Sensory Integration Education

This month's SI Resources blog is focused on food, eating and sensory issues.

Feeding is one of the most complex things we require our bodies to do because it involves every sensory system integrating information about our body and the world around us. This is why children and adults with sensory differences can find certain food types, eating and mealtimes challenging.

In this month’s blog, we’ve curated articles, guides, books and products to help better inform ourselves of how we can support these individuals when it comes to food and eating.

What You Need to Know About Sensory Food Issues - Sight, smell, taste, and touch are some of the contributing factors to a child’s sensory food issues.  How it looks, smells, the consistency/texture of the food, and the way it feels on the fingers or utensils can make a child feel uneasy, uncomfortable, and unwilling to try.  This article from the OT Toolbox looks at the range of sensory eating disorders – from extreme food aversion to the simplest sensory food preferences – and offers ideas and suggestions on how they can be addressed.

Supporting Individuals with Feeding Difficulties - Feeding is one of the most complex things we require our bodies to do because it involves every sensory system integrating information about our body and the world around us. Aimed at therapists, dietitians, psychologists and teachers working with children described as fussy or picky eaters, this instant access online course from SIE is designed to support professionals in understanding why children experience difficulties with eating and how to implement therapeutic and educational changes that are sustainable and achievable within their particular services.

How Disordered Eating Becomes a Concern in the Neurodivergent – There are a multitude of reasons why neurodivergent people may be at an increased risk of developing an eating disorder. They may have increased or decreased sensory sensitivities, for example, or difficulties identifying hunger and fullness cues, or they may experience emotions more intensely. This article from Psychology Today explores the nuances of disordered eating among neurodivergent populations as well as identifying some parameters for when disordered eating becomes a concern.

When You’re Autistic, Cooking a Meal isn’t a Straightforward Task – This insightful article looks at how sensory differences can impact meal preparation for autistic individuals and how, for example, executive functioning issues can make tasks such as sequencing how to execute a recipe almost impossible some days.

Mealtimes Can Be Tough When Your Child is Autistic or has ADHD. Here are 5 Tips to Try - Many autistic children and children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) display what has been called ‘abnormal feeding behaviours’. Children may develop these behaviours as a way to cope with the complex task of mealtimes. The skills involved in mealtimes such as recognising feelings of hunger and thirst, completing tasks in a set order, processing all kinds of sensory input, using fine motor skills, and interacting socially can be challenging. This useful article from The Conversation offers 5 ways to support children with different mealtime needs.

Through My Eyes: ADHD and Avoidant Restrictive Eating - Nadine Dirks was diagnosed with ADHD in her mid-20s and, for as long as she can recall, she has been averse to certain foods e.g., jelly, processed meats and anything with multiple components, like trifle, made her skin crawl and she hated the consistency of tomatoes and the texture and smell of bananas.  She had no idea that ADHD could play any kind of role in the issues she had faced with food all my life and in this informative Medical News Today article she shares her experience of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) as a symptom of ADHD.

Meet The Neurodiverse Chef Determined to Change the Way We Cook - Vanessa D’Souza describes herself as “just a simple girl from Croydon trying to make her food dream a reality”. But in reality, she’s much more than that. After receiving a late autism diagnosis a few years ago. she set out to pursue her love of cooking as ‘The Autistic Chef’. This online interview with her looks at her culinary roots, how her autism diagnosis has influenced her approach to cooking and her thoughts on how the culinary industry can become more inclusive.

Books and Product Ideas

	The Picky Eater Cookbook This cookbook* focuses on recipes for the picky eater who is texture-sensitive e.g., they don’t want to get their hands dirty while eating, prefer crunchy foods to slimy, mushy foods and/or are attracted by the variants of colour in a meal. The recipes in the book have been developed by the author Jasmine Oliha and acquired from others over the years. They are a great way to infuse a picky eater’s 'crunchy' diet with rich, nutritious ingredients to maintain a healthy life.
	Food Refusal and Avoidant Eating in Children Many autistic children have a restricted dietary range. This book* provides parents and professionals with advice and training on how to deal with this, to gradually increase the range of food a child is able to eat and so achieve a healthier and more balanced diet. Now described as Avoidant or Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), it is due to sensory hypersensitivity and can impact upon the health of the child, their family and social integration.
	Supporting Autistic People with Eating Disorders This book* explores the link between autism and eating disorders through testimonies from practitioners, service users and carers. Combining research findings, case studies and first-hand accounts, it provides insights into how individuals on the autism spectrum can be supported towards full recovery from an eating disorder.
	PICK PLATES Children's Divided Plate for Fussy Eaters This plate* is a useful item to serve food for picky eaters. Each plate has five compartments so that different foods stay separated and there is enough space for serving a variety of food items. The plates themselves are playful and visually appealing, helping to make food fun and interesting to children.
	Lehoo Castle Kids Bento Lunch Box Bento lunch boxes* are great for snacks on the go and keep food separate for children and young people with sensory differences who prefer their food that way. The lunch boxes have 5 compartments which are very well sealed and don't spill at all and come with a sauce jar, spoon and fork.
	Stretchy Tubes Fidget Toy With the summer holidays coming up, it is useful to think of toys or fidgets that can be played with in the car, on a train or on a plane. These bendy robots* are great to carry around and don't make much of a noise either. Each package contains 4 robot toys with extendable pop tube limbs. Children can use them to release stress and anxiety by stretching, retracting and twisting the pop tubes and listening to the sound of the tubes.
*Affiliate link: SIE may earn a commission (at zero cost to you) when you purchase by clicking on an affiliate link. NB: Sensory Integration Education is not responsible for the content on external websites. Sharing a resource does not imply endorsement by Sensory Integration Education.