Feeding therapy can feel like a unique blend of clinical support and natural play. At Word Play, we follow a consistent routine, so your child learns what to expect each time, helping them feel safe and build confidence around new foods more quickly.

  1. First, we wash our hands. Staying healthy is critical when discovering new food. If a child gets sick even once it can slow down our progress. Therefore, if your child is feeling unwell, we’ll postpone the session. It’s vital that your child feels their best to ensure the most positive experience with food.
  2. Next, we introduce the “bye-bye bowl.” This tool is key because it teaches your child they have full control. Whether they only want to touch a food, or even if they take a bite and want to spit it out, the “bye-bye bowl” provides a safe and acceptable way to discard unwanted food, which builds trust and confidence. (Plus, it helps with easy cleanup!)
  3. We use consistent, gentle visual and verbal cues to encourage food exploration. We focus on exploring, not eating, because asking a child to eat can feel like pressure. Exploration is a fun, exciting, and pressure-free way for them to interact with new foods.
  4. We understand that jumping straight to real food can sometimes be overwhelming. We often use non-food activities like sensory play, pretend play, and exploring smells and textures. These are incredibly effective ways to build safe exploration skills and confidence before food is ever introduced, because we know that a child’s relationship with food involves both their emotions and their body.
  5. To wrap up the session, we practice cleaning up together. We follow the families typical routine when the meal is done.  We can feed the dog, or toss unwanted food into the trash, and then put our dishes away. This helps reinforce those healthy boundaries and cleanup routines.

Throughout the session, we maintain a consistent routine, celebrate every success, and focus on building your child’s confidence. Depending on your child’s needs, we may incorporate other key areas like food chaining, oral-motor skills, core development, and communication skills related to food. Our philosophy is to meet your child exactly where they are and progress at their comfortable pace. When children feel in control of their choices, we see the greatest breakthroughs.

Wondering if feeding therapy is right for your child? Contact us at wordplayaz.org with any questions you have.