Occupational therapy helps children with feeding disorders by addressing sensory issues, improving motor skills, and creating strategies to support healthy eating habits and development.
Feeding disorders in children involve challenges with the physical and sensory aspects of eating. Occupational therapy helps by addressing sensory issues, improving motor skills, and supporting healthy eating habits.
Most kids are messy eaters at first.
But some are more so than others.
If your child has trouble eating, it might feel stressful as a parent to see them struggle.
But you’re not alone.
If your child has a feeding disorder, we’re here to help.
Here at New Horizons Wellness Services, a multidisciplinary therapy clinic in Tigard Oregon, we offer pediatric occupational therapy for kids with feeding disorders.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at feeding disorders – what they are, what causes them, and how occupational therapy can help.
What Are Feeding Disorders?
“Feeding” is a complicated process that many adults tend to take for granted.
But there’s much more to it than many people think.
In fact, feeding can be broken up into several phases.
A feeding disorder can occur at any point in this process.
Let’s take a look below.
Voluntary Oral Preparatory Phase
In the voluntary oral preparatory phase, your child puts food in their mouth.
Then, they use their lips, tongue, and teeth together to prepare the food in their mouth to be swallowed.
As they chew their food, it mixes with saliva, which becomes easier to swallow.
This mix of food and saliva is called a “bolus”.
It’s called a “voluntary” phase, because your child does this consciously.
Other parts of this process are involuntary, which you’ll see shortly.
It’s worth noting that the voluntary oral preparatory phase develops as your child gets older.
Infants don’t have this phase – their eating habits are built around the sucking primitive reflex they’re born with.
Voluntary Oral Transit Phase
Once the food in your child’s mouth has been properly prepared for swallowing, the voluntary oral phase begins.
During this phase, your child moves their bolus toward their esophagus so they can swallow it.
Involuntary Pharyngeal Phase
During this phase, your child begins to swallow.
It happens very quickly, in less than a second.
Starting to swallow is a voluntary action, but everything that happens after is involuntary.
As your child’s food moves through their pharynx, it closes off their larynx and trachea.
This protects them from having food or drink enter their airway.
Involuntary Esophageal Phase
During the esophageal phase, your child’s food moves down their esophagus into their stomach.
Feeding Disorder Symptoms
If your child has a feeding disorder, they may:
● Eat only certain foods
● Refuse to eat or drink
● Be visibly uncomfortable or even cry while eating
● Have difficulty chewing their food
● Vomit frequently
● Cough or gag while eating
● Frequently drool
● Have liquid leak from their nose while drinking
● Keep food in their mouth instead of swallowing it
● Have trouble breathing while they eat
● Take a long time to eat
● Make gurgling sounds while feeding
● Have a hoarse or breathy voice after feeding
● Have trouble latching while breastfeeding
Health Risks From Pediatric Feeding Disorders
Because feeding is such an integral part of childhood development, a feeding disorder can lead to a variety of health concerns.
These include:
● Depression, which can lead to bullying and poor social skills development
● Missing their occupational therapy development milestones
● Development of an eating disorder later in life
● Dehydration
● Malnutrition
Causes Of Feeding Disorders
If your child has a feeding disorder, it can be caused by a number of different conditions.
These include:
● Gastroesophageal reflux disorder (acid reflux, or GERD)
● Being premature or having a low birth weight
● Heart disease
● Cleft lip or cleft palate
● Meningitis
● Irritable bowel syndrome
● Breathing disorders, like asthma
● Muscle weakness in the face or neck
Certain medications can suppress appetite as well.
How Can An Occupational Therapist Help?
If your child has a feeding disorder, a pediatric occupational therapist can help.
Occupational therapists can assess and work with a variety of areas that can impact feeding skills.
These include:
● Sensory processing skills
● Self regulation and emotional control
● And more
RELATED: Helpful Tips For Minimizing Sensory Overload
Let’s take a closer look at some of the therapeutic techniques that might be included in your child’s treatment plan.
1. Dietary Modifications
If your child is highly particular about the food they eat, at first, it may seem like they’re just a “picky eater,” but often there’s more to it than that.
If your child has sensory processing issues, it can create a genuine fear of unfamiliar foods.
This can lead to poor nutrition, and all the health concerns that come with it.
Their particularity can be related to the sensory components of foods, such as texture, viscosity, temperature, smell, sound, look or flavor.
It can also be related to the other sensory components of the meal such as utensils used and the eating environment.
Your child’s occupational therapist can work with you to find out what type of foods your child likes, and create a structured plan to expand the number and type of tolerated foods.
