"Feeding Strategies to Increase Sensory Organization"
Michelle A. Ortega, M.S., CCC-SLP
1.
Increase the tactile input of the food by mixing textures. Add sliced fruit
to yogurt and applesauce. Use milk sparingly on dry cereal to maintain crunchiness. Spread peanut butter on celery, or ranch dip on raw
vegetables.
2. Avoid giving large pieces of food such as bagels or a hard roll. While the
texture of these foods is good for chewing, children tend to sink their teeth in and rip off pieces rather than biting or chewing. Cut bagels,
sandwiches, etc., into finger width strips for easier biting and chewing.
3. Increase the taste of foods with flavorings. You may experiment with
spices not commonly used by children, such as pepper, Tabasco, mint or garlic.
4. Cut meats into small cubes to stimulate rotary chewing Cut raw
vegetables into french-fry shaped strips.
5. Vary the temperatures of foods presented.. Freeze peas or cut
up grapes
for cold snacks. Serve warm (not hot) drinks through a straw. Prepare frozen fruit drinks and ask the child to identify flavor combinations.
6. Play food identification games. Cube some raw fruits and
vegetables. Have the child close his/her eyes and place a cube in his/her
mouth. Ask the
child to identify the food by taste. Talk about texture, temperature and taste. You can also present warm
cocoa/chocolate milk through a straw and ask the child to identify the temperature.
(Michelle Ortega was our speaker for our
June, 2000 meeting. She also is Tanner's private Speech &
Language Pathologist. If you found the above information helpful,
you may also want to read "Mealtime Tips"
which was also written by Michelle Ortega.)
A
great link for more feeding tips:
Oral
Motor Therapy Ideas
New Visions provides continuing
education and therapy services to professionals and parents working with
infants and children with feeding, swallowing, oral-motor, and pre-speech
problems.
New Visions was established in 1985 by Suzanne Evans Morris, Ph.D. Its
programs are located in the Blue Ridge foothills of Nelson County,
Virginia.
New Visions