Is fussy eating getting in the way of your child’s nutrition and happiness?
Is the stress of mealtimes impacting your family’s quality of life?
Introducing our feeding therapy program for children with fussy eating habits or sensory issues.
Jacqui Palmer, an experienced paediatric dietitian, has developed this program to help fussy eaters and their families regain the joy of eating. While improved nutrition is the goal, so is developing the skills necessary to be become a competent eater.
This program aims to help you and your child cope with the obstacles that mealtimes present, and make meals the relaxed and joyful moments they should be! Taking elements of the well-known ‘SOS approach to feeding therapy’ (Toomey et al.) and Ellen Satter’s ‘Division of Responsibility’, Jacqui’s approach is designed to reduce mealtime tensions, whilst supporting your child’s steps towards a healthier and more varied diet.
Eating is something that we need to do everyday and when eating is stressful, daily life becomes stressful.
This program is for children but also for parents
Progress means practice – so you’ll need to integrate the strategies into your family meals. There is no quick fix so it is important to us that parents emerge feeling empowered by this program, as the learning will continue beyond therapy. There will be struggles but also lightbulb moments as you work towards healthy meals and relaxed mealtimes.
We ask parents to be ready for the time and effort needed for progress. That means being prepared for home practice to be a big part of your approach! With an open mind and lots of willing, you’ll be rewarded with changes that will improve your family quality of life. Participating in therapy will help you to keep it going once the program has finished and keep your child on the road to competent eating.
We also ask for some background medical information to help tailor advice and any contacts that might be relevant such as your child’s OT or speech therapist (if they have one).
In addition, below is a list of tasks that you should complete once enrolled and before your child’s first practical session. Ideally, if you could have them ready for session one, we can use them as a prompt in your session.
Is it for me?
If your child fits in one of the following groups then they may benefit from the program:
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Children aged 2 to 12 with a food range of less than 20 foods
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Children who display an aversion to foods across different environments (home, childcare, a friend’s house).
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Children who refuse entire texture groups (chewy, smooth, mixed, dry, moist) or food groups (vegetables, meats). If you see your child living on nuggets and chips – it’s a good indication.
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Children for whom mealtimes are stressful (crying, gagging, screaming, point blank refusal)
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Children who show signs of altered sensory processing – particularly of tactile and olfactory input (extremely sensitive to smells, tastes and textures of foods – sensitive to environmental input)
This program is not for you if:
If your toddler to twelve-year old simply refuses one or two foods, or occasionally puts their foot down and refuses to eat your lovingly prepared meal – this therapy is unlikely to be necessary.
Things to do before your child’s first session:
- Complete the sensory eating checklist (template provided)
- Complete a food diary (template provided)
- Provide height and weight records (from the red book)
- Relevant bloods: Iron, B12, Vitamin D
- Record a 5-minute video of a typical mealtime for your child (preferably a meal rather than snack)
Cost
$695
Introductory offer
NDIS funding accepted ( if self-managed and plan managed)
Programs begin October 2021
To book
Click on ‘Book now’ below and select the Fussy Feeing Therapy group from the list to secure your place. You will be sent an email confirming the start date for the group, welcome pack and instructions for booking your initial 1 on 1 session with our paediatric dietitian.
Book nowNot quite sure yet?
Send us a message using the contact form below and request a call back including the best times and days for us to give you a call.
You can book your first appointment for $95 and your place on the program will be confirmed after full payment of the remaining $600
Get in TouchREFUND POLICY:
You can request a full refund up to 24 hours before your first appointment. After the completion of your first appointment, you can withdraw from the group and request a refund of the cost of the program minus the initial appointment fee of $95. If you would like to withdraw from the group after it has begun then we can offer you a pro-rata credit towards a future program or individual consultations.
See below for more information about our paediatric dietitian
Jacqui Palmer
Dietitian
Jacqui has been a Dietitian for 20 years in both Queensland and London. Jacqui has worked in some of London’s largest hospitals and witnessed such courage and determinate in the children she helped that she became committed to improving their quality of life though better nutrition. In London, Jacqui worked as a clinical paediatric dietitian at the prestigious Royal London, St Barts and Lewisham Hospitals. Jacqui has developed significant experience in complex allergies, faltering growth, gut health and Autistic Spectrum disorder.
