve it? How can I help him to like the food and eat? Can you please advise? He only eats lumpy salty legumes and nothing else.
So happy that this article was helpful for you! I’d start with the activities on the list in the post these are really great to help with under processing. As far as eating, I’d start with our free workshop. This will help with great suggestions on where to start working on eating of foods. You can save your seat here
Best,
Desiree
Good night. My daughter just turned 18 months and she doesnt eat. She doesnt allow us to put a spoon anywhere near her mouth. Sometimes she would eat fruits and pieces of bread. She loves popcorn and potato chips. She would drink water, juice and milk. We started blending certain foods and mixing it with her milk and she would drink it.
She would bite on her toys, crayons and thread or hair. Apart from that she is not saying any words as yet. Your advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for reaching out! That’s great that she’s eating some fruits and other solid foods. I’d continue working on having her play/touch different foods, as this can be a great first step in moving forward. Also we do have a free workshop that is full of strategies to help moving forward. You can save your seat here
Best,
Desiree
A child in this age group with this strong an avoidance pattern needs to be evaluated by an OT with experiences in oral-sensory-motor treatment and an SLP to ensure she is not aspirating into her lungs. After you establish a safety baseline, then a professional can give you a plan. You must be so very careful when dealing with the mouth and the airway. In addition, pushing the threatening activities now may lead to an eating disorder.
Hey I knew there was something up with my son but I didn’t think it was anything too major and I would like your opinion on what i should do. He’s almost 5 now, he still tends to drool and spit when he talks. He is constantly chewing on his fingers or other things absent-mindedly, and he’s a picky eater.
Hi Victoria,
Drooling and chewing can be a common difficulty some children face. You might try to bring more sensory awareness to the mouth. One way to do this is through the use of an electric toothbrush. You can use the toothbrush on his teeth and tongue but you can also use it on the inside of his cheeks. This helps give him the extra sensory information he craves and makes his mouth more aware. You might want to check out our free picky eating workshop to give you some ideas about that. You can save your seat HERE.
Best,
Andrea
My daughter is 5 year old n she does not eat anything throughout the day. She is not interested in any food except for pop corn n chips. She is not even interested in having icecream, chocolate,juices, fruits veggies, cookies, pizza, sandwiches n such kind of foods too. I hv tried all that I could to give her a variety of foods. She just gags looking at fruits n veggies n any food that I offer her. She keeps a single bite of chapati or so for hours n hours in middle of her mouth n doesn’t swallow . I am exhausted now. Please help me what shall i do?
Hi, my son is 6 years old he has this habbit of putting things in his mouth like pencils , comb , erasers and remotes ….he has been chewing the pencils front and back both sides …I understand he has oral sensory need but what should I do how will get resolved ?
Hey thanks for reaching out!
I would try to look for a replacement that you can offer when he starts to chew onto those things as well as making sure he knows that this one item (something like a chewy tube or chewlery would be great) so that he can get the sensation he is seeking. I’d also be looking to provide thicker liquids in straw and/or hard pretzel rods or other really crunchy foods throughout the day as this helps with the input that they are seeking so they are not seeking as much!
Best,
Desiree
Hi, my almost 4 yr old grandson only drinks pediasure (any flavor) but anything else he only rubs the items on his lips, sometimes he licks his lips after rubbing it on but not very often. Any little speck of food that touches anywhere on the inside of his mouth he gags or vomits. He did eat 1st stage baby food but the therapist put crushed graham crackers in it like a year and half ago and he totally refuses to eat that anymore. The therapist said she pretty much didn’t know what else to do for him so I’m scouring the internet for any kind of help. He won’t allow for a toothbrush except brush his lips, I’ve gotten him the chewy necklaces and he does chew on it. He was diagnosed with autism but mild. I’ve read your articles and was wondering what advice you could give me to get his mouth desensitized? My son and daughter in-law just kind of think that he’s going to outgrow it but I don’t think that and I’ll try anything you suggest and make them do it too! Thank you so much for your forum!
