Why do children have sensory food aversions? And, how can you help them overcome sensory issues with food? Get the answers and 8 simple strategies…
Affiliate links used below. See our full disclosure.
From the very beginning of Your Kid’s Table, I have always wanted to help parents better understand sensory processing and anything related to kids and eating. Over the last few years, I have answered many comments about how the two things are related, and often result in a sensory food aversion.
I wanted to dedicate a post completely to sensory issues with food, to help you understand if sensory processing is playing a role in your child’s picky eating and, perhaps more importantly, what you can do help!
I first noticed my son’s sensory issues with food when I introduced food to him.
Knowing the red flags (you’ll read about those later), I also knew if I hadn’t introduced specific sensory strategies to help him learn to eat foods, we’d likely still be struggling, years later, because a sensory food aversion is on a whole different level than just your average “picky eating”.
Why Do Kids Have Sensory Issues with Food?
To understand food related sensory issues, we’ve first got to talk about sensory processing, which is our ability to interpret smells, tastes, sounds, touches, sights, and movement from our environment.
Although most of us process this information in similar ways, it is completely unique to every individual, to every child. We are bombarded all day long with various sensory input, and eating, which many of us do 5 or 6 times a day, is a huge sensory experience that most of us take for granted.
As adults, we have been quite desensitized to the textures, flavors, and smells of food, but many of our kids have not. In the first few years of life, mealtimes are all about processing the sensory input they are receiving from various foods.
Often, when kids display picky eating, especially those with food aversions/extreme picky eating, the touch, taste, or smell of a food is being processed in their brain as dis-pleasurable in some way.
And, by dis-pleasurable, I mean down-right uncomfortable. Think of something that makes you shudder… nails on chalkboard or touching a slug? That feeling that you have may be just as extreme for your child when they touch an orange.
Their brain is processing it all in different ways than yours does. A strong negative sensory reaction can even result in a sensory meltdown.
This of course can start your child down the slippery slope of a limited diet, narrow lists of favorite foods, and specific foods they won’t dare come near during mealtimes.
How your child responds to foods, may at least in part, be simply neurological. While a sensory overload can seem exaggerated, it is a real experience to your child. I hope that this information helps you as the parent depersonalize the refused dinners, at least at little, anyways!
Here’s the good news, children’s brains are extremely plastic. Meaning they are able to easily learn new things. When a child learns something new or experiences something differently, a new connection is made in their brain.
The more they have that same experience, the stronger that connection gets, and then they are able to react differently than they had previously because their brain is using a new connection to process the information.
Are you following me here? Let me say it another way by telling you about my son who has a long history of sensory food aversions. Isaac gags and shudders every time he touches chicken, but one day he helps me make chicken in a different way.
We cut it into small pieces and serve it with a fun dip in a cool little ramekin. I pretend the chicken is little baby dinosaurs jumping into a pond of ketchup.
Then, Isaac is really motivated and relaxed (because he isn’t being pressured), so he picks up his “little baby dinosaurs” and sends them soaring into his dip without a hint of a shudder or gag.
Guess what? His brain just made a new connection, and then I had a starting point to build from! I promise there is hope for your child who only dreams of eating chicken nuggets.
While I’ve mostly been providing examples of a child who is sensitive to textures because the brain is over processing the input, it is also entirely possible that your child may be under sensitive to sensory input.
Think of sensory processing as a spectrum with being sensitive or defensive to input (food texture, smell, etc.) at one end and seeking input at the other end with a whole lot of variability in the middle.
Not processing input well can also cause picky eating because children may not feel certain soft textures in their mouth well (as if the sensation is dulled), and thus avoid them.
These kids, in particular, will often prefer crunchy foods, seemingly spit out soft foods, or over-stuff their mouths to try and “feel” the food.
*Note that sensory processing isn’t just related to food, head over sensory sensitivities in kids to learn more.
Does My Child Have a Sensory Food Aversion, Sensory Feeding Disorder, or Restrictive Food Intake Disorder?
While there is no specific diagnosis for a “sensory eating disorder” or a sensory food aversion, these terms might be used when your child eats a very limited amount of foods because they have difficulty with how foods smell, taste, feel, or even how they look.
Remember this is because of the way their brain is interpreting the sensations they get from food, which leads to the question.
To help narrow down if your child’s picky eating is related to sensory, it’s first helpful to think about certain groups of kids that sensory processing difficulties affect more than other’s. I’m going to list them here because if your child has one of these diagnoses and has eating difficulties, it is very likely that sensory processing is at least part of the picture.
