Sensory Issue? | Imamother

amother

Wed, Mar 26 2014, 10:02 am

My 7 year old DS is very picky with food complaining that everything is too hard. He won't eat cookies, pretzels, shnitzel, apples, most snacks etc. as they're too hard.

Does this sound like a sensory issue? Any suggestions?

MaBelleVie

Wed, Mar 26 2014, 10:47 am

Has he always been that way? It can be sensory, or it can be muscle weakness that isn't allowing him to chew without fatiguing. A speech therapist can evaluate and determine where the underlying problem is.

SingALong

Wed, Mar 26 2014, 11:02 am

I'd also take him for a dentist visit to see if he has tmj, that may cause jaw soreness or cavities that may cause pain when chewing. He's a little young for tooth sensitivity but maybe the dr can check for that as well.

Until then, give him softer snacks like corn pops, apple sauce, bananas, etc

amother

Wed, Mar 26 2014, 12:22 pm

MaBelleVie wrote:

OP here.

Thanks for the suggestion. I was wondering if it may be related to his unclear speech... I just had him evaluated by a speech therapist but didn't mention his food related issue. It only occurred to me that they may be connected after the appointment. Since I knew what sounds he was having trouble with we just discussed those and she didn't do a full assessment. I suppose I can ask her to carry out a full assessment.

MaBelleVie

Wed, Mar 26 2014, 12:25 pm

amother wrote:

The two are very likely related. I hope you didn't pay the price of an evaluation.

amother

Wed, Mar 26 2014, 12:25 pm

SingALong wrote:

OP here. He's always been that way so I somehow doubt it's TMJ related.
For years I just let it go but at this point I've realised that he's old enough to be eating hard food so there must a reason that he isn't.

amother

Wed, Mar 26 2014, 12:28 pm

MaBelleVie wrote:

The two are very likely related. I hope you didn't pay the price of an evaluation.

OP here. I paid a little less than a full evaluation. We're not well to do so it's a shame, but what's done is done! I'll be more then happy if she's able to help us. Very Happy

MaBelleVie

Wed, Mar 26 2014, 12:29 pm

Singalong made a good point. My friend who's a speech therapist once evaluated a five year old who had both speech and feeding problems. The Mom was convinced it was sensory. The speech therapist finally got him to open his mouth and his teeth were in terrible shape. She refused to even work with him until he was treated by a dentist. I'm sure that's not the case with you, but if you haven't been to a dentist yet, now is definitely the time!

MaBelleVie

Wed, Mar 26 2014, 12:30 pm

amother wrote:

OP here. I paid a little less than a full evaluation. We're not well to do so it's a shame, but what's done is done! I'll be more then happy if she's able to help us. Very Happy

Honestly, that is a real oversight. I can't imagine a speech therapist doing an eval without inquiring about feeding.

amother

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 7:27 am

OP here. I appreciate your taking the time to respond.

I just discussed this with his Speech Therapist and she feels that the issues are unrelated. Oh well, I thought I'd have someone on board to help me out with this. Confused

Any further ideas? Anyone here with experience on this issue?
What other avenues should I be exploring? What type of professional would be the best to consult?

FranticFrummie

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 7:31 am

OP, my advice is to first get him to a dentist, and then discuss this throughly at the appointment.

Then find yourself a GOOD speech therapist who will listen to you about the feeding issues.

amother

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 7:36 am

FranticFrummie wrote:

OP, my advice is to first get him to a dentist, and then discuss this throughly at the appointment.

Then find yourself a GOOD speech therapist who will listen to you about the feeding issues.

OP here. Thanks FF. This speech therapist is very highly recommended and has lots of experience with feeding issues so I sort of trust her...

MaBelleVie

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 7:55 am

amother wrote:

OP here. Thanks FF. This speech therapist is very highly recommended and has lots of experience with feeding issues so I sort of trust her...

If she's experienced in feeding she should have something to say besides letting you know that it isn't related. Is she going to evaluate further? Did she make recommendations? I don't think it's possible for anyone here to be more specific without actually seeing the child Smile

FranticFrummie

Thu, Mar 27 2014, 8:03 am

OP, I understand that you're on a limited budget, but it may be worth your while to get a second opinion regarding speech/feeding. At least you'll feel a little bit more empowered and informed going into this.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it sounds to me like you're a bit intimidated by this person, and in awe of her references. Just remember, your child is unique, and just because her other clients didn't have feeding issues, that doesn't mean automatically that yours is fine too. For all you know, her other clients DID have feeding issues, and she didn't catch them, either!