Picky Eaters? Family Strategies for More Peaceful Meals

If your child is a picky eater, it can be tough on your whole family. Not only do parents worry that their child isn’t getting enough nutrients for healthy growth, but many picky eaters get anxious and even throw tantrums at mealtimes to avoid foods they don’t like. At No Limits Pediatric Therapies in Bentonville, AR, our mission is to help children reach their fullest potential through play-based therapy solutions. Today, I want to share some strategies to make mealtimes more peaceful for families dealing with picky eaters. Simply Forcing Kids to Eat What Is Offered Is Not Effective Many children who are picky eaters struggle with an underlying condition that can make it difficult for them to tolerate the textures, tastes, or smells of different foods. These conditions can make mealtimes stressful, and forcing children to eat what’s on their plate can lead to meltdowns and increased anxiety around food. Understanding the underlying issues and how to help children overcome them can make mealtimes calmer and more effective for families. What Is Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)? Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is a condition where children have a lack of interest in eating, sensory sensitivities, or fear of eating due to frequent choking or vomiting on their food. It’s a condition that often accompanies autism, as children with autism can struggle a lot with sensory sensitivity. Common signs of ARFID include: A noticeable lack of appetite Avoiding foods with certain textures or colors Significant weight loss or nutritional deficiency Constipation, stomach pain, or cramps Excessive tiredness Muscle weakness Try the “One Safe Food” Strategy One effective strategy for managing ARFID is to include at least one “safe” food in every meal. A safe food is something your child reliably eats without issue. By including this option, children can feel a sense of success and reduce their anxiety about trying new foods. This is because they may not be able to eat much of the new foods you are introducing, but they will be able to fall back to their safe food if it’s available on their plate. This positive reinforcement can gradually encourage them to be more open to trying other foods on their plate. Additionally, giving them their safe food will ensure they do get some nutrients, which is important for their overall health and wellbeing. Limit Quantities of Challenging Foods To avoid overwhelming your child, limit the quantities of challenging foods on their plate. A large portion of foods they dislike or are reluctant to try can be overwhelming and may cause them to shut down. It can make them feel like the obstacle is too difficult to overcome and they’ll never be able to do it, so what’s the point in trying? Instead, keep challenging foods in very small portions and separate them from your child’s safe food. This approach helps children feel more comfortable and less pressured during mealtimes, which can make it easier for them to consider trying new foods. Reach Out to No Limits for an Evaluation If mealtimes are a constant struggle in your home, our pediatric therapists can help. Give us a call at (479) 250-9838 for a free 15-minute developmental consultation. We’ll help determine if your child might benefit from pediatric therapy and work with you to make mealtimes a more peaceful and enjoyable experience for your family. About Terrica Terrica Weatherford, MSOT, founded No Limits Pediatric Therapies in 2016. She earned her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2012. For over 13 years, Terrica has been committed to helping neurodiverse children (and those who need extra support) reach their full potential. She founded her practice to ensure she could provide exceptional care for children and their families.

Speech Dismissals: Was my child dismissed too soon?!

As a parent, coming to terms with the need for therapy can be hard on the heart.  However, once your child starts speech therapy, your therapy team becomes a part of your family.  Obviously, the ultimate goal is to reach dismissal.  Your child has met their current goals and the therapist proudly hands over a certificate of graduation!  What a glorious day, or is it? Sometimes, parents may feel that continued therapy would be beneficial.  Understanding how your child has reached the point of dismissal is often confusing.  Perhaps Johnny still doesn’t say his R sounds or misuses verbs.  As a parent, these types of performance errors can cause concern.   Here are a few things to consider: Therapists follow specific developmental guidelines, use nationally normed standardized assessments, paired with professional experience to determine when your child is ready to be dismissed.   Your child may have many articulation errors when speaking.  If the national guidelines show that the errors are acceptable for your child’s age; continued therapy would not be recommended.   The majority of children will gain these skills without intervention. Your child may have a mild delay that does not warrant direct therapy but would be better served through home programming. Many parents are able to target skills during daily activities! Your child may need the opportunity to be around peers to gain the skills.  For example, many young children show pragmatically unexpected behaviors.  As they start school and interact in peer groups, they will learn many skills naturally.   Should your child be re-evaluated after dismissal? Here are examples of scenarios where a child that may have received services in the past would benefit from a closer look at skills via a re-evaluation. A child has had ample opportunity to gain social skills via peer groups, family groups, community exposure, and parent modeling; yet continues to be inappropriate and show lack of social awareness: Pragmatic Skills Reassessment Needed A child is age 8, not showing awareness of continued articulation deficit, misarticulates all R sounds, has obvious lisping of S/Z, or misarticulated multiple sounds when speaking. Articulation Skills Reassessment Needed A school-aged child cannot tell you what he/she has read, cannot answer comprehension questions, cannot problem-solve with peers, and/or compromise. Language Skills Reassessment Needed A school-aged child commonly uses the wrong vocabulary, does not know grade-level vocabulary when reading, has trouble asking or answering questions expected of their peers, or struggles with grammar when writing. Language Skills Reassessment Needed This is not a comprehensive list of reevaluation skills need; however, if you feel that specific skills are behind peers, have not improved, or commonly get discussed in parent/teacher conferences; a reevaluation can help determine need and assist with planning for future skill acquisition.   Bottom line:  Outpatient Pediatric Speech Therapy covers articulation, oral motor, feeding, receptive language, expressive language, pragmatic language, reading, and all of the pathways that fall between these broad categories.  If you have a concern, reach out!  We would be more than happy to help you determine your child’s current skills and if necessary, help you navigate and plan for growth.