Feeding problem with able and disable children

Provide the child with small amounts of the foods mom and dad are eating along with a food the child usually eats. This way, the child gets used to the foods being there and when they are ready to try them, they will.

"Spitting up”, Losing Weight, Disinterest In Solids, Gagging After Eating Solids and chewing difficulties is common phenomenon or common complaint from parents. They feel worried about this matter. As a professional  we should share some issues as parents can identify and separate very clearly what is their child needs, how should manage their difficulties and when we aspect that yes now my child is fully ready to feed all types of food and anywhere , anyhow.

Think about how you eat. You first have to get the food or drink to your mouth. You may use a fork, spoon, straw, or your hands. You have to open your mouth and take the food in. You close your lips to keep the food in your mouth. You then chew the food or move the liquid to get ready to swallow.

Children have to learn this process

Trouble eating can lead to health, learning, and social problems.

Smelling, touching, and learning about food helps children get a better sense of eating, and ultimately helps in the feeding process. Allow your child to touch the food and smell it before attempting to feed.

Feeding problem person with special needs children

I have been taking, is attributed to the interaction between the sensory system and the motor system.  Your sensory system is the system that sends messages to your brain…..to tell you how you perceive something.  Your motor system is the system that sends messages to your muscles….telling them what to do.  In children with low muscle tone…difficulty in oral motor feeding is impacted by the interaction between the two systems. Some conditions are very common with these difficulties. Such as:

Down’s syndrome

 Children with Down syndrome typically present with low muscle tone.  Children with low muscle tone may present with oral motor feeding concerns.

Why some children with Down’s syndrome have feeding issues

Children with Down syndrome typically have low muscle tone which affects their fine motor and gross motor control. Problems associated with low muscle tone, include lack of jaw strength and range of motion of the facial muscles, which may lead to problems with sucking, swallowing, lip closure, tongue protrusion, chewing, and failure to advance with food textures. Other issues to consider are early problems with breast of bottle feeding, serious health challenges and gastric tube feeding.

Cerebral palsy

Children with cerebral palsy may present with feeding difficulties which have an effect on growth, nutrition, general health and social interaction.  These feeding difficulties in children with cerebral palsy include issues such as choking, feeding time greater than 3 hours per day, frequent vomiting and and difficulties with chewing.

It’s important to remember that children with cerebral palsy have side effects and associated disorders that may make feeding times difficult, including:

  Exaggerated bite reflex

 Gag reflex

  Tongue thrusting

  Tactile hypersensitivity

Autism

The feeding problem most commonly associated with autism is selective or restrictive eating whereby a child consumes a very narrow range and number of foods. Estimates are that 60%–89% of autistic children are selective eaters. Foods are often refused based on their characteristics (e.g., texture) or presentation (e.g., placement on a particular plate). All parents of children with autism (100%!) report that introducing new foods is very challenging.

Here are the five main components that affect a child’s ability to eat

Sensory issues: Sensory-based feeding issues are the underlying factor to most feeding difficulties in children. The combination of food texture, temperature, and taste can be off-putting to kids, and cause frustration.

Children usually tend to stick to foods they are familiar with, and soon these foods are the only ones that they will eat.

The Solution: First of all concern with qualified Occupational Therapist or Oral Placement therapist then another way to help children with feeding difficulties is to allow them to help choose foods at the grocery store and to let them help prepare the meal, exposing them to different textures, smells and tastes along the way.

Oral-motor issues: Oral motor-based feeding problems can be caused by tone and strength issues. Kids need to achieve good gross-motor coordination and movement in their body before they will achieve sufficient oral-motor skills.

However, oral-motor difficulties must be dealt with only after sensory issues have been attended to. In the end, good sensory input will result in good oral motor output.

Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) is a type of oral-motor therapy used to target specific movements needed for speech clarity and feeding.

The Solution: There are many oral-motor exercises that can help strengthen the jaw, tongue and lips, and parents with concerns should contact their occupational therapist or speech therapist, or oral placement therapist for guidance.

Behavior issues

The Challenge:  There are many different behaviors that can affect feeding: the child gets Mom’s and Dad’s attention when they don’t eat, or eating is one of only a few things they have control of.

The Solution:  Positive reinforcement (“If you eat this piece of lettuce, then you’ll be able to play 10 minutes of video games”), and extinction/planned ignoring (“Daddy doesn’t hear whining, he only hears big girl words,”) work the best with behavior-based feeding issues.

