What's at the Root of Feeding Issues?
By Sonia Story, M.S.
One of the many pleasures of being a parent happens when we see our children eating nourishing foods with great enjoyment. There is something so satisfying about watching our children eat well!
The opposite is also true. It is highly distressing for parents when a child eats very little or when a child refuses all but a few foods. What is at the root of poor eating? And how can we provide help?
When proper development and health are established, infants and children will naturally eat well. In turn, this maintains health and stimulates more development.
When a child struggles with eating, there are numerous possible root causes, but what appear to be consistent in many pediatric feeding disorders are sensory processing issues related to poor development. In her book The Fabric of Autism, Judith Bluestone describes one of the sensory features of her own autism with respect to eating. She explained that it was very difficult for her to eat because the sound of her own chewing inside her head was disruptive and overwhelming for her (Bluestone, 2005). This is an example of an underdeveloped sensory system that interferes with what should be a pleasurable experience.
By addressing sensory issues with innate rhythmic movements and primitive reflex integration, we can go a long way toward resolving many pediatric feeding disorders. How? Because innate rhythmic and reflex movements are the very movements that drive development of the neuro-sensory-motor systems involved in eating and so many other human functions. Innate movements can support other therapies for those children who also need to see a feeding specialist or myofunctional therapist.
Check out the success stories below for examples of transformation in 3 young children as they improve in their ability to eat after using the innate rhythmic and reflex movements from the Brain and Sensory Foundations program.
This autistic toddler had oral motor and oral sensory issues, extreme picky eating, and difficulty participating in feeding therapy. After 9 sessions of neurodevelopmental movements, he no longer gets upset at mealtimes and regularly tries new foods!
At 11 months of age this infant was still completely dependent on bottles, and would gag or throw up when trying to eat solid food. After 4 months of rhythmic movements and reflex integration, she can safely eat a variety of solid foods and drink from a cup.
This 2.5-year-old girl was primarily G-tube fed at the time her mother started providing rhythmic movements. Learn about her tremendous progress, including improvements in chewing and swallowing.
Did you know the elderly can have feeding issues too? Researchers found that challenges with chewing and eating in elderly individuals are associated with retained primitive reflexes. These retained reflexes, involving facial and oral muscles, may increase the risk of malnutrition and the risk of developing aspiration pneumonia (Hobo et al., 2014).
If you know of children or elders with feeding issues, check out more case studies here.
References
Bluestone, J. (2005). The fabric of autism: Weaving the threads into a cogent theory. Book Publishing Company.
Hobo, K., Kawase, J., Tamura, F., Groher, M., Kikutani, T., & Sunakawa, H. (2014). Effects of the reappearance of primitive reflexes on eating function and prognosis. Geriatrics & Gerontology International, 14(1), 190-197.
Sonia Story, M.S. has been teaching neurodevelopmental movements since 2006.
Sonia developed the Brain and Sensory Foundations program to provide comprehensive training in neurodevelopmental movements—combining innate rhythmic movements, play, primitive reflexes, and postural reflexes.
She earned a Bachelor's degree in biology/psychology and a Master’s degree in Movement Sciences. She is the author of The Importance of Reflex Integration and the Evidence eBook, giving the rationale and evidence basis for using neurodevelopmental movements for helping with challenges such as ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorders, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, visual skill deficits, poor social skills, gross and fine motor delays and other neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders.
Her work is featured in numerous podcasts, summits, and conferences, and in the books Almost Autism: Recovering Children from Sensory Processing Disorder; Special Ed Mom Survival Guide; Family Health Revolution; and Same Journey, Different Paths—Stories of Auditory Processing Disorder.
Sonia’s mission is to help children and families experience the profound benefits of neurodevelopmental and integrative movements for more functional and fulfilling lives.