The Role Sensory Processing Plays in Feeding
Today, we're diving into an important topic that many of you might have encountered with your little ones: the role of sensory processing in feeding. Understanding this can be a game-changer in improving your child's feeding experiences and overall relationship with food.
What is Sensory Processing?
Sensory processing is how our brains interpret and respond to the information we receive from our senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. For some children, this process is smooth and automatic, but for others, it can be a bit of a challenge.
How Does Sensory Processing Affect Feeding?
Feeding is a complex task that involves multiple senses working together. Here’s how each sense can impact feeding:
Taste: Some children might be hypersensitive (overly sensitive) to certain tastes, finding even mildly flavored foods too intense. Others might be hyposensitive (under-sensitive), requiring strong flavors to register taste.
Smell: The aroma of food can be overwhelming for some children, leading to refusal to eat certain foods or even entire meals.
Touch: The texture of food can be a major hurdle. Children who are sensitive to touch might reject foods that are too lumpy, crunchy, or slimy.
Sight: The visual appearance of food, including color, shape, and presentation, can significantly influence a child's willingness to try it.
Sound: The noises associated with eating, such as chewing or crunching, can be distressing for some children.
Children with sensory processing difficulties might exhibit a range of feeding challenges, including:
Picky eating: Refusal to eat certain foods based on texture, taste, or smell.
Food jags: Eating the same food repeatedly and refusing other foods.
Gagging: A strong gag reflex triggered by certain textures or tastes.
Avoidance behaviors: Avoiding meals or snacks due to sensory sensitivities.
Strategies to Improve Your Child’s Feeding Experiences
As parents, you play a crucial role in helping your child navigate these sensory challenges. Here are some sensory-based activities and strategies that can help improve the feeding experience for you and your child:
1. Gradual Exposure
Introduce new foods slowly and in a non-threatening way. Start by having the new food present at the table without expecting your child to eat it. Gradually increase exposure by having them engage with the food via touch >smell> lick before taking a bite.
2. Sensory Play
Engage your child in sensory play activities to stimulate their senses and increase their tolerance in a fun, non-feeding context. Activities like playing with textured materials (e.g., playdough, rice, or sand), exploring different smells, and playing with different temperatures and flavors like tasting a variety of flavored ice cubes can help.
3. Food Chaining
Food chaining involves introducing new foods that are similar in texture, taste, or appearance to foods your child already enjoys. For example, if your child likes french fries, you can gradually introduce baked potatoes that have a similar taste but different texture.
4. Texture Play
Encourage your child to explore different food textures through play. For instance, have them squish bananas, feel the sliminess of cooked pasta, or crunch on raw vegetables. This helps them become more comfortable with various textures.
5. Visual Appeal
Make food visually appealing and fun. Use cookie cutters to create fun shapes, arrange food in colorful patterns, or create a "food face" on the plate. This can make mealtime more exciting and less intimidating.
6. Routine and Consistency
Establish a predictable mealtime routine to provide a sense of security. Consistency helps children know what to expect and can reduce anxiety around meals.
7. Positive Reinforcement
Praise and reward your child for trying new foods, even if they just take a small bite or lick. Positive reinforcement can motivate them to keep exploring new foods.
8. Family Meals
Eat together as a family to model positive eating behaviors. Seeing parents and siblings enjoy a variety of foods can encourage children to try new things.
Specific Sensory-Based Activities to Try
Here are some specific activities that can help improve your child's sensory processing and feeding experiences:
Tactile Activities
Messy Play: Engage in messy play with non-food items like shaving cream, slime, or finger paints to reduce tactile defensiveness.
Food Textures: Let your child play with different food textures without the pressure to eat them. This could involve squishing berries, mashing potatoes, or feeling dry cereal. You can start this activity with using utensils or kid friendly toothpicks and then progress to fingers as your child becomes comfortable.
Oral Motor Activities
Chewing Practice: Offer chewy snacks like fruit leather, dried fruits, or carrot sticks, to improve oral motor skills.
Blowing Games: Play games that involve blowing, such as blowing bubbles, blowing up balloons, or blowing cotton balls with a straw.
Smell Exploration
Scented Playdough: Make homemade playdough with different scents like vanilla, mint, or citrus.
Smell Jars: Create smell jars with various scents (e.g., herbs, spices, fruits) and have your child practice learning the different scent and identifying them.
Visual Engagement
Food Art: Create food art by arranging fruits and vegetables into fun shapes and patterns.
Colorful Plates: Use colorful plates and utensils to make meals more visually stimulating.
Limit distraction: Avoid letting your child watch TV or use iPads during meals. Reducing screen time helps children focus on the food, its appearance, and the eating experience, which can enhance their sensory engagement and enjoyment.
Auditory Tolerance
Quiet Eating Environment: Reduce background noise during meals to help children focus on eating.
Sound Exploration: Play with sound-producing toys or instruments to improve tolerance to various sounds.
When to Seek Professional Help
Understanding the role of sensory processing in feeding can empower you to create a more positive and enjoyable mealtime experience for your child. Remember, progress takes time, and every small step forward is a victory. Be patient, celebrate successes, and most importantly, make mealtime fun and a time for connection and joy.
While these strategies and activities can be highly effective, some children may need additional support. If your child's feeding difficulties persist, significantly impact their growth, or leave you feel overwhelmed as a parent, it may be time to seek help from a pediatric feeding specialist. A feeding expert can provide personalized assessment and intervention to address your child's unique needs. If you have any questions or need further support, book a call with our team of experts today. Together, we can help your child develop a healthy relationship with food and thrive in their feeding journey.
Not sure you need help? Check out our feeding screener here to get a better idea if your concerns need professional expertise!
