Sometimes, children only eat certain foods and dislike trying new foods. They may be considered a picky eater.
Do you know that sensory organs are very sensitive in children? Sometimes, those can be hypersensitive to the smell, sight, or texture of certain foods that limit their overall diet and nutrition.
An occupational therapy specialist can work with your child and help them grow their likes for more and more foods and adding them to their diet. Parents or guardians can also try some strategies at home to help their children grow their interest in more and more variety of foods. Those are as follows:
You can eat dinner as a family
Inspire your child to try foods instead of grazing all-day
Remove distractions from dinnertime by turning off the TV and putting away phones, for instance
Try one food at a time in small portions
Give new food at the start of the meal when the child is hungry
Give choices, asking your child if he or she wants 3 or 5 green beans
But when these tricks are not working, you will need professional help that offers therapy for picky eaters.
How Does a Professional Picky Eater Therapist Help?
Environmental is set up. It is very important. A typical routine or physical setup, such as a table, chair, room, utensils, etc. is also taken into account. Maybe, the oral motor weakness or the problem to swallow food or beverage, clinically known as dysphagia, may warrant a transdisciplinary approach. A speech and occupational therapist can help in this case. First, they assess and treat the child from a holistic nature in which sensory regulation and oral motor deficits are effectively treated. Then, a feeding intensive program for a picky eater is integrated and initiated to set picky eating goals and start intervention. It may also include learning to sit at a table or other difficulties that are limiting engagement.
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