Hey Penney,
Thanks for reaching out and so glad you found us! So sorry the feeding therapist was not able to help, but it sounds like you are trying some good ideas with the chewy necklace! I’d try to get him to accept a teether and move towards a vibrating teether (this can take awhile) but it will be working your way up to a tooth brush and being able to get inside his mouth. Here is an article that will help with some of that advice, while it is referencing babies, it will still be helpful even at 4 years old. You can read about it HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hi Alisha,
What is the significance differences between ASD and SPD?
Eye contact, etc?
Thank you
HI!!
Thanks for reaching out! ASD is a wide range, and while A LOT of people on the ASD also have sensory differences and may fall within the SPD diagnosis, not all. However people who fall on the SPD do not always have a ASD. There can be overlap, however the range is so significant, I’d reach out to your doctor if you have any concerns with these and getting help with maneuvering through process. This aricle may be helpful for looking at Sensory Integration
Best,
Desiree
Hi Alisha,
You website is very informative and I am very glad I stumbled across it. I have a son who is turning 3 this summer and does not speak except for very few lettered sounds. He eats his food, though he has preferences, always very reluctant to start eating though it is the same thing he had been eating for sometime. At times we have to force to feed him the first spoon, unless he really is hungry or some how knows what he is eating by looking and relates it taste. He had lot of urge to bite on things which had reduced significantly by providing chewy tubes and may be he moved on. Now he is taking objects like straws, twigs or any flexible things so that he can turn them with his hand in such a way that it touches his teeth and/or tip of his tongue. This seems to provide him some kind of sensory satisfaction. At times he salivates, but we keep telling him not to and he tends to listen when we are watching. He does not listen to all commands and is challenging to get him sit at things for long time. Is there anything you would recommend for this sensory thing with the mouth he is going through. I was hoping to have him go away from it to focus on other daily things which can be done or taught.
On a basic level I think giving him something appropriate to chew on, like the chewy tubes or a chewy necklace is very good and helpful. Some kids have very big chewing needs, more than most kids and if you don’t give them an outlet they’ll find something else to use.
Having said that you could also experiment with a more complete sensory diet and see if that decreases his need to chew. Check out this post on creating a sensory diet to learn more!
Hi, I may be make your schedule more adaptive to your son and his needs, instead of changing your sons behavior. For example, is it necessary to make him sit for a long period of time if it causes him to stress? Children with ASD, and sensory processing issues, Need sensory stimulation to calm the nervous system. Movement is a way to do that. When you restrict his movement, you put him in a state of stress and unrest. Please try to learn more about his condition and what is effective and therapeutic, I recommend may be looking at some groups with individuals that have ASD, they are strongly against Therapy that restricts movement
Hi Alisha,
I am glad I ran into this website with such a wealth of information. I have a son turning 3 in summer. He is not speaking yet, except for few letters. He eats his food of various textures but is very reluctant to try anything unless he is absolutely sure. Once we force in his mouth and he gets a taste to his liking or familiar one he continues. As for sensory issues he tries to bend things like straws, twigs or turns objects close to his mouth and teeth constantly, during the process he salivates. We keep telling him not to spit but he tends to follow it only at that instant. He used to chew and we gave chewy tubes and chewing has reduced significantly, just concerned about stimulating his mouth constantly. We give him lollipops too but in the end he bends it and keeps turning it close to the mouth, touching his teeth. He is not currently responding to all commands, only few thing he is familiar or wants to. Do you recommend any ways to help with his sensory seeking actions I described?
On a basic level, I think giving him something appropriate to chew on, like the chewy tubes or a chewy necklace is very good and helpful. Some kids have very big chewing needs, more than most kids, and if you don’t give them an outlet, they’ll find something else to use.
Having said that, you could also experiment with a more complete sensory diet and see if that decreases his need to chew. Check out this post on creating a sensory diet to learn more!
My son use to chew his lips till they bleed before, it is a lot better now that he has alternatives.
awesome!! So great to hear that he has alternatives 🙂
Desiree
Hello. I need hello. My son is not speaking yet, he just turned two. He puts everything in his mouth, he puts his whole palm in mouth, sometimes just finger or two. When watching something in TV he constantly sucks his hands in mouth. When going to sleep happens the same. I feel awful.
Where do i start?
Hey Zane,
So happy you were able to recognize these pattern. It seems like he is just looking for some input. I’d utilize the suggestions in the article on chewing, sucking and blowing activities that are listed. This would be great to see how he reacts and if it’s helping him get enough input.