But, having sensory processing difficulties in general DOES NOT mean that your child has one of these diagnoses.
Kids that fall into one of these groups and are picky eaters, often have sensory based food aversions:
-
- Sensory Processing Disorder (Note that many health care providers acknowledge this diagnosis, but it is not in the current version of the DSM, which means some insurances providers will not accept this as a reason to justify therapy).
- ADD/ADHD
- Children Born Prematurely (The sensory system is one of the last to develop in utero, which is why sensory processing difficulties are common. However, this is not a rule. Many preemies display no difficulties in this area.)
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Down Syndrome
- Children Adopted from Orphanages in Eastern European Countries or Russia
It’s also important to note that kids with significant sensory difficulties with food, whether they have one of the above diagnoses or not, could receive a diagnosis of Pediatric Feeding Disorder (PFD), which applies to kids through age 18.
Let’s talk about how these sensory “difficulties” actually show up in our kids when they are related to food, here are some specific red flags to look for…
Red Flags for Sensory Issues with Food
If you child has most or all of the behaviors here, it is possible that sensory issues with food may be part of the underlying reason your child is selective about what they eat.
You will notice some opposite extremes in the list below, which are indicating different ends of the sensory processing spectrum as I discussed earlier. As you’re reading, make a mental checklist of any that you see your child doing regularly:
-
- Gags at the sight, smell, touch, or taste of foods. Gagging while trying to eat is a different cause that has to do with the mechanics of eating.
Gagging can also be a learned behavior that may have started from either a sensitivity to sensory input or difficulty chewing or swallowing food at some point. Read more on how to help with Gagging at the Smell of Food.
-
- Avoids or dislikes their hands getting messy, and I’m not just talking about at meals. You will often see your child get uncomfortable with crafts or digging in dirt/sand, etc. (This is an important point, learn more about it in Everything You Need To Know About the Tactile Sense)
-
- Over stuffs or pockets food excessively and/or frequently. Pocketing food can also be the cause of poor coordination and/or difficulty chewing.
-
- Never went through an oral stage as a baby/toddler where they mouthed and chewed on toys and other objects.
-
- Excessively mouths and chews on various toys past the age of 18 months.
Find more sensory red flags that cover all the senses, not just related to eating. And, if you’d like to dive into understanding sensory as it relates to picky eating, head over to oral sensory processing, you’ll find more tips and activities there!
Are My Child’s Eating Difficulties all Related to Sensory?
I realize I just wrote over 800 words describing how sensory processing may be the cause of your child’s picky eating, but it is rarely the sole cause.
Picky eating is a complicated animal that often has many layers to it. Even if sensory processing is the major player, learned behavior, routine, and other hidden reasons could be at play too.
Check out 5 reasons why your child isn’t eating to uncover any other factors that could be contributing to your kids difficulty eating.
How to Get Help for Picky Eaters With Sensory Food Aversions
I want to provide you with some solid strategies to begin to improve your child’s processing of sensory information (and I will in the next section). However, there are more specialized techniques that may be appropriate under the guidance of a therapist.
It is important to seek medical advice with your provider before making any changes in your child’s diet or health plan.
If your child is under 3 and you live in the US, you may qualify for free in home services. Another option is, a private evaluation from an occupational therapist that specializes in feeding and sensory processing may be appropriate, and can result in feeding therapy.
Whether you seek out further in person help or not, I’d also highly recommend our free workshop: 3 Keys to Turning Around Picky Eating. You’ll learn more about the basics of addressing picky eating and see so much more success with your sensory efforts if you put in.
8 Strategies for a Sensory Food Aversion
With that said, these few tools can be very powerful when used consistently over a period of at least 4-6 weeks because they help to desensitize the sensory system and can be foundational as you make a picky eating plan. Come back to these strategies as needed.
1.Play in a variety of sensory bins at least 5-6 times per week. This is often the first thing I suggest to sensory kids and picky eaters because it helps to break down the overall sensitivity at the brain level.
-
- 2. Use a vibrating toothbrush two times a day. My kids use these all the time, but for smaller toddler mouths or those that are really sensitive, this brush is a great option.
-
- 3.When brushing teeth, encourage your child to allow you to help, and brush the sides of the tongue top of the tongue and inside the cheeks as well.
-
- 4. Build off of textures that your child is preferring. Think about making small changes to the foods they already like by changing up the brand, flavor, etc. This will help build a bridge to new foods in a way that is comfortable.
