Feed Your Mind

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SENSORIMOTOR PDF FILES
Handling and Positioning Pointers	Handing and Positioning Pointers provides a series of questions and observations that support better movement control for the development of feeding and oral-motor skills.
Changing the Sensory Environment	Changing the Sensory Environment provides a practical list of ideas for changing sensory input at mealtimes to support comfortable feeding.
Sensory Input and the Mouth: Partners at Mealtime	Sensory Information and Mouth: Partners at Mealtime discusses the influence of sensory input on feeding patterns.
Changing the Physical Environment	Changing the Physical Environment provides a practical list of ideas for changing the physical positioning of the child, changing the positioning of the feeder, and changing the equipment used for feeding.
The Body and Mouth: Partners at Mealtime	The Body and Mouth: Partners at Mealtime discusses the influence of body postural tone and movement on feeding patterns.
Support and Comfort for the Adult Feeder	The importance of physical support and comfort for adults who feed children is discussed. Equipment suggestions are provided.
FEEDING PDF FILES
Homemade Blended Formulas: A Nutritional Option for Tube-Fed Children	Homemade Blended Formulas: A Nutritional Option for Tube-Fed Children discusses the option of providing nutritious meals for tube-fed children through the creation of homemade blended formulas. An historical overview of tube feeding is included along with a discussion of the importance of a team approach to supporting parents who which to explore this nutritional option for their children. The article is adapted from the newly published Homemade Blended Formula Handbook.
The Happiness Option at Mealtimes	The Happiness Option at Mealtimes introduces the concept that our beliefs and attitudes play a central role in how children participate and learn at mealtimes. Happiness is the most important factor at mealtimes and in therapy programs to help children develop feeding skills. Unhappiness gets in the way of helping children move toward their most comfortable and skillful relationship with food and liquid. Based on the concepts of Barry Neil Kaufman in his book Happiness is a Choice, this paper presents Kaufman’s 6 “Shortcuts to Happiness” within the context of mealtimes.
Becoming a Mealtime Partner	Becoming a Mealtime Partner emphasizes the concept that parents and professionals can develop or redevelop mealtime partnership skills with the infants and children in their lives. Becoming a more skilled Mealtime Partner involves conceptualizing the challenges of feeding and nourishing children in a different way. Work to improve swallowing, oral-motor skills, and sensory comfort is part of the journey in which children learn to enjoy and participate fully in the mealtimes they share with others.
Feeding Behaviors – The Tip of the Iceberg	Feeding Behaviors – The Tip of the Iceberg explores the concept that feeding behaviors are strategies that children and adults select to take care of themselves. When a child is uncomfortable due to gastrointestinal, sensory, swallowing or other physical difficullties, the strategy of limiting food intake may be chosen. The importance of identifying and treating the underlying reasons that lie beneath the "tip of the iceberg" of feeding behaviors is emphasized.
Finding an Appropriate Feeding Program for Children with Feeding Difficulties	Finding an Appropriate Feeding Program helps parents identify individual strengths and needs that can influence the type of feeding programs that are appropriate for both their child and family. The paper discusses ways of preparing for intervention services, documenting what you know about yourself and your child, identifying appropriate feeding resources, and preparing for the initial meetings with service providers. A series of questions is provided that will help parents identify and understand the resources and approaches used by individual therapists and feedng teams. From this information, parents are able to make a more informed decision about feeding programs that are available.
Food Progressions for Biting and Chewing	Food Progressions for Biting and Chewing describes how learning to bite and chew foods efficiently is influenced by the sensory properties of the food and its placement in the mouth. Selecting food can be a challenging task for the parent or therapist because each food has multiple sensory features. Each food has at least 8 sensory features that simultaneously determine the degree of ease or difficulty for biting and chewing. These include resistance, sensory input, size, shape, texture scatter, consistency, placement, and need for transfer during chewing. The combination of these features determines the overall sensorimotor skills required in biting and chewing. These, in turn, interact with the specific skills and needs of the individual child
Gastrointestinal Health and the Child with Feeding Problems – Part 2: Therapy Alternatives	Gastrointestinal Health and the Child with Feeding Problems Part 2: Therapy Alternatives explores strategies for improving gastrointestinal health and function that can be incorporated into feeding programs. The paper presents ideas for increasing dietary diversity, building gastrointestinal comfort, reducing food allergies and sensitivities, and developing the child's internal regulation of eating.
Gastrointestinal Health and the Child with Feeding Problems – Part 1: The Issues	Gastrointestinal Health and the Child with Feeding Problems Part 1: The Issues discusses the impact of gastrointestinal discomfort on the development of feeding skills and the child's desire to eat. The paper explores the role played by tube feedings, gastroesophageal reflux, poor digestion, lack of appetite and antibiotics.
Children with Feeding Tubes: Part 3- Making the Transition to Oral Feeding	Children with Feeding Tubes: Part 3–Making the Transition to Oral Feeding discusses criteria and progressions for helping children make the transition to partial or full oral feeding. Specific readiness guidelines are provided.
