Sensory aversions occur when a child is unable to cope with a sensory stimulus such as the smell, look, or taste of the food. The child may produce certain physical responses such as removal of hands from sight, limited eye contact with the food item, and refusing to touch the food. When introducing a new food, parents often immediately request the child to place the food in their mouth. This is a huge turn off if the child has sensory aversion. It is best to start with smelling or touching the food with fingers or a utensil. The following steps will help desensitize your child from feeling overwhelmed with new foods.
1. Start with generic sensory play - such as shaving cream, slime, and finger paint!
2. Always serve a preferred food with non-preferred foods - this will help to encourage eating during the meal and to feel comfortable with interacting with new foods.
3. Encourage your child to interact with the new food at the dinner table - start with touching the new food with fingers and work your way up to the face.
4. Do not put too much stress on yourself as a parent - this is hard for them too! The more stress we put on eating a particular food, the more the child withdraws from new foods.
Sensory aversions can be tricky at first but also very rewarding and fun to work on!
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