Keep in mind that behavior-based feeding issues can look a lot like sensory-motor feeding issues, so it is important to treat both aspects of feeding. The best outcomes result from the child’s engagement in a voluntary, purposeful activity in a positive environment.

Medical issues

The Challenge: Gastrointestinal, cardiopulmonary and pharmaceutical issues can affect feeding, along with prematurity of birth and visual impairment, when the child simply can’t see what they’re eating.

The biggest culprit of medical-based feeding issues continues to be GERD. GERD in its simplest form is spitting up or vomiting, causing children to refuse food.

The Solution:  If there appears to be medical issues interfering with feeding, it is important to consult your pediatrician for more options.

Family issues

The Challenge: Family dynamics are one of the hardest feeding difficulties to deal with. Parents and caregivers are the most important and pivotal components in implementing feeding strategies. Many parents tend to feed their kids foods that the parents enjoy.

The Solution: It is important to give the child many options, including foods that the parents don’t regularly eat. It’s also important to clearly define roles: the parents or caregivers are responsible to provide the foods, while the child is responsible to eat and choose how much to eat.

Most importantly, the child should feel as comfortable as possible when they are eating. Feeding is social, and feeling uncomfortable in the social situation can cause problems. Parents and families should be open and adapt when necessary.

Here are a few general tips and tricks to try for children with feeding difficulties

If the picky eating seems to be sensory-based, encourage the child to play with foods to get used to them. Getting messy is OK!

Encourage the child to get more involved with food preparation. Kids are more likely to try things if they help prepare the meal.

Encourage the child to eat with other kids. In some circumstances, peer pressure is a good thing!

Provide the child with small amounts of the foods mom and dad are eating along with a food the child usually eats. This way, the child gets used to the foods being there and when they are ready to try them, they will.

Have a consistent routine at mealtime so the child knows what to expect.

Experiment with small, subtle changes in difficult foods. Sometimes just a change in temperature makes it easier to handle.

Make a schedule for the meal, and write a list of the food items that need to be eaten before going to the next activity.

The writer is a Junior consultant of  Occupational Therapy

& In-charge of Paediatric Unit

Centre for the Rehabilitation of Paralysed(CRP)

Mirpur-1206

Cell:+8801720373537

Email:[email protected]

 

 

Feeding problem with able and disable children

Provide the child with small amounts of the foods mom and dad are eating along with a food the child usually eats. This way, the child gets used to the foods being there and when they are ready to try them, they will.

