Occupational Therapist Marissa and the SOS Approach to Feeding Seminar

I just got back from a super fun trip to New Orleans and I want to share it with you! Not only did I get to spend time with my sister, who lives there, but I got to attend an SOS Approach to Feeding 4-day seminar. The program was presented by the STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorders, developed by Dr. Kay A. Toomey. SOS Approach to Feeding is a therapeutic technique utilized to help children with feeding difficulties. What is a feeding difficulty you may ask? Well, it can be a picky eater (which is defined as a child who has 25 foods in their repertoire) all the way up to a problem feeder (which is defined as a child who has less than 20 foods in their repertoire). Not only was the 4-day conference packed with information, I had the opportunity to meet and share information, backgrounds, and knowledge with so many clinicians. Occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, dietitians and physicians from 3 different countries and 22 states attended the conference.
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At A2 Therapy Works, we work hard to be the “to go” spot for pediatricians to send their patients presenting with feeding disorders. SOS Approach to Feeding is the premiere program, so I knew this seminar was the best place to learn more about how to identify the major reasons why children will not eat and help families face that challenge.
Here are some (not chicken) nuggets about what I learned at the seminar:

1. Feeding difficulties are not necessarily behavioral and shouldn’t be treated as such.  Each child has a different reason for being a problem eater and it’s important to go back to the route of the problem by taking a good look at their full history.
2. The first 2 years of life are the most important when it comes to developing eating habits and tastes.
3. A typically developing child under the age of 7 needs to try a food about 10 times to develop a taste for it. After the age of 7, it takes an average of 20 tastes until a child develops a liking for a food, so keep on trying foods!
4. It is important to allow children to get ‘messy’ during meals. We can learn a lot through exploring food by touching, smelling, and interacting. This allows us learn how we can break foods, whether it’s wet or dry, or if it has a big smell or little smell.
5. Eating involves so many different layers of our body functions. We use all of our organs, muscles, and senses during feeding. Eating is one of the most difficult sensory tasks a child must do!

The SOS program provides a fun and stress-free approach to help kids explore and learn about different foods and improve their feeding skills. After listening and learning about the beneficial outcomes of this 20-year evidence based program allowed me to feel confident bringing this feeding and sensory approach to A2 Therapy Works and the Ann Arbor community.   

Have concerns about your child’s eating? Email me at [email protected]. I’d love to chat!