Sensory Sensitivities and Fussy Eating

4 Strategies for Support

Sensory sensitivities are thought to affect a significant percentage of children. They also go hand-in-hand with other childhood challenges like ASD and ADHD.

If a child has sensory processing challenges, eating may be more difficult or even unpleasant. Eating is a huge sensory experience. It’s the sight, the smell, the taste, the feel and even the sound of food. For instance, think about the feel of a corn chip when touched by your fingers, how it smells when you open the bag, the sound and the feeling when you crunch on it and the distinctive taste as you eat it.

The way we interpret sensations from our environment is unique to us. It is also something that we manage differently over time. Young children can struggle to process the volume of information coming into their system and find certain things overwhelming.

Sensory Sensitivities Around Food

The sensory discomfort can often be seen in relation to food. Although the discomfort stems from the sensory input it often leads to other challenges that make eating more difficult, too:

1. An uncomfortable feeling can lead to fears around eating or eating specific types of food.

2. It can also build up a general dread or anxiety around meals in general.

3. Even when a child better adapts to sensory input as they mature, they have an emotional reaction to the foods, or a ‘hangover’ from when those foods were unpleasant.

The Sensory Spectrum

Although it’s common for children to find sensory inputs overwhelming, there is also the opposite end of the sensory spectrum where there is under stimulation of the system. A child may not like soft textures, for example, as they may find it difficult to feel them in the mouth. Or they may want to cram foods into the mouth so there is a noticeable feeling.

Sensory seekers are likely to want to jump and swing and bang. Avoiders may dislike loud noises or messiness. It’s also surprisingly common to have a child who is both an avoider and a seeker in different situations.

How to Spot Sensory Sensitivities

There are many ways that discomfort may show up. Some of these are listed below: a. A dislike of loud noises or bright lights b. Discomfort having dirty hands or faces c. Not wanting to be touched or hugged d. Touching everything and wanting bear hugs e. Discomfort with labels in clothes, the fit of socks or certain materials f. Poor coordination

There are also some signs that are specific to food: a. Gagging at the sight, smell, touch or taste of a food (This is before it goes in the mouth, not when trying to eat.) b. Avoiding certain tastes or textures c. Eating only specific textures d. Overstuffing or holding food in the mouth e. Disliking food smells

There are specific ways to support a child to be able to eat more comfortably and more widely:

1. Empathise Appreciating that sensory sensitivities can be something a child finds really challenging and validating that difficulty. Conversely, it’s also vital that we don’t endorse avoidance of specific tastes, textures and smells. Studies show that not coming into contact with stimuli can make us more sensitive to them rather than solve the problem.

2. Desensitise to Touch When we desensitise certain parts of the body, it helps with other areas. For example, if we become less uncomfortable with touching something with our hands, it also helps with the feeling in our mouth.

There are specific ways we can support a child to become less sensitive via props like sensory bins filled with uncooked rice or sand for children to play in. What is appropriate will depend on what the specific sensory needs are.

A vibrating toothbrush can be a great way to desensitise the mouth. Brushing not just the teeth but also the sides and the top of the tongue and the insides of the cheek can help.

3. Gradual Comfort Level Exploring all aspects of food, this is often best done away from the table and can be done via shopping, gardening and cooking, for example. Messy play may also be an option, everything from bubbles to slime to pudding pictures!

Starting gently and taking things in really small steps enables a child to gradually build up a tolerance to something that initially may seem overwhelming. We may also need to scaffold those steps forwards to begin with to enable them to be able to manage things. For example, if touching a food seems overwhelmingly difficult, perhaps using a fork to touch the food instead of their fingers would be a good place to start.

Thinking of ways that we can make things easier for a child also pays off big. For example, if soft foods are a no-go for your child, then alternating between crunchy and then a tiny bite of soft may prove beneficial. That way, the main texture that is experienced is the favoured one.

4. Role Modelling Children learn from us and how we behave around food. Showing them pleasure in touching and handling foods, which over time, gives them the confidence that those foods are okay. Although sensory sensitivities can make eating more challenging, there are also many things that support a child to manage the sensations more comfortably. The sooner we start, the easier it becomes!

Judith is an AOTA accrediated picky eating advisor and internationally nutriontional therapist. She works with hundreds of families every year resolving fussy eating and returning pleasure and joy to the meal table. She is also mummy to two boys and the author of Creating Confident Eaters and Winner, Winner I Eat Dinner. Her dream is that every child is able to approach food from a place of safety and joy, not fear.

You may contact her at: Judith@theconfidenteater.com

MICHAEL RAY