Children with Feeding Tubes: Part 2- Treatment Programs	Children with Feeding Tubes: Part 2–Treatment Programs continues the online discussion of children who receive tube feedings by describing a comprehensive oral-motor treatment program and its components. A focus is placed on the foundation skills that children need to begin oral feeding
Expanding Children's Diets	Expanding Children's Diets describes an approach and series of practical ideas for helping children with sensory-based feeding problems increase the types of food and liquid they are willing to eat.
Children with Feeding Tubes: Part 1--The Issues	Children with Feeding Tubes: Part 1--The Issues describes the group of children whose feeding skills do not support full oral feeding. The role of feeding tubes in the well-being of these children is discussed. Strategies to support the child's ability and desire to eat by mouth are discussed.
Mouth Stuffing	Mouth Stuffing discusses a common feeding characteristic of children with mild and moderate sensorimotor difficulties. Treatment strategies are suggested for children with poor sensory awareness and poor chewing movements.
Issues in the Anatomy and Physiology of Swallowing	Issues in the Anatomy and Physiology of Swallowing: Impact on Assessment and Treatment of Children with Dysphagia discusses the interplay between the anatomy and physiology of the swallowing mechanism in infants and children. Changes in structure during infancy influence the child's ability to swallow and learn to eat safely.
When a Child Aspirates	When a Child Aspirates provides a detailed overview of swallowing difficulties in children, and discusses the significance of aspiration in assessment and treatment programs. Practical suggestions are given to prepare a child for a swallowing study and to introduce small amounts of food and liquid safely.
Feeding and Speech Relationships	Feeding and Speech Relationships looks at how feeding skills support the development of oral motor skills for speech.
Formula Rotation for Children Who Receive Tube Feedings	Formula Rotation for Children Who Receive Tube Feedings presents a rationale for using formula rotation to increase dietary diversity and prevent the development of food sensitivities and allergies in children who typically receive the nutrients in a single formula. Implications for the transition to oral feeding are discussed.
Why Evaluate and Treat Mild Feeding Delays and Limitations?	Why Evaluate and Treat Mild Feeding Delays and Limitations? discusses the impact of mild feeding problems on the child¹s speech and social development. Specific suggestions are given for selecting food for snack time at home and in the classroom.
Feeding and Pre-Speech Characteristics - Children with Mild Sensorimotor Impairment	Feeding and Pre-Speech Characteristics - Children with Mild Sensorimotor Impairment describes issues which influence a child¹s development of efficient feeding and early speech patterns. An emphasis is placed on children with mild and minimal sensorimotor involvement.
Refusal of First Foods	Refusal of First Foods offers a perspective on infants with no prior feeding difficulties who gag and refuse smooth solid foods.
Choosing Feeding Equipment	Choosing Feeding Equipment describes the characteristics of an effective nipple, cup, and spoon.
Enhancing Infant Readiness	Guidelines for Success: Enhancing Infant Readiness. . . introduces the concept that infants let us know they are ready to move on to soft solid foods through a series of Readiness Cues. Practical suggestions are provided to increase the ease and pleasure of this learning period.
Mouth Toys Open the Sensory Doorway	Mouth toys provide optimum experience for the development of oral sensory awareness and discrimination and oral movement for feeding and speech development.
LEARNING PDF FILES
Opening the Door with Metamusic	Opening the Door with Metamusic describes the use of Hemi-Sync^Æ Metamusic recordings with children with special feeding and learning needs.Metamusic contains sound frequencies blended with music that assist learning through physical and emotional relaxation and an increased focus of attention. The paper provides examples of research and case studies using this sound technology as well as specific guidelines for selecting and using Metamusic recordings.
Marvelous Mouth Music	Marvelous Mouth Music describes a new recording that gives children an opportunity to develop early pre-speech abilities in the context of musical fun. The paper describes the rationale for working with building blocks for speech production and the ways in which these components are incorporated into the songs.
Child with A Gift	Child with a Gift shares thoughts about the gifts offered to adults by children with special needs.
Concepts of Change: Communication and Learning	Concepts of Change: Communication and Learning introduces a set of concepts that provide the foundation for effective treatment programs.
Selection of Music for the Development of Movement	Selection of Music for the Development of Movement focuses on the use of music to enhance the development of movement skills. Suggestions are given for choosing recordings, and developing custom selections for children.
Hemi-Sync^Æand the Facilitation of Sensory Integration	Hemi-Sync^Æand the Facilitation of Sensory Integration discusses the effectiveness of the Hemi-Sync^Æbinaural beat technology in the enhancement of sensory processing and integration skills.
Introducting Music Into a Learning Environment	Introducing Music Into a Learning Environment provides practical suggestion on the selection of music and equipment, and its use in therapy, classroom, and home environments.
Expanding Mealtime Communication	Expanding Mealtime Communication provides a series of ideas and strategies for helping children and their feeders create a shared dialogue at mealtimes.
Communication at Mealtimes	Communication at Mealtimes discusses the ways that non-verbal infants and children use sound and movement to communicate their needs and wants at mealtime.
Recapturing the Intuitive	Recapturing the Intuitive describes the development of a continuing education program to enhance clinical intuition - the "art of therapy." The role of Hemi-Sync^Æ in optimizing the learning process and participant feedback are described.