Sensory Integration Disorder Support Group

Is it texture or taste that bother her... or both? Is she orally aversive otherwise? Such as not liking brushing her teeth? I switch from aversion to seeking orally. I have a infadent massager with a variety of exercises that I do to help get me the input that I need or desensitize. It would help her greatly to see an Occupational Therapist for this, if she can.

my daughter has a hard time with stringy food like spaghetti and thicker foods like mashed potatoes, its due to her senosry and her low tone in her face...But she needs to see a OT that will look at her..

She says she hates the taste of food. She eats a lot of cheese, chips, desserts, chicken nuggets. She has convinced herself so much that she doesn't like foods and she has never tried them. I think she has some sensory issues, she is a perfectionist and has to be in control. So, it makes it confusing. Low self esteem, compares herself to her sister who will eat anything and is very outgoing. She is into school bigtime, High honors! She has seen every professional before and nothing has worked for her. I have strategies that are working, but I appreciate ny comments on this food aversion if you have any!
Thank you!

Has she ever seen a psychiatrist.? THis may be something that needs further evaluation...hugs

She has seen psychologist, psychaitrist, OCD Specialist, Eating disorder specialist. She has had the the whole work up. I am having her for dinner tonight. I will see what heppens!

My 15-year-old nephew has sensory issues. He doesn't open up to many because he fears ridicule, but he will open up to me about it because I've been understanding with my little girl.

He will only eat certain foods. He prefers pizza and nachos because you can pick up the crust or tip and you don't have to get mess on your fingers. He won't eat ribs, chicken legs, etc. The family accommodates him. Is this bad? Should we be forcing him to eat other foods? Pizza has all four food groups.

My five-year-old prefers lasagna or canned soup. I have to hand feed her. I know I am enabling her but this is the only way she'll eat for me. At school, around her peers, she eats just fine with a fork.

Tamra

As a Mother and a Life Coach and from what I am seeing with this client of mine it is a lot about control, with or without sensory issues. I believe that it is similar to facing fears, if yo uavoid it and allow children to have the fear, they will never get over it. Easing introduction to other foods in my opinion is the best option. Giving the children choices of what is for dinner, so they feel a sense of control but not always a choice of their comfort foods. The more they are exposed to the textures and tastes, the more they will adapt and accept them, I am so very far from an expert on this, but this is how I feel.
If you continue to enable and accomodate their avoidances and habits, you will end up being like my client's mom who is severely depressed and feels like a failure. You may have to take the control back. Food is such a huge part of life and with such limitations surrounding food, it grows into so much more socially, academically, self esteem and so forth. I would really try to mix things up for your children now before they get into their teens.
Change is possible with everyone and everyone!
Again, not an expert on this!
Kristen

It is not uncommen for sensory people to feel the need to control their environment, simply because they can't handle the overstimulation of everyday life. SPD is neurological disorder, and not something that is overcome by simply wanting to. I tried for years to be "less sensitive" and not "overreact", when the truth is my body is wired differently. I physioligically respond differently to some stimuli. Over time, added to that was the anxiety that something might upset me or leave me "out of sync". Trying to simply think differently about sensory stuff lead me to frustration because I can't just think myself out of the response. I would suggest that she see an OT or a speech pathologist to determine if this is oral aversion or not. I can tell you that OT has changed my life, and made me so much more comfortable in my environment and much more ready to deal with the stimuli in the world. And at the very least, I have coping strategies when I do become overstimulated. And for the eating, sensory kids and adults are so averse to these things that they can quit eating or drinking to the point of hospitalization. It isn't about willfulness, but that they simply can't handle it. I truthfully would rather be quite dehydrated than to drink certain types of water, and have done it to the point of needing medical attention. It isn't because I don't want to drink the water, or because I want to prove a point I just simply can't handle the taste, it is less taxing on me to be ill than to elicit a reaction such as what I get from "icky" water. So, it is about desensitizing, but it may start with them just smelling a new food, or maybe even licking it then eating something they can handle. There are certain textures that I would gladly deal with hunger over putting in my mouth. Again, I cannot stress that when dealing with eating issues and sensory, it can be very upsetting to the system.

Thank you so very much, your information was very helpful. She has gone to OT, they said it is not the problem. She says everything tastes gross. So, if she likes desserts, candy, chicken fingers, pizza, why doesn't she think these taste gross? She drinks a ton of milk as well. I so want to help her feel safe and aquire tastes, I cannot tell you how grateful I am for all your posts!

I met with the teen Thursday Evening and it did not go as planned. She said the dinner I brought looked disgusting, the closest thing I could get her to do was put a piece of chicken up to her tooth and she said gross. I used all ingredients that she likes, but nope. She ignored me for the first 45 minutes when I got there and she tried to play me good.

She says it is the taste of food, but she eats, fish, some chicken, nachos, cheese, grilled cheese, chicken nuggets, pizza and candy and all sweets. I am having a hard time believing it is a fear of taste. Any thoughts about that? I am putting the food issue on the back burner and we are going to deal with what I am certain about. I would appreciate any thoughts.
Thanks,
kristen