Best,
Desiree
My son is also not speaking at age 2. He has his hands in his mouth a lot but I presumed his back teeth are coming through. Calpol or teething powders help and he then doesn’t put his hands in his mouth as much.
Also, how about limiting the “commands.”How about giving him choices. For example, letting Him Pick his shirt from a selection that you have chosen if he is able to do so. If he is not able to communicate, maybe seek occupational therapy and the possibility of a communication board so that he is able to tell you what he wants.
I have an 8 yr old going on 9 yr old who is just finishing 3rd grade. We did 2 years OT, and we are not doing behavioral therapy. Also we see improvements every year we still get feedback from the teachers that he is blurting out in class, makes noises, and is off task a lot. With reminders he will stop for a while and stay quiet and then starts back up again. Any sudgestions on what I can do at home or have him do at school to help?
I’d think about a bigger picture sensory diet. What do you know helps calm him, can you do that before and after school so that he’s more regulated? We have a free sensory diet workshop that will be helpful. Check it out here: yourkidstable.com/workshop
Hello, my daughter is almost 5, she has never eaten a lot of different foods. Won’t eat anything with sauce, stopped eating peanut butter, no fruit or veggies. Will only eat chicken and is picky about that. Small muffins, cereal and pancakes. She chews on Everything, from her hair and nails to every toy she has. I think she is seeking but I don’t know if that is why she won’t eat. Help.
Hey Sarah,
Your doing a great job with reaching out, looking for answers!! Let’s first have you take our picky eating quiz to see what category your daughter falls and it will provide some suggestions to start!! Also, completing food play outside of mealtimes to get used to textures and touching can be helpful!! You can check out our quiz here
Best,
Desiree
Great information on your website! Thanks. I have an 18 month-old grandson who constantly keeps his mouth slightly open. If I ask him to close his mouth, he understands and does it for a second or two. How can I help him keep his lips together as I notice other children his age do? He often drools, but not excessively. He chews on toys and non-toy objects, but not clothing. He independently eats foods of a variety of flavors and textures using utensils or his hands, but stuffs his mouth if not supervised. He swallows his food without hardly chewing it, but does not choke. He does not appear to have allergies.He is a smart, active, typically strong child who has met milestones at an appropriate age. How can I help him learn to keep his mouth closed?
Ahh okay, so it sounds like he has some low muscle tone, which is okay, but he may need some more stimulation. I’d keep reminding him and I’d also use a vibrating toothbrush a couple of times a day. Try putting it on the outside of his lips even to stimulate them a bit. The lip and cheek activities above will be great too!
HELP! My 4 years old won’t eat meat except for meatballs. He used to be a good eater until he was around 2 years. Suddenly he started to avoid meats and mixtures like stews, soups. What he eats (few things)needs to be separated. What could have happened??? What can I do???
I got you, I’ve got a whole post on this at Why kid’s don’t eat, you’ll find a lot more tips there too!
Have a 15 month old that eats stage 2 and some 3 meats. Eats stage 4 fruits and vegetables. Will eat veggie straws, teething crackers, graham crackers and gerber cookies. Eats yogurt and applesauce. Had him evaluated by an OT and they said he wasn’t using his gums (the sides of his mouth) to mash up his foods. They told me to continue to “work with him” and there wasn’t any follow up appointments. He has 4 teeth at the top and bottom in the front. It looks to me like he’s using those to chew his foods. Doesn’t seem interested in foods from my plate at this point. Pediatrician thinks he will “get there.” What are your thoughts and any suggestions?
I’d definitely keep working on it! I actually have a free workshop coming out soon, so make sure you grab the free transitioning to table foods printable in this post, that will also be a good read for you too. Pay attention to the toothbrush suggestion in particular! I love how you’re seeking help and being aware!
Hello, just came across your post.