Spitting up, Losing Weight, Disinterest In Solids, Gagging After Eating Solids and chewing difficulties is common phenomenon or common complaint from parents. They feel worried about this matter. As a professional we should share some issues as parents can identify and separate very clearly what is their child needs, how should manage their difficulties and when we aspect that yes now my child is fully ready to feed all types of food and anywhere , anyhow. Think about how you eat. You first have to get the food or drink to your mouth. You may use a fork, spoon, straw, or your hands. You have to open your mouth and take the food in. You close your lips to keep the food in your mouth. You then chew the food or move the liquid to get ready to swallow. Children have to learn this process Trouble eating can lead to health, learning, and social problems. Smelling, touching, and learning about food helps children get a better sense of eating, and ultimately helps in the feeding process. Allow your child to touch the food and smell it before attempting to feed. Feeding problem person with special needs children I have been taking, is attributed to the interaction between the sensory system and the motor system. Your sensory system is the system that sends messages to your brain..to tell you how you perceive something. Your motor system is the system that sends messages to your muscles.telling them what to do. In children with low muscle tonedifficulty in oral motor feeding is impacted by the interaction between the two systems. Some conditions are very common with these difficulties. Such as: Downs syndrome Children with Down syndrome typically present with low muscle tone. Children with low muscle tone may present with oral motor feeding concerns. Why some children with Downs syndrome have feeding issues Children with Down syndrome typically have low muscle tone which affects their fine motor and gross motor control. Problems associated with low muscle tone, include lack of jaw strength and range of motion of the facial muscles, which may lead to problems with sucking, swallowing, lip closure, tongue protrusion, chewing, and failure to advance with food textures. Other issues to consider are early problems with breast of bottle feeding, serious health challenges and gastric tube feeding. Cerebral palsy Children with cerebral palsy may present with feeding difficulties which have an effect on growth, nutrition, general health and social interaction. These feeding difficulties in children with cerebral palsy include issues such as choking, feeding time greater than 3 hours per day, frequent vomiting and and difficulties with chewing. Its important to remember that children with cerebral palsy have side effects and associated disorders that may make feeding times difficult, including: Exaggerated bite reflex Gag reflex Tongue thrusting Tactile hypersensitivity Autism The feeding problem most commonly associated with autism is selective or restrictive eating whereby a child consumes a very narrow range and number of foods. Estimates are that 60%89% of autistic children are selective eaters. Foods are often refused based on their characteristics (e.g., texture) or presentation (e.g., placement on a particular plate). All parents of children with autism (100%!) report that introducing new foods is very challenging. Here are the five main components that affect a childs ability to eat Sensory issues: Sensory-based feeding issues are the underlying factor to most feeding difficulties in children. The combination of food texture, temperature, and taste can be off-putting to kids, and cause frustration. Children usually tend to stick to foods they are familiar with, and soon these foods are the only ones that they will eat. The Solution: First of all concern with qualified Occupational Therapist or Oral Placement therapist then another way to help children with feeding difficulties is to allow them to help choose foods at the grocery store and to let them help prepare the meal, exposing them to different textures, smells and tastes along the way. Oral-motor issues: Oral motor-based feeding problems can be caused by tone and strength issues. Kids need to achieve good gross-motor coordination and movement in their body before they will achieve sufficient oral-motor skills. However, oral-motor difficulties must be dealt with only after sensory issues have been attended to. In the end, good sensory input will result in good oral motor output. Oral Placement Therapy (OPT) is a type of oral-motor therapy used to target specific movements needed for speech clarity and feeding. The Solution: There are many oral-motor exercises that can help strengthen the jaw, tongue and lips, and parents with concerns should contact their occupational therapist or speech therapist, or oral placement therapist for guidance. Behavior issues The Challenge: There are many different behaviors that can affect feeding: the child gets Moms and Dads attention when they dont eat, or eating is one of only a few things they have control of. The Solution: Positive reinforcement (If you eat this piece of lettuce, then youll be able to play 10 minutes of video games), and extinction/planned ignoring (Daddy doesnt hear whining, he only hears big girl words,) work the best with behavior-based feeding issues. Keep in mind that behavior-based feeding issues can look a lot like sensory-motor feeding issues, so it is important to treat both aspects of feeding. The best outcomes result from the childs engagement in a voluntary, purposeful activity in a positive environment. Medical issues The Challenge: Gastrointestinal, cardiopulmonary and pharmaceutical issues can affect feeding, along with prematurity of birth and visual impairment, when the child simply cant see what theyre eating. The biggest culprit of medical-based feeding issues continues to be GERD. GERD in its simplest form is spitting up or vomiting, causing children to refuse food. The Solution: If there appears to be medical issues interfering with feeding, it is important to consult your pediatrician for more options. Family issues The Challenge: Family dynamics are one of the hardest feeding difficulties to deal with. Parents and caregivers are the most important and pivotal components in implementing feeding strategies. Many parents tend to feed their kids foods that the parents enjoy. The Solution: It is important to give the child many options, including foods that the parents dont regularly eat. Its also important to clearly define roles: the parents or caregivers are responsible to provide the foods, while the child is responsible to eat and choose how much to eat. Most importantly, the child should feel as comfortable as possible when they are eating. Feeding is social, and feeling uncomfortable in the social situation can cause problems. Parents and families should be open and adapt when necessary. Here are a few general tips and tricks to try for children with feeding difficulties If the picky eating seems to be sensory-based, encourage the child to play with foods to get used to them. Getting messy is OK! Encourage the child to get more involved with food preparation. Kids are more likely to try things if they help prepare the meal. Encourage the child to eat with other kids. In some circumstances, peer pressure is a good thing! Provide the child with small amounts of the foods mom and dad are eating along with a food the child usually eats. This way, the child gets used to the foods being there and when they are ready to try them, they will. Have a consistent routine at mealtime so the child knows what to expect. Experiment with small, subtle changes in difficult foods. Sometimes just a change in temperature makes it easier to handle. Make a schedule for the meal, and write a list of the food items that need to be eaten before going to the next activity. The writer is a Junior consultant of Occupational Therapy In-charge of Paediatric Unit Centre for the Rehabilitation of Paralysed(CRP) Mirpur-1206 Cell:+8801720373537 Email:[email protected]