-
- 5. Encourage them to interact with the food in some way. Take baby steps. They may need to spend some time just touching the food to get used to the texture, for example.
-
- 6. Cook together. This is a no-pressure time that allows kids to explore new foods. They will often feel brave enough to try something new in the fun and relaxed nature of the moment. Again, the key here is breaking down some of that sensitivity through the exploration of food.
-
- 7. If your child falls into the over-stuffing/seeking texture category, you will want to alternate crunchy bites of food with soft food. You can also give the cheeks a firm, but gentle squeeze if the stuffing or spitting out starts, or briskly stroke from the ears to the mouth a few times. This is not meant as a punishment, but to give input to help them process the sensation of the food better.
-
- 8. Maximize the foods you are serving your kid. Oftent foods that have a uniform shape and even texture are more likely to be eaten. And, it’s very common for kids with oral aversions to have a strong preference for a specific type of texture.Use that to your advantage! For instance, I would serve a small cube of cheese instead of a slice of cheese that I had randomly torn into pieces. Or, if a child preferred crunchy foods I’d serve meats that veggies that had a crunchy texture. Want more specific examples? Head to picky eater friendly foods for inspiration and motivation!
I believe in these strategies, not only because I’m an OT, but also as a mom. I’ve used these food aversion tips with my own son. See the plan I used to help my son, who now eats a wide variety of foods, including salad!
By implementing these strategies in combination with a solid routine, you will likely see some significant changes in your child’s eating.
If you’d like a little help getting your routine rock solid so you can build on these other sensory specific tips, then grab our FREE 9 Tips to Improve Your Child’s Eating Printable.
Have a question about your child’s sensory food aversions? Ask below!
More for Kids with a Sensory Food Aversion
The Best Picky Eating Strategy
Are Food Jags Affecting Your Picky Eater? What You Need to Know…
When Has Picky Eating Gone Too Far… Is it Something More?
Did you pin this?
Alisha Grogan is a licensed occupational therapist and founder of Your Kid’s Table. She has over 14 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.
Hey Alisha,
I am a special ed para-educator who works with a 1st grade girl with ASD as well as sensory processing issues. Recently, at home and at school she has started having extreme issues with eating after she had a case of the stomach flu a month ago. At home, she refuses food unless it is under certain conditions (For example: refusing to eat unless it’s on a Styrofoam plate, or refusing to eat unless a blanket is over her head). At school, however, she refuses to eat anything at all and has severe sensory meltdowns when staff try to get her to eat (screaming, crying, wetting pants, eloping from the classroom, self harm by biting her hands and pulling her hair, etc.). Her mom and our staff have been going back and fourth trying to implement what works during feeding time at home, but to no avail. Her mom packs her lunches with things we already knows she loves, and she has always devoured what she has been given. We have made slight progress by getting her to look at, touch, smell, and lick her food, but we can not seem to get past that point. She does have constipation issues and takes medication and supplements to manage it and has had milder issues surrounding eating in the past, but not the point where she seemed afraid of all foods and is starving herself. We suspect that her being sick and vomiting caused her trauma and she is now associating food with getting sick. Can you think of any strategies we could implement to help her get past her fear of food? Or provide any insight on how to reintroduce food to a child with a fear of vomiting or getting sick and also has severe special needs?
Thanks! I hope you can help!
This is more common that you think and there is an aversion. I’d start with just playing with food, especially food outside of a meal. Can she imitate, copy your interactions? Focus just on touching or smelling, maybe do arts and crafts. I’d definitely seek out a feeding therapy eval too!
Hi Alisha, I have read a lot of your articles, and they helped me figure out that my 18 month old is suffering from oral sensory hypersensitivity. I also went to an OT for the same, and they have confirmed it. He is still only eating pureed food, and gags and vomits violently if anything unpureed or too textured (food only) is put in his mouth. He is otherwise OK with textured non-food stuff. He hates getting his hands messy.
He hates getting his teeth brushed. I have tried the vibrating tooth-brush, but he won’t let me touch his mouth with it. Happily runs around with the vibrating brush in his hand.
On the recommendation of OT, I have purchased the chewy tubes, and P’s and Q’s for him. Am also making him touch different textures, like clay, dry flour and grain mixture etc, to help desensitise him.
Would request you to please guide me what else I can do to help him start eating a little better, and graduate to non-pureed foods. Thanks in advance.
So glad you’re getting more help Rajni! You’re doing so many good things, I would keep encouraging him and trying everyday to brush teeth and tolerate messy play. A little bit at a time!
