How SOS Feeding Therapy Can Help with Picky Eating, ARFID, and Paediatric Feeding Disorders

 

Feeding difficulties can be incredibly stressful for families. Whether you’re navigating fussy eating, extreme food refusal, or a clinical feeding disorder, it can often feel like mealtimes have become a battleground — and you’re not sure where to turn next.

At Nourish and Grow, I use an approach called SOS Feeding Therapy to help children feel safer and more confident around food — and to support families in finding peace at the table again.

👶 What Is SOS Feeding Therapy?

SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Feeding Therapy is a play-based, developmental approach that helps children explore and learn about food in a low-pressure, supportive way. It was designed by a multidisciplinary team including dietitians, speech and language therapists, and psychologists.

Rather than focusing on “getting children to eat,” SOS therapy works by helping children:

• Feel safe around food

• Build comfort with different textures, smells, and appearances

• Move gradually from looking → touching → tasting → eating

• Learn how to eat at their own pace, with trust and enjoyment

It’s particularly effective for children who have strong sensory sensitivities, limited diets, or a history of negative feeding experiences.

🍽️ Who Might Benefit from SOS Feeding Therapy?

✅ Children with extreme picky eating

If your child eats fewer than 20 foods, refuses entire food groups, or experiences distress at mealtimes, they may benefit from a more structured and therapeutic feeding approach.

✅ Children with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)

ARFID is not “just fussy eating.” Children with ARFID often have a strong fear of choking, vomiting, or certain textures, and may experience weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, or social distress due to their limited intake. SOS therapy offers a gentle way to support progress without pressure or shame.

✅ Children with paediatric feeding disorders

This may include children with:

• Medical conditions affecting feeding

• Sensory processing difficulties

• Oral-motor challenges

• Feeding aversions linked to pain, reflux, or trauma

🌱 What Does SOS Feeding Therapy Look Like?

Feeding therapy sessions are child-led and play-based, often involving:

• Exploring food through touch, smell, sound and sight

• Encouraging positive food interactions in a non-pressured way

• Supporting mealtime routines and feeding cues

• Helping children develop oral-motor skills gradually

• Working closely with families to reduce stress and support progress at home

Depending on your child’s needs, I offer both 1:1 and small group sessions from my practice in Lincoln.

💛 My Approach at Nourish and Grow

I know how emotional and exhausting feeding challenges can be. That’s why my approach is always:

• Child-centred

• Family-friendly

• Rooted in evidence

• Gentle and responsive

There is no pressure to “perform” in sessions. Just safe, supported opportunities to build trust and connection with food over time.

If you're worried about your child’s eating, know that you're not alone — and you don't have to figure it out by yourself.

📍 Get Support in Lincolnshire

Whether your child is a fussy eater, showing signs of ARFID, or struggling with a feeding disorder, I offer personalised support through SOS feeding therapy, tailored to your child’s unique needs.

🌿 Based in Lincoln🌿 Registered Dietitian🌿 Specialist in paediatric nutrition and feeding

Book a consultation to learn more about how I can support your family — calmly, gently, and with real-life strategies that make a difference.