(Sequential-Oral-Sensory)
The SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) feeding program is a non-invasive developmental approach to feeding. It focuses on increasing a child's comfort level exploring and learning about the different properties of foods, including texture, smell, taste and consistency. The SOS approach allows a child to interact with food in a playful, non-stressful way.
The SOS approach follows a hierarchy to feeding, beginning with the basic ability to tolerate food in the room, in front of him/her, touching and eventually tasting and eating foods.
Parent education and involvement is an important part of this feeding approach. A therapist works directly with the parents while they are watching each feeding session to learn this approach to feeding. Parents learn to identify physical signs and "body language" to identify when the child is over stimulated and to assist with setting up the home program.
This approach can be utilized in one to one settings, as well as with small groups of 3-4 children. Feeding groups are held one time per week for 10-12 weeks. For more information Treehouse Pediatric Center @ (210) 340.2627.
Is your child a candidate for referral?
(Yes-if any of the following are present)
- Ongoing poor weight gain (rate re: percentiles falling) or weight loss
- Ongoing choking, gagging or coughing during meals
- History of traumatic choking incident
- History of eating & breathing coordination problems, with ongoing respiratory issues
- Inability to transition to baby food purees by 10 months of age
- Inability to accept any table food solids by 12 months of age
- Inability to transition from breast/bottle to a cup by 16 months of age
- Has not weaned off baby foods by 16 months of age
- Aversion or avoidance of all foods in specific texture or food group
- Food range of less than 20 foods, especially if foods are being dropped over time with no new foods replacing those lost
- Family is fighting about food and feeding (i.e. meals are battles)
- Parent repeatedly reports that the child is difficult for everyone to feed.
A child who exhibits these difficulties may be appropriate for a feeding evaluation. As part of the assessment, the parent and child will be observed eating a variety of preferred and non-preferred foods. An occupational therapist will observe the child for signs of oral motor difficulties as well as sensory defensiveness which may contribute to the child's eating difficulties.
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