My son gagged on rice cereal as a baby — he was over 2 years old by the time he started eating solid food. Our infant development specialist was better than the OT. She had us put small pieces of baby cookies near his back teeth. It was hard, but he finally learned to eat the cookies on his own! We also used a Z-vibe outside and inside his mouth – not a toothbrush, but just a vibrating tool with little bumps. A toothbrush head can be used as well, and it doesn’t have traditional bristles. It took a ton of oral stimulation to get him to start eating (and I wasn’t as consistent as I should have been…!).
Hi how old is ur son now.did he start eating.m in same boat
Hello!
I have a question regarding my son. He is 8 months old and up to this point has been eating mostly purees. I’ve started to introduce table food for him to explore. Recently I gave him broccoli and from just touching it with his finger he immediately started gagging and threw up. He has had similar reactions to carrots, eggs and zucchini. Any strategies to start working on this now while he is young? Or could it be that he simply is too young? Thank you!
Glad you asked, he’s definitely not too young, I’d try tooth brushing and sensory bins that are appropriate for a baby. But, I think this post on how to transition to table foods is what will really be helpful. You’ll find a free printable there too!
Thank you for your article! I am wondering it this is what is going on with my 16 month old. He is really interested in food, but doesn’t really eat enough. He will only try select things and rarely chews and swallows. Recently he even started deliberately spitting food after he puts it in his mouth. He’s always rejected purees and is skeptical of sticky things and also doesn’t like to touch paint and playdoh (as you mention in the article), so its probably a sensory issue of some sort.
How does the cheek squeeze/cheek stroke help with the sensory information? I’m wondering if that might help my little guy deal with having food in his mouth.
It does sound like it’s at least part of what’s going on, I’d also look at oral motor skills for more! But, the stroking desensitizes the skin around the face and stimulates the muscles for chewing:)
After reading so many different websites for months this one finally made sense to me. When my little one turned about 1.5 (she is almost 3) she starting gagging and vomiting pretty frequently to almost every single day. Sometimes 2-3 times a day. It could be as simple as just asking what she wanted for breakfast to seeing a certain type of food to just smelling. She can look at spaghetti and gag/vomit. We don’t go out to each much at all. When and if we do I usually plan on a mess. Her favorite food Is mac n cheese. If the color of cheese is different or it’s a different type noodle she won’t touch it. She went almost 4 months with no issues and now it’s back again. The doc feels it’s mental and a phase she will soon outgrow. I asked if she needed therapy and she said not now she is healthy, gaining weight and meeting all her expectations. I have always felt I am the only one to experience these issues. Do you have any advice on how I can correct this or make it better? I cry and pray daily. I fear something is wrong with her. I am so lost. Thank you!
I do think she needs some help, but this can be helped and is something I see a lot. It will be okay, but I’d strongly suggest looking into feeding therapy and looking at my free workshop for picky eating. You’ll get a lot of good foundation tips there.
My son is 3 years old, a former 25 week triplet who was intubated for more than 5 months in the NICU. He amazingly came home without oxygen, but with a G-Tube which was found completely unnecessary and removed within 6 weeks. He ate everything from sandwiches to yogurt, absolutely loved pumpkin pie and would go crazy for shreeded chicken, grapes or pears. He had a bronchial scope shortly after his second birthday, during which his airway temporarily collapsed, and reopened. He was discharged the same morning, but started having constant reflux, which was then controlled with a higher dose reflux medicine. He never went back to regular food after the scope. He only eats crackers, chips, selected brands of chicken nuggets and for a few days every few months he will eat pb&j or yogurt and fruit pouches, but if he is given anything of a yogurt consistency he will vomit at the sight of it. He sometimes even vomits if he walks in a room and sees someone’s else eating.
I am at a loss.
Hi Katie, eating challenges can become so complex! Are you being seen by a GI or a feeding therapist, I think both would be very helpful. I also have a free workshop that would be a great starting place for home.
Hi. My son is 4 and on the spectrum he has been very picky since he was 18mo and it’s obvious that it is food aversion. He is going to be evaluated at ot soon but he will only eat crunchy things like crackers cookies chips. Only eats fries or tots. Muffins only specific brand. Sweets of many kinds. And only danimal yogurt drinks I worry so much about his health he stays with a sinus infection and you can’t get allergy meds in him if your life depended on it. He just flat out refused different foods or if he tries it he spits it out after chewing a bit. If pressed to try more he becomes very upset and sometimes combative
This is very common with food aversions. I think my free picky eating workshop would be helpful, you can check it out here.
