Holiday Meal Tips for the Child with Feeding Difficulties

The holidays are often a wonderful time for social gatherings and delicious meals. We often enjoy sitting down with family and friends and indulging in some of our favorite home-cooked meals. For the child with feeding difficulties, this may be even harder as the child is expected to eat foods they only see once a year, engage with family members who may be unaware of their feeding challenges, and eat in a new, unfamiliar setting.

One way families can help their child is to limit and minimize changes. It is important to feed your child on the same schedule and not wait for the holiday meal. You can offer them at least one of their preferred foods at the meal so they can participate in the experience. Families can also prepare their child in advance by talking to them about expectations and what they will experience on that day.

To learn more about helping your child with feeding challenges, the Children’s Therapy Program at Easter Seals Greater Houston offers a variety of feeding therapies including SOS Therapy (Sequential-Oral-Sensory). The SOS approach focuses on not only what you can see happening with your child (not eating, gaining weight, spitting out food, etc.), but also what you cannot see happening within organ systems, muscles, sensory processing, learning, behavior and cognition, development, nutrition, and environment.

To learn more about SOS feeding therapy and/or to refer your child for services at Easter Seals Greater Houston’s Children’s Therapy Program, please call 713-838-9050 ext. 381. The clinic is located at 4888 Loop Central South, Houston, Texas 77081.