Pediatric Feeding Therapy for Picky Eating
in San Diego, CA
Expert Care for Picky Eating and Sensory Feeding Challenges
Everyone has preferences for what foods they like and dislike. But when these preferences are so strong that they limit your child’s nutritional intake, it can lead to health and growth concerns. The good news is that our pediatric feeding therapists work with children every day to help them overcome sensory feeding challenges so they can enjoy a wide range of delicious and nutritious foods.
What Are Sensory Feeding Challenges?
When we talk about behavioral challenges, we don’t mean typical, age-appropriate behaviors for children like refusing to eat vegetables or calling everything “mine.” BBy “sensory,” we mean information that the body receives from its senses. A sensory feeding challenge is when a child becomes overwhelmed or uncomfortable by the smell, taste, texture, temperature, or any other sensory quality of the food they are given to eat.
Kids with sensory processing challenges may have difficulty eating a variety of foods. It isn’t simply your child’s preference for or against a certain type of food; it’s a difference in the way their brains receive and respond to the sensory information taken from that food.
For example, plenty of people don’t like to eat fish. Most people who dislike fish would simply say “no, thank you” if they were offered some fish to eat. A child with a sensory feeding challenge, however, might gag or even start crying if you put some fish on their plate. y behavioral challenges, we mean persistent disruptive behaviors that affect not only your child’s daily life, but the lives of those around them. For example, it may be perfectly understandable for your child to throw a tantrum if they missed their naptime and they’re exhausted or hungry. It might be a behavioral challenge, however, if your child is frequently throwing tantrums or having meltdowns that lead to them injuring themselves or others.
Common Symptoms of Picky Eating Due to Sensory Feeding Challenges
Here are some of the most common symptoms of picky eating caused by a sensory feeding challenge:Some of the most common signs of behavioral challenges in children include:
- Gagging at the sight, smell, taste, or texture of a particular food
- Pocketing food in the mouth instead of chewing and swallowing it
- Feeling upset or uncomfortable when their hands or face get messy
- Refusing to even try new foods
- Not recognizing when their body is hungry
- Accepting only a limited variety of “safe” foods
- Having melt downs or being extremely anxious at mealtimes
- Refusing to eat if two different foods on their plate are touching
- Only eating foods of a similar texture (e.g., crunchy and chewy, or soft and mushy)
- Preferring foods that provide high sensory input (like very spicy or salty flavors)
- Preferring foods that provide low sensory input (like very bland, unseasoned flavors)
- Choosing to go hungry rather than eat unwanted food
Side Effects of Extreme Picky Eating Behaviors
The root cause of behavioral challenges is difficulty with self regulation and sensory processing. In the same way that a child who is overly tired or hungry might act oDepending on how severely sensory feeding challenges affect your child’s nutritional intake, extreme picky eating habits can lead to:
- Poor weight gain
- Weight loss
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Lower energy levels
- Potential dental health problems
- Frequent constipation
How Pediatric Feeding Therapy Can Help Picky Eaters
Our expert feeding therapists work with children to help them gradually overcome their sensory feeding challenges in a fun and safe way. We don’t force children to eat. Instead, we help make trying new foods a fun and interesting activity using proven methods, games, and lots of encouragement.
We work with families to give you the tools you need to support your child’s feeding at home, too. Our team will give you strategies to help make mealtimes easier for your family, such as always offering a “safe” food along with new foods, or even reaching a middle ground by preparing food in a way your child will accept. We tailor our recommendations to your child’s specific needs and your family’s routines.
Why Choose SmallTalk?
At SmallTalk, we help children throughout San Diego achieve their greatest potential. We believe mealtimes should feel safe and fun. Our therapists take time to truly connect with each child and create a space where they feel comfortable exploring new foods and building new skills at their own pace.
We use playful, research-backed methods to make therapy approachable and effective. From picky eaters to children with complex medical or sensory needs, we create a personalized plan that builds their skills and confidence one bite at a time.
Schedule Your Child’s Evaluation Today
Our experts at SmallTalk Pediatric Therapy are ready to help your child overcome picky eating habits so they can enjoy a variety of nutritious foods.
Call us at (619) 647-6157 to schedule an evaluation for pediatric feeding therapy today.