Eating & Feeding: Where to Start
The Foundations Series – for Paediatric OTs – feeding challenges
Feeding cases can feel overwhelming to start — where do you even begin when a child “just won’t eat”? This resource gives you a clear, evidence-informed starting point so you’re never staring at a referral wondering what to try first.
What’s inside:
Eating & Feeding: Where to Start distils the neurobiology, sensory, motor, positioning and relational drivers behind feeding difficulties into one practical guide — built for how you actually think through a case, not just what the research says.
You’ll get:
- The Feeding Tree — a simple, parent-friendly way to explain why “just eat more variety” isn’t where treatment starts
- The four lenses — anxiety & disgust, sensory processing, oral motor foundations, and attachment & co-regulation, so you can quickly work out what’s actually driving the behaviour
- A full positioning checklist — including the 90-90-90 rule, tilt-in-space vs. recline, and low-cost equipment ideas for kids with low tone
- The SOS Approach breakdown — Dr Kay Toomey’s steps to eating, explained simply
- The Three Es (Melanie Potock) — Expose, Explore, Expand, with practical examples
- Food jags — what they are and how to prevent them
- Picky eater vs. problem feeder — a clear comparison to guide your referral and treatment decisions for feeding challenges
- A 5-question clinical screening frame to use in your very next feeding session
- Key clinical reminders you can keep open on your desk during appointments
- Parent Questionnaires and Other Communication Printouts so you don’t have to waste time making your own
Who it’s for:
New grads who want a confident starting point when working on feeding challenges, and experienced OTs who want a clear, structured resource to hand to students or use for parent education.
Format: Instant digital download (Word document, 10 pages) — yours to keep, print, and reuse across every relevant client.
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