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The Center for Childhood Development » Specialized Therapies

Specialized Therapies

SOS Feeding Therapy

Feeding groups at the Center for Childhood Development follow the Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) approach developed by Dr. Kay Toomey, Ph.D.  This is a developmental approach to feeding that helps children learn to interact with and eventually eat foods, in a playful and non-stressful way. 

SOS feeding groups help increase a child’s awareness, exploration and appreciation of different properties of food, including:
• Texture
• Color
• Shape
• Smell
• Taste
• Consistency

The SOS feeding groups follow Toomey’s 32 steps to eating hierarchy.  This begins with a child simply being able to tolerate food in the room, and progresses through steps of tolerating it in front of him/her, touching the food, and eventually actually tasting and eating different foods.

The Center for Childhood Development offers feeding therapy through a multi-disciplinary approach, with both a speech and language pathologist and an occupational therapist.  It is offered in small groups of 3-6 children, as well as in dyads consisting of two children and two therapists.

Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Feeding therapy is most appropriate for children who may:
• Be described as “picky” eaters
• Limit themselves to only certain foods (even down to the brand of food)
• Demonstrate choking, gagging or coughing while eating
• Have poor weight gain due to picky eating
• Have difficulty transitioning from baby food purees to solids
• Demonstrate an aversion or avoidance to foods in a specific texture or food group
• Want to fight or battle during meals
• Have a food range of less than 20 foods
• Have difficulty controlling food within their mouth (chewing, tongue movements, sucking, etc.)