Ecactly the same here. Im sure my almost 4 year old 5he spectrum. His older brother is but this food aversion is a big issue for master almost 4. He is a stuffer and a spitter outer. We have done some food therapy but he needs alot more and ongoing. We are trying to get a diagnosis he has other sensory issues and is impulsive. Its very distressing to not even be given a diagnosis yet. He had delayed speech and repeates stories/phrases at times also plus lines up toys, focuses on parts etc etc.
Hi Alisha, my son just turned one and is still exclusively breastfed because he rejects solids. I have tried pur3es, finger foods, adult foods,but he won’t eat any. He totally rejects any other thing other than breastmilk and won’t even drink pumped breastmilk so he only sucks directly.
In my country, babies like this are forcefed but i totally dislike it so i don’t force him.
Everyone is on my neck to force feed him, please what do i do to make him eat?
I’d definitely avoid force feeding! I think using some of the sensory strategies here will help and maybe moving towards nursing on a schedule instead of on demand. I’d pull in your dr for sure. And, then I’d head to this post on how to transition to table foods, it’s just what you need.
Hi Amanda, i know the post is old but could you share how you helped your kid to eat solid. My baby is 9 months old and refusing all kinds like puree, finger food, puffs… thank you so much
This is a great website, and thank you for making all this information accessible to all of us.
My daughter (9 months) gags to the point of vomiting. She tolerates puréed foods (in a reusable tube) and will play with food on her tray. Occasionally, she will let us feed her with a spoon and she will sometimes take the spoon to feed herself. She will also try to pick up food and suck on her fingers. If she is given any kind of “solid” food (however TINY) she will gag and throw up. If she gags on a baby mum mum (because she hasn’t learned to chew) she will either swallow it or gag and then vomit. She enjoys brushing her teeth, mostly so she can suck out the water. She has teethers but doesn’t use them as much any more.
I would like to progress with solid foods but the constant vomiting is difficult for her and me. Meal time is not as fun for her anymore either it seems.
Any advice would be great! Thanks!
Aww thanks Alixe! It sounds like there’s an oral motor component going on here too, that’s how a child learns to chew and use their mouth muscles. I’ve got to point you towards How to Transition to Table Foods, I think it will be really helpful. Also, I have an additional free resource, email us at hello@yourkidtable.com and let us know you’re looking for help with table foods:)
Hi, my son has Down Syndrome and while he has good teeth and a strong bite, he refuses to bite food, only swallows it. This means at 2 years old he is still only eating mashed or soft lumps with a spoon. Also refuses to feed himself and hates if you try to offer him any other type of food or food in your fingers (not on his spoon). He eats very well and is extremely healthy, only eats meat and vegetables for lunch and tea, weetbix for breakfast. Likes yogurt and custard but wont even try chocolate or sweet stuff. I know it is sensory, we have been seeing a feeding specialist ever since he was born and I’m trying the brushing technique at the moment but wondered if you have any other ideas? We try playing with food but if he knows that it is food he rejects it straight away. Also hates brushing his teeth, washing his face and getting a haircut. It’s almost a terror of something solid going into his mouth – he has never really mouthed toys or put things in his mouth.
I’d definitely start using sensory bins on a daily basis, or as often as possible. Focus on that for a couple of months – it’s amazing for sensory processing development!! Wishing you the best:)
Hi Alisha – I took your picky eating course 2 years ago for my son and it helped get him to a point where he was starting to self-feed and was trying new foods. That was my concern then. Fast forward to today … He has regressed to a point where I am genuinely concerned. Words like “food”, “lunch” and “dinner” trigger a melt-down. He only wants snacks and seems to lose it when I insist he eats at the table. He prefers crunchy foods but can miraculously eat marshmallows and soft candy when offered. At first I thought it was behavioural (he is 4, afterall), but now I’m concerned that there is something else going on. He doesn’t seem to recognize hunger. He gets lethargic and has meltdowns instead of saying “mom i’m hungry”. I’ve tried feeding him earlier in the day, giving him only foods he likes, feeding him at the coffee table instead of the table. I don’t know where to start, though, because it seems like there are different things going on. Do you have any suggestions? I’ve used your website for years and have recommended you to tons of people so I wanted to check with you before contacting an OT in the Toronto, Ontario area. Thanks in advance, N.
Oh my gosh, get back into class! You have indefinite access! There’s a video I added last year on interoception and I think it will be very helpful. I’d recommend getting back into class and restarting the program. It still applies and I’m there to help, just reach out on the discussion board!
