There are several common questions (and misconceptions) that many people have when dealing with children and picky eaters. And it’s tough because there is so much conflicting information out there on the internet. Here are the answers to a few of the questions we hear most often.
Question: Is it ever too late to get help for my picky eater? My child is 12 and still only eats like 5 foods. Is therapy only for little ones? Answer: No! Many feeding therapists often see children who are older and can make significant gains. Many times, older children with feeding difficulties may have undiagnosed conditions that make eating challenging that they have been struggling with their entire lives. A feeding evaluation or therapy can help these issues come to light and may provide some real answers and help. Question: My child is “picky”. I am not sure if it is a sensory thing or maybe behavioral. Is it always one thing or the other? Answer: Not always. Many times, sensory issues, like not wanting certain textures in our mouths, can lead to behavioral issues down the road. For example, if a child is young, and does not like the feel of an egg in his mouth, he may appear to have “behaviors” like screaming or spitting out food because he cannot express verbally what he does not like. Over time, this screaming and spitting out occurs at more and more meals, and the child will develop many behaviors during meals in response to aversions. That is why it is so important to get to the root cause of your child’s feeding difficulties, and why it is crucial that you find a professional who knows how to work with both sensory AND behavioral feeding challenges. Question: If I give my child a variety of foods as a baby/toddler, they will automatically love a variety of foods. That is what I have always heard. Is that true? Answer: Absolutely not. It is time to spread the word and stop all of the mom (and dad) guilt surrounding picky eating! You can give your child the world in terms of food variety when they are young, and you can still end up with a severely fussy or hesitant eater. While exposure is super important, and highly recommended, no amount of exposure at 18 months old can guarantee a super adventurous eater at 4 years old. Question: My child has a diagnosis of Autism. Is it normal for them to also have eating challenges with this type of diagnosis? Answer: It is extremely common for children on the Autism Spectrum to also have some type of feeding challenge. While it may be sensory in nature, behavioral, oral-motor related, or a combination, children with ASD often have special feeding concerns that may need therapy to overcome. You may hear things such as:
As you can see, there are a number of questions out there regarding pediatric feeding challenges! Please let us know your thoughts and what questions you may be having with your big or little ones and Kelly would be happy to answer them! Kelly is an SLP and a feeding specialist in Orlando, Florida. If you have questions, please reach out to Kelly at Picky Eaters Online at kelly@pickyeatersonline.com or check out her website at https://pickyeatersonline.com. Find us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about Kelly’s services and hypnosis.
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All Augmentative and Alternative Communication, or AAC, users deserve access to core vocabulary. Core vocabulary makes up 60-80% of our vocabulary; it consists of vocabulary we use most frequently and that can be used across a variety of environments, such as “no,” “go,” or “you.” Sure, it’s also important to have pre-programmed phrases and sentences so the user can participate in activities with their friends and families; however, it’s highly important to have access to vocabulary needed to generate new utterances to express our thoughts and ideas. What is the Descriptive Teaching Model?The Descriptive Teaching Model is a well-known and widely recommended model for supporting AAC users and learners. Since programming every single vocabulary word into the user’s AAC would be quite difficult (for you and for the user to learn), the Descriptive Teaching Model focuses on using vocabulary already programmed into the device and focuses on describing concepts. Using a Descriptive Teaching Model can be effective in supporting the learning of AAC, and in describing what we know about items. It can be especially helpful when we might not know where a certain word is within our language system or we just can’t think of the word (that happens to the best of us!). Examples might include, “squishy, soft, peel, yellow fruit,” “sweet, cold, cone,” A great way to elicit responses during meal times is for 1) the communication partner to describe food or ingredients needed for baking activity, 2) try using the phrase “tell me about your banana”. You can allow this to be an opportunity to teach and expand language with answers that are provided. Meal times can be a great time to foster social interactions and language opportunities for AAC! Think beyond requesting! Other Recommendations:
Chloe is a Speech Pathologist who has a variety of experiences working with all ages. She has her Graduate Assistive Technology Certificate from East Carolina University, which allows her to evaluate and help individuals find a device to help them communicate. Chloe is offering virtual AAC consultations at the local and national level for pediatrics to adults with developmental disabilities. She can provide 1:1 training to individuals, their families, and ABA professionals to help integrate communication systems and can help tailor your child’s needs with a system that will help them grow their language skills. Contact Chloe by emailing her at chloe@pickyeatersonline.com or schedule your consultation here.