I’m an SLP but my 7 year old would never work with me. He’s a classic oral seeker. constantly putting his fingers in his inner cheeks, chewing on pencils, and food ! Oh the food…, i can barely watch him. He over stuffs his mouth, it spills everywhere, it’s all around his mouth and it doesnt faze him one bit. If I don’t catch him he’ll quickly rub it off with his sleeve as opposed to using a napkin because it’s just faster for him in order to continue eating. I tried using a smaller spoon but he gets frustrated. He makes noises like humming and singing just for the sake of making noises. He has No other atypical symptoms and is developing appropriately. Any suggestions on how to conquer the eating habits
Hmmm, so it does all sound sensory related. I’d use a vibrating toothbrush 2-3 times a day to give him strong input that could keep him better regulated. I’d also experiment with alternating between crunchy, raw veggie type foods that will give a lot of input and softer foods!
Hello! My son is 14 months old and having a problem biting his friends. Sometimes he tries to bite 6+ times in a day. I cannot track it to a time of day or even when he is mad. He also bites on our sofa a lot along with some other toys. Do you think this is behavioral or could it be sensory?
The fact that he’s biting on other things says sensory to me. There could be a behavioral aspect to it though if he’s doing it when he’s angry or frustrated. I’d try to use a biting toy and redirect him to that, the chewy necklaces are great too!
My grandson is ten and gaining weight! He does have a Dx: autism (PDA), low muscle tone, sensory concerns, ( overload & low), anxiety. With intense speech therapy, he started speaking at four. He was having trouble eating and was under weight. We were told to feed mini meals ( especially during an activity he enjoyed, watching tv to take the focus off eating), add ketchup, ranch, butter etc to add flavor to good and pump up the calories. The problem now he wants the oral stimulation food gives and needs the added flavor to tell him where the food is in his mouth and has gotten use to the mini meals (mainly eats at night while watching tv). His activity has decreased over the years and he hit the curve for normal weight and now is above and considered over weight. He is a very picky eater and his diet mainly consist of pepperoni or salami and wants baked chips. Occasionally, he will eat some salad but needs croutons and lots of dressing, chicken with barbeque sauce, and strawberries. He will think food smells good when I’m cooking but won’t eat them. It goes by look and textures.You know the old saying chew your food 100 times well he chews at least 500 hundred times but will stuff his mouth.
I have things he can chew and oral vibrating tool/toy but he thinks he doesn’t need them and rarely uses. He just wants food. I believe with the extra weight and low muscle tone activities are harder for him and we are not burning calories. I hope you have a few ideas that can help him.
Hey Irene!
You have some great things for him in utilizing the chew and oral vibrating toy, this can be great. I’d keep offering them to him and try even after he has eaten to see if you can get some engagement. As far as working on increasing the food variety I’d join our free picky eating video series that is happening now, full of great information on where to start with picky eaters and how to help them. You can save your spot HERE
Best,
Desiree
Hi, I have a 5 year old foster daughter who loves to rub things on her lips. Items don’t go in her mouth, she doesn’t chew on them, just rubs them on her lips because she says they are soft. The items include silky blanket edging, toys, erasers, trash she finds on the floor, coins, her fingers, my fingers, buttons on the shirt I’m wearing, the list goes on and on. It annoys me but obviously it’s a safety concern if she’s putting trash and money near or into her mouth. She’s even tried to rub things on my lips before. Is this a sensory thing or some sort of fidget? She’s in play therapy but I get zero feedback from that. Thanks!
Oh this sounds like classic sensory! I’d allow her to do it, and when she uses inappropriate items I’d say, “Uh-oh, that’s not safe so close to your mouth, here’s your_____” And, give her something that’s safe. Also, some tactile input in the form of sensory bins could help diminish this!
I set up some dried bean bins (kidney, garbanzo, black) on Saturday and she played with them for about an hour! Just sorting, touching, burying her hands, using chopsticks to pick them up, she loved it! Thanks!
Hi – I am an adult and I do this! I particularly like soft fluffy things. Or anything soft or smoothe.
Can you recommend somewhere I can buy such items please?
Also, I’ve been trying to find out why I do this! Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi my son is 4 & will not eat.He tells me he forgot how to eat.Its been ,8 days since has eaten.He does drink alot.But I just don’t know what happened to my baby cause he’s always had a great appetite.He can eat 4 eggs in one meal.And now he eats nothing.He does spit alot lot now since he’s quit eating. The Dr said kids just do things like this sometimes.But my boy has never done this.Im scared,worried & just don’t know what to do about this.Ive sat with him tried to show him how to eat put food in his mouth and he just spits it right out. I’m worried about my baby boy!
