- Definition and prevalence – new information; move toward Pediatric Feeding Disorder
- Overlap of sensory processing skills, oral motor skills and behaviors
- Normal developmental key points
- Neurological foundations
- Trauma, feeding and impact on brain
- NICU and medical trauma, NG Tubes, trachotmesty, etc.
- Negative experience around feeding gagging, retching, pain with eating …
- Differentiate between sensory overload and behaviors during feeding
- Activity analysis of feeding – Evaluation videos and group analysis
- Information obtained – what questions to ask
- Oral motor evaluation – jaw, lips, tongue strength; range of motion for feeding
- Hands-on draw to learn lab
- Research-backed sensory play-based approach
- Decrease sensory over-responsivity to foods
- Use food exploration/cooking for older kids
- Self-regulation to engage body during feeding
- Core engagement
- Breathing exercises
- Therapeutic use of music
- Heavy work
- Lab – Oral motor exercises, kineseotaping, stretching
- Children who don’t swallow safely – saliva management, increase swallowing …
Taste Lab – Sensory feedback and motor requirement needed for each food texture
- Progression of food texture
- Match food presented in therapy to child’s sensory needs and motor skills
- Nutritional considerations
Behaviors During Mealtimes
Environmental Strategies to Set Children Up for Success
- Manage common mealtime behaviors – throwing foods, not sitting, crying during mealtimes
- Increase cooperation using the “just right challenge”
- Shift between treatment frameworks
- How to use the “feeding roadmap”
- Autism
- Cerebral Palsy
- Down Syndrome
- Children who don’t eat by mouth/G-Tube
- Medically complex children
- Educate parents who are stressed and in survival mode
- Help families have realistic expectations
- Easy-to-implement home programs that parents will do
- Help parents to change the relationship between child and food