While summer-time is a great time to get out of the heat by going to the beach or hitting the pool, taking a high-tech device with you can sometimes lead to unexpected events (dead battery; if you're worried about sun, sand, or water damage) - and having access to communication is key! Here are a few links to some low-tech AAC that is easily available.
Why Is My Child Having So Much Difficulty Eating and How Do I Know When it’s Time for Therapy?!5/30/2022 Oftentimes, when children are experiencing difficulty eating, parents ask one of the following two questions: “What actually caused this?” OR “What can actually be done to determine what is going on? I wanted to answer these two questions today to help clean up some of the muddy waters surrounding pediatric feeding difficulties!
First, why is my child having trouble eating? There are SO many reasons that your child may be struggling with this super important life skill! And, we really can’t just “fix it”. It’s important to determine the root cause and the “why”; trying to treat a child for feeding concerns without looking into what is causing their feeding concerns will never work. Below, you will find a comprehensive, but not exhaustive (that would be impossible!), list of common conditions that lead to a majority of feeding difficulties in children:
Next, how do we figure out the underlying cause of the problem before treatment begins? While we have listed some of the common conditions that lead to a majority of feeding difficulties in children, we know we need to get to the underlying cause of the problem before treatment begins. How do we do that? See below to get a better understanding of some of the tests/procedures that may be included with your workup. Many children only participate in one or two of these tests/procedures, while some need more. Your feeding therapist can help guide you through this complex journey.
Finally, how do I know when it’s time for therapy? I often hear repeatedly, “Does my child really need therapy?” and “How do I know when it is time for therapy?” And honestly, it is an excellent question! There is SO much advice and information out there and I know that it’s difficult to know the good information from the bad. And let’s face it - many children, as well as adults, are picky eaters. Developmentally, around the age of 2, children become notoriously “picky” and things they used to love, get thrown on the floor. It’s universally frustrating to parents everywhere! This is a typical stage that almost all toddlers go through and most will outgrow. Some, however, for various reasons, do not. And that is where professional help comes in and can make all the difference in the world. Babies learning to eat and older school aged children may have their own difficulties with food, prompting parents everywhere to ask themselves: “When is it time to step in and seek professional help?” Here are seven signs to look for that can indicate that it’s time to get your child a feeding evaluation:
If you feel your child is having feeding difficulties, there are obviously a huge variety of factors that can contribute. Feeding challenges go far beyond simple “picky eating” and it is crucial to figure out the cause of the problem and get to the right professional to help fix the issue. Kelly is an SLP and a feeding specialist. If you have questions, please reach out to Kelly at Picky Eaters Online at kelly@pickyeatersonline.com or check out her website at https://pickyeatersonline.com. Find us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about Kelly’s services and hypnosis. Speech therapy can target a variety of needs across the lifespan: articulation, expressive language, receptive language, fluency, voice, social language, and feeding; just to name a few. And speech therapy is a crucial part of many people’s lives.
Kelly is an SLP and a feeding specialist. If you have questions, please reach out to Kelly at Picky Eaters Online. She can answer your questions about feeding therapy, speech therapy, virtual therapy, and your child’s or teen’s specific needs. Contact Kelly and Picky Eaters Online at kelly@pickyeatersonline.com or check out her website at https://pickyeatersonline.com/ to book a free consultation. Find us on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about Kelly’s services. Resources: https://www.asha.org/about/press-room/quick-facts/ https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/pediatric-feeding-and-swallowing/#collapse_1 |
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