Learn about Feeding Therapy
Feeding is a complex skill that can significantly influence the quality of a child’s life. Explore how our clinicians can make a life-changing impact for your child and your family, such as our Mini Chefs program.
Tell me all about Feeding Therapy
Feeding is a complex skill, and difficulties with feeding can be brought on due to psychological, physical, oral motor, and/or sensory needs that can significantly impact the quality of life of a child and their family. Feeding Therapy may be performed by an Occupational Therapist or Speech-Language Pathologist. An interdisciplinary approach to feeding is often utilized, and our team here at Autism Care Partners can work with you and your family to create an effective care plan that accommodates the needs of your child.
*Please note that services vary by location.
Explore Our Mini Chefs Program!
Mini Chefs is a monthly, food-themed Feeding Therapy program to support our commitment to providing high-quality, evidence-informed therapy within our centers. This program uses strategies from well-researched Feeding Therapy approaches and integrates them with the use of evidence-based tools from the Visual Immersion System (VIS). The goal of ACP’s Mini Chefs program is to help children build comfort and confidence around different foods.
At the heart of Mini Chefs is the goal of desensitization through non-threatening food play. To aid in this, play is supported by visual tools to improve comprehension.
Rather than focusing on eating or tasting, providers visually guide individuals through:
- Sensory-based food exploration
- Playful interaction with new or challenging foods
- Creative food-related crafts and activities
- Gradual exposure to foods in a safe, pressure-free environment
This approach helps reduce anxious feelings, builds tolerance, and lays the foundation for long-term feeding success. Feeding Therapy at ACP prioritizes a child-led, supportive approach that is tailored to individual sensory and feeding needs. In sessions, with the support of visual tools to support understanding, children will …
- Be introduced to a Food Theme of the Month
- Explore themed food play
- Participate in food-focused crafts
No pressure. No expectations to eat. Just exploration, play, and learning.
Families are encouraged but never required to explore our Mini Chefs activities at home, and each month our food-of-the-month will be featured here on the Feeding Therapy page. You will be able to access Dynamic Scene Cues (DSCs) on YouTube or Static Scene Cues (SSCs) if you child needs additional support. At the end of the month, we will archive the resources to the Caregiver Resources page, so you won’t lose access.
If you have questions about Mini Chefs or Feeding Therapy services at Autism Care Partners, please speak with your child’s therapist or center team or contact us to explore starting services!
Our Food-of-the-Month: Vanilla Yogurt
Note: For some learners being in the same room as a challenging food or touching a challenging food is a win in itself. It’s okay if your learner isn’t ready to try the yogurt. Try modeling what eating the yogurt looks like and talk to your child about how yummy it is. Putting pressure on a child to eat the challenging food prolongs feeding challenges.
Autism Care Partners has centers across New England and New York
Find the nearest Autism Care Partners center by entering your zip code!
Build a brighter tomorrow
Let’s come together to create a brighter future for our little ones and make a life-changing impact for children and families at Autism Care Partners. At ACP, we offer a comprehensive range of services all in one place, including ABA Therapy, Diagnostic Evaluations, Speech Therapy, and Occupational Therapy.
*Please note that services vary by location.
