Daubs: Occupational therapy for the seriously picky eater - baby electric toothbrush

I hit the wall.
I tried salads, sauces and vegetables the first two weeks.
Now, picky people are excited.
Eating challenges are out of date.
Sometimes, I am unusually convinced myself that I have had a long day and should have a Kraft dinner.
After eating, I scrubbed signs of neon lights
Orange "food" in the kitchen, hidden in the box at the bottom of the recycle bin.
I 've been trying to keep track of picky eating experts
Bradley Riman's suggestion is to challenge yourself every meal and make a small change to the norm.
I hope this public humiliation will inspire me to make bold choices.
At the same time, let's take a look at the treatment options for diners who are severely picky and physically damaged: occupational therapy. Rhona Feldt-
Stein works with children with feeding problems at the York pediatric treatment service center.
She saw a lot of gaggering, crying and running away on the table.
While a lot of this behavior is typical child behavior, sometimes it is caused by a serious sense --
Deal with the problem.
Our central nervous system processes information from the environment every second.
The brain makes sense. We act without thinking.
But sometimes the brain doesn't use the information properly and our response is "distorted", Feldt-Stein says.
For example, when I smell or taste mustard, my brain responds in a distorted way due to negative associations: terrible picky eaters.
This is the protective response of the body.
When humans learn to eat for the first time, the g-mouth is a natural defense against suffocation. Feldt-
Stan has a son. he is a picky eater and has sensory problems.
He doesn't like paste or mix textures
Eggs, tuna, mashed potatoes or salads, as this texture cannot give his mouth enough information about the food he is eating.
Raw vegetables are much better than cooked vegetables because his mouth can feel what he is eating.
"He eats all the food separately, but he eats it evenly enough," she said . ".
Although there are many picky eaters with texture problems, Feldt-
Stan helps children who feel the problem is seriously affecting their health.
Some people suffer from esophageal reflux disease.
They can't control the food.
She also works with many children with autism who have sensory problems and toddlers who do not have the ability to "suck, swallow, most people don't need to think about breathing patterns when eating.
In all cases, children associate eating with pain, discomfort, or overwhelming feelings and refuse to eat certain foods.
What looks picky for untrained eyes (
Pressing, stubborn, Tears)
Can be based on medical problems.
Feldt-Many doctors don't think picky eaters are a health problem unless someone is underweightStein says.
"I found out the doctor said, 'Oh, you know, they're going to grow out of it.
But as you know, you don't always grow from it.
The assessment of an occupational therapist is not included in the OHIP range unless there is a medical basis for treatment.
Not picky eaters.
Although some of our picky eaters do not have serious health problems at the root of their diet, we can still learn from occupational therapists specializing in feeding problems. Feldt-
Stan recently helped a 13-year-
The old boy who ate only six kinds of food, including discord baby food, bananas, peanut butter and some kind of bread.
"His goal is to have a friend come over for dinner.
He can't travel to any school because he only eats peanut butter, "said the boy with Asperger syndrome six months later, eating food that most children take for granted: hot dogs, apples, fish and chips. Feldt-
Stein used the "sequential oral sensory feeding method" developed in the United States"S.
Psychologist Kay Toomey is with a language pathologist.
"They found that the emotional and behavioral components of children with dietary difficulties were very high.
They try to solve the problem by making food not something you have to be afraid of, "she said.
So instead of forcing your child to take a terrible salad, you ask him to look at it, touch it and play with it.
The idea is not to make food
So it does not cause anxiety.
After playing with the food several times, the child is more likely to feel more comfortable and can try it.
But things are not that simple for adults.
I can make a damp asparagus plane, but I won't be deceived by its wild nature. Feldt-
Stan says adults can control it by cooking.
Another thing that might be helpful, she said, is min reduction.
If you expect a bad reaction, Feldt-
Stein recommends using an electric toothbrush on your tongue, gums and teeth.
The same thing can be done with ice or damp cloth.
It can numb the senses.
You can also imitate the development stage of diet.
High end restaurants like canoes may not be worth a try, but it may be worth a try at home.
First, see how far you will get the offending food into the mouth, then touch it with your tongue, place the food on your tongue and touch it with your teeth.
Different approaches reflect how we learn to eat from breastfeeding to the front lineof-
Teeth and Tongue methods for adult use, Feldt-Stein says.
Think about this when you think about the sushi in your mouth.
"If you stop and think about it, white and yellow food (
Typical picky eaters
It was the first one introduced to the baby.
Milk, pablum, vegetables, fruit, "Feldt-Stein says.
So maybe I'll stop making babies, take out my electric toothbrush and have some sushi.
Next: The eater goes to the restaurant to test her senses.
kdaubs@thestar.