2. Sensory Integration Therapy
Sensory integration is a therapeutic modality geared toward helping children manage sensory processing disorder.
While most of us will feel mild distaste when eating a food we don’t like, kids with sensory processing disorder can feel serious distress and even physical pain.
This is where sensory integration can help.
The approach involves gradually exposing your child to their sensory triggers.
If your child has issues with certain tastes, smells, or textures, this approach can help.
It’s gentle and structured, and allows your child’s brain to build techniques to adapt.
3. Eating Posture Modification
Just like any motor skills development, posture makes a big difference in the development of your child’s eating skills.
Proper posture while eating can help protect your child’s airways and prevent choking.
Therefore, changing your child’s posture while eating can help them better manage their symptoms.
Your pediatric OT may recommend a variety of different approaches to help your child improve their eating posture.
This can include using foot rests to keep your child’s knees bent at a 90 degree ankle.
It can also include back or side supports to keep their hips and back properly aligned.
4. The SOS Approach To Feeding
SOS stands for sequential oral sensory.
It’s an approach our therapy team uses to help children with feeding disorders.
The SOS approach recognizes the complexity of eating, an activity so many of us take for granted.
If your child has a feeding issue, it can be related to a variety of different concerns, as we mentioned earlier.
As a result, taking a holistic approach is important.
This approach works by addressing oral motor skills deficits as well as sensory processing concerns.
It’s done gradually, gently, one step at a time.
The process includes:
● Getting used to how food looks
● Interacting with food without eating it (eg with a fork or spoon)
● Smelling food and processing it
● Touching food and processing it
● Tasting food and processing it
● Fully eating, chewing, and swallowing food
Additionally, your child’s occupational therapist will provide you and your family with plenty of parent resources to help you better understand your child’s difficulties and specific needs.
Supporting Children with Feeding Disorders Through Early Occupational Therapy Intervention
Feeding disorders can significantly affect a child’s nutrition, development, and daily comfort, but early intervention can make a meaningful difference. If you suspect your child is experiencing difficulties with feeding, reaching out for professional support is an important first step toward improving their skills and overall well-being.
At New Horizons Wellness Services, our team is here to help children and families navigate feeding challenges with compassionate, evidence-based care. We focus on identifying the underlying causes of feeding difficulties and developing individualized strategies to support safer, more comfortable, and more successful eating experiences.
Our most relevant services for this concern include:
● Pediatric Occupational Therapy – Designed to support children with feeding disorders by addressing sensory processing challenges, improving oral-motor and fine motor skills, and developing structured strategies to promote healthy eating habits and safe feeding practices.
Through early support and targeted occupational therapy intervention, children can build the foundational skills they need for healthier eating patterns and improved daily functioning.
If you suspect your child has a feeding disorder, don’t hesitate to reach out to New Horizons Wellness Services. Early intervention can make all the difference.
Our expert occupational therapists can help you and your child manage their symptoms and build essential feeding skills. Book a call now!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the difference between picky eating and a feeding disorder?
Picky eating is typically a normal developmental phase where a child may refuse certain foods but still eats enough to maintain healthy growth. A feeding disorder involves more serious difficulties, such as gagging, choking, refusal to eat, or strong sensory reactions that interfere with nutrition and daily functioning.
At what age should I be concerned about my child’s eating habits?
While some messiness and food selectivity are normal in toddlers, concerns may arise if your child consistently struggles with chewing, swallowing, or accepting a variety of foods beyond early childhood, or if eating causes distress or health issues.
Can feeding disorders affect my child’s development?
Yes. Feeding disorders can impact a child’s growth, nutrition, and social development. They may also contribute to delayed motor skills, difficulty meeting developmental milestones, and challenges in social settings like school or daycare.
How does sensory processing affect feeding difficulties?
Children with sensory processing challenges may be overly sensitive to textures, smells, temperatures, or tastes of food. This can cause discomfort or avoidance of eating certain foods, making mealtimes stressful and limiting dietary variety.
How long does occupational therapy take to improve feeding skills?
The length of therapy varies depending on the severity of the feeding disorder, the child’s age, and underlying causes. Some children show improvement within a few months, while others may need longer-term support to build lasting feeding skills and comfort with a wider variety of foods.
Yours in Health,
New Horizons Wellness Services8880 SW Nimbus Ave Suite C.,
Beaverton, OR 97008
- https://g.page/newhws
New Horizons Wellness Services provides a true multidisciplinary approach to mental & physical health treatments for children, adults and families.