I dont know if I need to keep checking here for a reply are my email.Can someone help me out with that.Thank you
I know how difficult it can be. This can get pretty complex, but there are some steps that I use to help kids like your son, first. I teach them in this free workshop, I think it will be really helpful for you!
Hi Alisha,
My 9 month old son was progressing with table foods but has taken a big step back over the last month. He would play with his food, eat puffs, mum mums, love puffs (similar to soft cheezies) steamed carrots and banana but now all he will eat are smooth purées and star puffs. He even used to eat well blended meat packets but now he doesn’t only gag, he vomits alot if something chunky hits the back of his throat. The vomitting has happened before, but very seldomly and usually if I introduced a chunky puree or thicker food like mashed potatoes when he was quickly devouring a fruit puree. He has a big appetite and is gaining weight but is not advancing. He is a better/less picky eater for my husband than for me, but its still not great. When I put food on his plate he immediately picks it up and throws it over the edge, doesn’t even acknowledge it in the least. I give him pancake, peas, steam carrots, avocado, mums mums, love ducks, yogurt drops with hydrated berries, bread and blueberries cut up regularly throughout the day, but nothing. The peas he’s been putting in his mouth but spits them out after awhile. What do you recommend I do, or does this sound like a sensory issue to you? Thank you, Amy
Hi Amy, I know its so confusing! I’d definitely start with not giving chunky foods of any kind, a lot of babies struggle with this. Think smooth and get slightly thicker. I have a whole post and free printable on how to transition with table foods that is just what you’re looking for. Head to: How to Transition Your Baby (or Toddler) to Table Foods Easily and Safely
Hi!! I need some advice please. I teach kindergarten at a small Christian school . I have several students who constantly suck on fingers, clothing, their hair, eat crayons and play dough,, lick chairs and tables. I’ve been teaching for 24 years and never have seen so many sensory behaviors. Why do you think there is more children with these difficulties??
Hi Alisha,
Any tips for lip sucking? My 6 year old has been doing this since he was a baby and we are having an extreme difficult time getting him to stop. I’ve tried looking for help online and soliciting advice from our pediatrician and dentist but no one is really able to recommend anything to try.
He seems to be doing it as a source of comfort and when he’s tired. Eating mints and candy to reduce the suck only work while he’s eating them. The sucking has started causing issues with his lower jaw/teeth being pushed back. Any additional ideas? Something yucky to place on his lip?
Thanks,
Stephanie
I’d approach this from the angle and see what else helps, maybe some sort of chewy necklace or chewy toy? If he has a sensory need that he can’t get, he will find some way to get it. Another option is try and give proprioception to his whole body. You can experiment with those types of activities and see if it helps. It may take some time to see a difference. Check out some ideas here.
Hi alisha.
I have 2 year old son who is very reluctant to brush his teeth. We have tried every trick out there.He also speech delayed.
Please suggest
Try singing a song, like ABC’s, use the same song consistently. This will help him predict when the end is coming!
Hello, I have 18-month-old nephews. They are behind eating solids one of them is more advanced than the other one. The one that is furthest behind still only eats purees and disliked anything else. I gave them strawberries yesterday he started eating one but it took like an hour for a middle size berry. What can I do to help them?
Using some of the exercises in this post can be very helpful. But, I’d also think about doing some detective work on what the underlying issue could be, this is the perfect article for that: 5 Reasons Kids Won’t Eat. There are additional tips in How to Transition to Table Foods here.
My daughter isn’t necessarily a picky eater but has sucked on her food since she was a little over 1 and still doesn’t it now at 2 years old. Sometimes she will fill her mouth and suck on it for half an hour and we can’t get her to chew or swollow. It doesn’t happen every meal but more often than not. How can I fix this this?
First, I’d be wondering, “Does she know how chew or is this a preference of hers?” Does she ever chew food, have you seen her do it? If not, then you’ll want to check out How to Transition to Table Foods, there’s some great tips in there. And, if she does, then you’ll want to focus on the sensory component and for that, I’d look at Sensory Issues with Food.
That should give you some clear direction!
Hi,
I was wondering what activities I can do for low registration?
Short bursts of vibration are great, think about vibrating toys/teethers/toothbrushes. If you use vibration for longer than 10-15 seconds it could cause relaxation, watch for his results.