I have a 4 year old. He only eats certain food will not try anything because he already thinks he wont like it, even if he has never tried it before ever! gag and pukes when we try to make him try new foods or even foods he used to eat and will not touch anymore. I am very frustrated and have no idea what else to do to get him to try new food and actually like dinner time. He will go through where he will only eat one food at a time and just want that. and likes crispy or crunchy food hates soft and squishy foods.
There is a way out of this Brittany! I’ve worked with so many kids like your son! Have you seen the picky eating workshop? If not, I’d definitely check it out, they’re the first steps I’d recommend you make. You can get a spot here.
I have a student who only eats baby food and drinks a bottle with formula. Is there any suggestion I can give to the parents. The parents put baby food in the bottle along with the formula. He gags when given any type of table food. Any suggestions would be really awesome.
This is probably the result of delayed oral motor skills, food aversion, or sensory processing difficulties. A great way to start is by brushing the teeth/gums/tongue/cheek a few times a day, as strange as it sounds. But, I’d strongly suggest a feeding evaluation!
My grandson is 21 months and has an issue with food. Right now he basically only eats (takes a couple of bites) of banana, plain rice, french fries, bread, and scrambled eggs. He use to eat peas, broccoli, chicken, beef, pasta etc and cauliflower up to about 14 months I would say when he also started to wake up at least 4-5 times a night(screaming), which has continued as well. When he does try new foods he takes a bite and usually spits it out. He will sometimes say ouch as well and hold his tongue. He is very aware of “hot” and cold for food as well. His parents and I have thought it had to do with teething as he got his first tooth late (past one year). He also does not like his hands dirty, or when he steps on even a tiny crumb on the floor he says ouch and picks it off….his parents think that he’s just being a picky eater but I think there is more going on. Of course the family doctor doesn’t really think any issues are there but told them to come back in a couple of months if the sleeping doesn’t get better. He is obsessed with his bottle/milk and will only drink water out of a sippy cup. We also have witnessed him shoving food in his mouth quickly, like he’s trying to get it over with – usually crackers, if he eat them. I think it’s a sensory thing as well, although he loves to be hugged and cuddles. He also is not gaining weight as a 12-18months pants are to big in the waist (not length though he is growing in height)and that concerns me. I actually think he wakes up at night so much because he is hungry:( does this sound like sensory issues? thanks!
Oh yes, that all sounds like sensory! Everything you listed could have a sensory explanation. Have you seen the other sensory resources here? This is a good place to start.
The sticky fingers and crumbs on the feet has plagued me until adulthood, sounds exactly like sensory.
One thing I would mention is that if he will take the milk, then give it in bucket loads if necessary for nutrition and come back to solids later on piecemeal.
Had to do that with my son who suffered a horrible outbreak of excema -even his mouth was sore- he now eats *anything* even my spicy curry.
Night terrors may also be involved with the screaming, if he seems difficult to calm down at night he may not actually be awake, sometimes a cold flannel on the face to bring them to full awareness is necessary before the cuddles and singing will reach them.
My son is 14 months and just now started liking solid foods like puffs and Cheerios. He loves more crunchy than soft but he does eat mashed potatoes. We’ve tried bananas, oranges, apples and watermelon and won’t eat any of those. When i give him things he has to bite like a square of a Graham cracker or animal cracker, he normally sticks the whole thing in his mouth and gags. He is seeing a speech therapist but they do not see a problem with his eating. He also has not ever lifted a bottle to self feed, he just chews on the nipple. He also doesn’t use sippy cups, I’ve tried them all and he only plays with them. Should I be concerned about this?
The sippy cup isn’t really a problem, unless he isn’t drinking from anything else but a bottle. I’m hoping the speech therapist is still working with you both to help him learn to eat, even if any other problems aren’t apparent, although sensory is definitely a strong possibility.
Hey I’m a therapist working with a child who has extreme anxiety in trying new foods and only really eats unhealthy foods. The child gets anxiety when going places because she is unsure if they will have foods that she can eat (she gags and vomits on most foods). I’m trying to do some CBT and relaxation with her to assist in identifying the thoughts and anxieties that may be triggering this response but thought I would see if you have any additional feedback that may be helpful. Thanks!
Yes, highly recommend CBT when it is more anxiety induced in nature. But, does there seem to be any underlying sensory issues? Are textures hard for her? If so, follow the tips in this article, especially sensory bins.
But, I’d also come up with some mealtime rules with her following the DOR, see my best picky eating strategy for more on this. There should be a balance where she has some sense of control.