Sensory Skills: Helping Parents to Support Sensory Development in their Children for Pediatric Feeding Success

Course overview

Many children who experience feeding difficulties struggle to develop the sensory comfort necessary to eat and enjoy a variety of different foods. This course will explore how to help parents help their children develop sensory comfort and prepare them to participate in everyday eating opportunities. The workshop, based on the principles of responsive feeding, will provide a brief overview of a child's sensory system as it relates to feeding. The instructors will explore how practitioners can help parents to 1.Read their child's cues, 2. Identify permission, and 3. Engage a child in daily activities to build a child's sensory comfort and participation. There will be an emphasis on helping therapists use parent coaching techniques so that parents are the ones to support their child's development in the context of everyday eating routines.