Hi Alisha,
My 6 year Old daughter is constantly mouthing and chewing toys, objects, her hair, clothing and has in the past few months started spitting excessively, whistling and making clicking, buzzing or squeaking noises with her mouth. She also prefers to eat crunchy foods, actively avoiding cooked vegetables and other soft meals. Her teacher has told me that she is also whistling and making other noises in class. I am concerned that she is underprocessing orally, or has a hyposensitivity. I am wondering if it is worthwhile getting a referral to an OT?
I think if you’re questioning it, it’s worth getting the eval- then you know. You definitely have some valid concerns. I know it can be a hard choice to move forward, I have this post about sensory therapy from OT’s.
Thanks Alisha thank you.
Manel.
Hi Alisha,
Have a kido who is an oral sensory seeker who Chews on inside of cheeks,
Bites or sucks in lip frequently,Mouth or suck on various objects or toys,
Loves very spicy, salty foods,Bites nails,Prefers crunchy foods. On top of these he digs his floor of the mouth all the time by putting a finger underneath the tounge. Pls help. Need your advice.
I have seen some of these behaviors. It seems like he has an intense need. I’d do a couple of things. I’d try proprioceptive input in general, that could help indirectly. I’d also use some vibrating toys and experiment with different teethers. Some of these behaviors are dangerous, if he’s able to understand I’d work on teaching him alternates (like the chewy toys), constantly redirecting him.
I’m having a hard time locating a good fruit leather with high resistance. There are so many options but most almost disintegrate in your mouth. Do you have any good recommendations? p.s. i’ve tried leaving them out open or serving them chilled.
That’s a great question, I’m not sure of a particular brand. Although its candy in terms of consistency, stale old fashioned licorice works great!
This really a big help to me since my kid only eats same food over and over again…
Thanks so much Alisha
You’re so welcome Rebecca! Keep poking around there’s a lot of tips on Your Kid’s Table!
Hi Alisha
My child is 3.5 years old and eats very limited variety of food. He mainly eats dry items and gags/ spits on eating fruits and vegetables. I am seeing a feeding therapist since last 1 month who said he has sensory issues but not very major. He has started eating 3-4 wet items (vegetables/ gravy) at the clinic in decent portions in the last 1 month. However, he rejects the same items when offered at home by me. When i send him to a friends house, he eats those items there also. What can be the reason for not eating at home and how do i change that?
This so common! Its great that he’s making progress though. I’d really consider the pressure aspect of feeding- check out this article. Put that in place and in a couple of weeks I bet you’ll see changes at home too!
Thank you for your reply! I am waiting for the results to show at home as well!! But I understand not pressurising is best, and will try to keep it at that!
My son is 3.5 years old and appears to have some degree of sensory processing disorder. We had gone to OT and FT for about 2.5 years. Only things he can eat right now is formula and pediasure and we are currently working hard to transition him to a cup and that took a long time. We had GI examine him to eliminate any internal issues.
He seems to be afraid of anything new. And even after 2.5 years of therapy, all he can do is kiss and lick things like chips/cookies/crackers when task him to do, but he won’t eat any of it. He won’t use a spoon nor straw and tries not to touch anything he’s not familiar. He is either afraid or distrustful of food that’s not formula or pediasure.
How can I help him to transition to “normal” food as we only have two years before he attends school.
Hi Julie, thank you so much for your comment. I have worked with kiddos in similar situations before, I know how overwhelming this can be. You can overcome this, I know it isn’t an easy rode, but you can get there! First, I want you to see the menu bar and click on the “start here guides”. Follow the steps in that order, it will take some time to get through that- one thing at a time! The other thing I really want you to focus on is sensory bins, daily for 4-6 weeks. Search for my sensory bins post to make this successful. I know it seems like a small thing but improving his sensory system can make a huge difference, truly!!! Are you still in OT? Can you try a different therapist, sometimes it can be helpful to have fresh eyes and ideas. I hope this helps a little, keep me posted!
