Improving an Individual’s Relationship to Food

Food Exploration and Discovery (FED) is a therapy program that works with individuals who present with mealtime and feeding challenges by improving their relationship with food, increasing the variety of foods they eat to provide adequate nutrition, and decreasing the stress and anxiety around meals.

The FED Program Helps to Resolve:

• Trouble with advancement of diet: transitioning textures such as changing from smooth purees to soft foods to table foods
• Food aversions/behavioral feeding problems
• Problems with consuming a limited variety of foods or eating foods from only 1-2 food groups
• Gagging in response to a food or a smell when it is introduced
• Oral motor weakness and/or oral motor control issues
• Over sensitivity to smells, tastes, and textures
• Trouble maintaining body in appropriate position for feeding
• Family struggles during mealtime

FED Therapy Aims to:

• Increase the repertoire of foods in a child’s diet and improve willingness to try new foods
• Make eating enjoyable for child and improve family meal times
• Improve nutrition and overall health through expanded diet

Following a comprehensive evaluation, a treatment plan will be devised using a child and family centered approach in order to treat underlying issues that may be affecting your child during mealtime. Your child will be encouraged to play, to interact, and have fun with food in a variety of ways. What makes this approach different from others is that the child takes the lead throughout the session. Progression is encouraged when your child appears to be truly comfortable with their interactions with food.

The Numbers:

• Up to 89% of children with autism have feeding challenges
• 25-35% of typical children and 40-70% of children with chronic medical problems are considered picky or problem eaters