If your child with autism eats only a handful of foods — or avoids meals altogether — you’re not alone. Feeding struggles are one of the most common concerns for families, and they’re often rooted in sensory sensitivities, anxiety or past experiences like gagging or choking.
For many families, autism feeding therapy offers a structured, compassionate way to make mealtimes less stressful — and more successful.
How autism feeding therapy helps kids eat better — and feel better
“With feeding therapy, people have been extremely successful in getting children who are picky to expand their repertoire — so they can eat fruits, vegetables and proteins. It’s all really important and necessary to grow,” explains Jennifer Thomas, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA, Vice President of Clinical Operations at Healing Haven, an ABA therapy center with locations in Farmington Hills and Madison Heights.
“There is hope!” she says.
What exactly is feeding therapy, and how does it help children with autism? We asked Dr. Thomas to break it down.
Q: What is feeding therapy for kids with autism?
A:
Feeding therapy is a structured approach that helps children build comfort, confidence and skills around eating. For kids with autism, this often means working through sensory sensitivities, anxiety or routines that have reinforced picky eating.
Feeding therapy can be multi-disciplinary and include desensitization, behavioral strategies and close collaboration with families — all tailored to the child’s needs.
Q: What kinds of feeding challenges does it address?
A:
Feeding therapy often supports children with strong sensory sensitivities to the texture, smell or appearance of certain foods. Therapy helps children expand their food choices by addressing sensory aversions and building positive experiences with new foods.
Each child is different, but there are some common problematic foods. “Fruit is unpredictable,” says Dr. Thomas. “Sometimes it’s sweet, sometimes tart, sometimes mushy. Kids with autism tend to prefer predictability.”
Q: Who is a good candidate for feeding therapy?
A:
“A good candidate is a child who’s eating a very limited variety of foods — like five or 10 things — but is otherwise growing and gaining weight,” says Dr. Thomas.
These may be children who are extremely selective in their eating and who show food-related behaviors that limit diet quality.
Dr. Thomas adds that feeding therapy works best when parents are on board, especially if they are willing to reinforce what children are learning in feeding therapy.
Q: What happens during feeding therapy sessions?
A:
Feeding therapy sessions are tailored to each child’s needs and often involve a team approach. Occupational therapists (OTs), speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and behavior analysts (BCBAs) may all play a role.
OTs often use play and desensitization techniques. “They might swing first, play with beans for sensory input, then come to the table and interact with food,” explains Dr. Thomas. This helps reduce anxiety and build comfort around new foods.
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) typically focus on oral motor strength and coordination, especially in cases where there are concerns about chewing, swallowing or drooling.
Behavior analysts may use games or a step-by-step approach to slowly introduce new foods.
“We might play a game where you spin a dial — it might land on kiss the food, touch it, smell it, or put it in your mouth,” she says. “If the child does it, they get a reward.”
Q: What can parents do at home to support feeding therapy?
A:
Parental involvement is essential to success. After a child learns certain skills in a clinic or school setting, those same steps should be practiced at home: “If, for example, your child learns to touch or taste four different foods in therapy, you’ll do the same at home around the same time each day,” Dr. Thomas says.
Parents can also help by keeping mealtimes predictable and supporting progress with gentle encouragement and rewards.
Q: How long does progress usually take?
A:
Progress can vary widely. “Some kids jump on board right away,” says Dr. Thomas. “They realize it’s not so scary — there’s a routine, a predictable time and place and no one is forcing them.”
But for many children, feeding therapy is a long-term process. “Usually it takes anywhere from six months to a year or two,” she says. The goal is to build comfort, flexibility and lasting habits — not just try a food once.
How autism feeding therapy supports families over time
With time, teamwork, and the right support, feeding therapy can help children with autism build a healthier relationship with food — and bring a little more peace to the family table.
This content is sponsored by Healing Haven, an ABA therapy center with locations in Madison Heights and Farmington Hills. Learn more about Healing Haven’s unique ABA therapy programs for ages 2 to young adult. Visit thehealinghaven.net.
