Feeding Therapy - Food School

Sensory Solutions, LLC offers feeding groups, FOOD SCHOOL. Groups are led by Occupational Therapists, Speech Pathologists and a Dietician. The program is based upon Dr. Kay Toomey’s SOS approach to feeding.  Sensory Solutions owner, Sheree Behrndt, OTR/L has been practicing Dr. Toomey’s approach for 15+ years and has had great success when coupled with Sensory Integration therapy.

Clients are typically seen for individual occupational and/or speech therapy services as well as group therapy.  In our experience peers motivate one another for success and reduce the anxiety of one on one treatment.

Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) approach to feeding integrates motor, oral, behavioral/ learning, medical, sensory and nutritional factors in order to comprehensively evaluate and manage children with feeding/ growth problems. It is based on, and grounded philosophically in the “normal” developmental steps, stages and skills of feeding found in typically developing children. The program utilizes a 32 step hierarchy in getting a child to eat. Many believe feeding is a two-step process in which an individual sits down and begins eating. The fact is, feeding requires 32 steps for the problem eater! Eating is the most complex physical task in which human beings engage and is the ONLY human task which requires every one of your organ systems, and requires that all of those systems work correctly. One swallow, for example, takes 26 muscles and 6 cranial nerves to coordinate. Plus, eating is the ONLY task children do which require simultaneous coordination of all 8 of our sensory systems. Learning, development, nutrition and the environment also have to be integrated in order that a child eats correctly.