We have tried the sensory bins with rice and beans, we thought he graduated from that, but we’ll start with more variety. To tell the truth, after two years of OT with very minimal progress we forced him a cup with water and after few tries, he now drinks from a cup after realizing it’s not a big deal, but throws fit because he wants the bottle. He seems so stubborn or afraid to leave his comfort zone. We realize we shouldn’t force him, so we’ll go back to the bins, but even that was hard and only way I could coax him to put his hand in the bin was to put my smart phone in the bin so he would grab it and play it. I’ll keep you posted. Thank you.
Hey michelle see that sensory bins post, because I give a lot of tips that therapists use to get kids playing in bins. You’re thinking along the right lines, though. The fact that he doesn’t want to means he needs it:)
I have a grandson, age 8 who has sensory processing disorder and is ADHD. He has had speech and OT in the past and these therapies have really helped. He no longer qualifies for these therapies, He has some oral motor avoidance issues. The main one causing problems at this time is his mouth guard, which is required for playing lacrosse. He has just started this sport and is very good at it. He told me he does not like lacrosse at all for one reason – the mouthguard. He cannot stand it in his mouth for longer than 26 seconds. He knows his team will get a penalty if he does not have it in his mouth. He doesn’t have a problem brushing his teeth as long as he does not use tooth paste. He eats most foods and liquids. Do you have any suggestions for desensitizing his mouth so he can use the mouthguard?
Oh my gosh, I love that you are researching for him! This is a great question and can be really challenging. I am not aware of any specific alternatives. The best way is for him to break down his sensitivity, and also to give calming proprioceptive input. That is anything that involves pressure. I would practice at home to build up his tolerance, and try having him vigorously brush his teeth ahead of time and do some really physical activity, this is regulating to the whole sensory system. You could also try firmly rubbing his cheeks or even just cupping his jaw when it starts to irritate him. Of course, use distraction too while your building up this tolerance. I hope some of that helps!
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SLP here- Well done!
Aww, thanks so much!!! I really appreciate it!
Hi Alisha. Forgive my ignorance as I am not sure how to email you but I am replying to this article as a way of accessing your knowledge. I am very distraught and sad at the state of my 4.5 yr old’s eating habits. He had a very limited diet in terms of texture always but liked stews/casseroles, strawberry yogurts and baby biscuits and oatmeal with honey and banana so we managed to get pretty much anything into the casseroles to vary the diet but slowly he dropped off the oatmeal (so no more banana and honey as he only ate them mashed in) and the biscuits are gone and now the dinners so we are reduced to yogurts (only one brand) and milk. He stopped drinking water years ago and doesn’t like any other drink. He has been diagnosed with undefined sensory issues an is now getting food therapy( but this isn’t very developed in Ireland). However my food therapist is a very kind and understanding person who is not forceful and is open to trying things. She is primarily a Speech and Language Therapist. He will eat a very limited selection of plain milk chocolate and one other sweet type(kind of chewy marshmallow) and that’s it. I resort to these when I am desperate and that is everyday now. He refuses to discuss his eating with me when I try to sit him down for chat and gets very emotionally upset about being offered food. We were trying ‘the learning plate ‘ approach but I had to stop as he was getting very annoyed. He drinks lots of milk. This yogurt/milk diet has been going on for a month now. He has lost wait but still relatively healthy looking. He has had consistent sinusitus/allergic rhinitis since 1.5 yrs and was colicky as a baby. The therapist feels he has not learned to chew properly due to the soft foods he prefers. I have asked for referral to an Ear Nose and Throat specialist. I do feel it is impacting him. He has shown a willingness to touch and put about 3 foods to his mouth in therapy but not at home and will not actually eat them. He does like messy play but doesn’t like touching grass/sand much. He will touch foods but usually doesn’t want to. I am so worried about his weight loss and his recent dramatic decline in variety of food. Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Theresa, I’m so sorry for the stressful situation. I can understand how draining and worrisome it all must be. I’m glad he’s in feeding therapy:)
I’m not sure how much you’ve poked around on my site, but there is A LOT of information on here. I also have a free picky eater workshop. In it I share three main strategies that I think are crucial for progress- I’d definitely pick a time to watch that. In the workshop you’ll also hear me talk about my picky eater course: Mealtime Works. This might be a good fit for you, because it’s my entire picky eater program with support from me inside a private group. No pressure, but I want you to know about it as an option. Either way the free workshop will have some great and important strategies for you. You can check it out here.