Feeding Therapy

Being half Italian, the love for food runs in my blood! As such, feeding therapy is an area of passion for me. Whether your child has a diagnosed feeding or swallowing disorder, or their fussy eating is making mealtimes stressful for you and your family.

I'm here to help!

Feeding difficulties is a broad term used to describe feeding and mealtime behaviours that are challenging for a child, adolescent or family. The behaviours below may indicate feeding difficulties that require intervention and support available through Talk & Tinker:

  • Eating a reduced variety/range of foods but can manage/handle some new foods.

  • Requiring foods to be cooked or presented in a certain way in order to accept it.

  • Refusing to eat new foods.

  • Will not eat or go near any unfamiliar foods.

  • Leaving the table during mealtimes, and/or will not eat at table.

  • Trouble chewing and manipulating food in mouth.


Some of these behaviours are part of a child’s typical development. However, when a child presents with a significant number of these behaviours, over a prolonged period of time, they may be considered to have feeding difficulties.

I'm trained in the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) approach to feeding therapy. As with everything, there is no "one size fits all" approach to feeding therapy. I take learning from across my training and develop a feeding therapy approach that will work for your child and your family.

Feeding therapy often happens on a weekly basis, but can be every other week or once a month during a scheduled block of time, usually 30-60 minutes long. During this time, I focus on a range of skills that empower both the child and the parent during mealtimes. This includes:

  • The division of responsibility at mealtime.

  • Increased independence for self feeding.

  • Eating skills (such as chewing and swallowing).

  • Increased variety.

  • Increased sense of control (for parent & child).

  • Orofacial myology.


Everyone's eating journey is different. It is important to remember that there in no shortcuts to improved eating skills. Eating is a full body task and we have to ensure all systems are working collaboratively.