For many families, meal time is the opportunity to spend time with one another. Food brings comfort, nutrition and love into a home. However, many children of various ages will experience difficulties with eating which may be multifactorial in nature (i.e. delayed development, sensory concerns, reduced oral motor skills, psychosocial factors). As a result, the child may act out at mealtime, refuse to eat foods offered at the table, and/or appear detached from the family unit during this activity. This presentation will provide a Trauma Informed lens to picky eating and challenging meal time behaviors. Often, challenging behaviors stem from other underlying causes that are not directly related to the food. Understanding the nature of these behaviors will assist family members, caregivers and professional staff to create a safe space for these children at meal time. |