Ollie’s Therapy Centre
Feeding Clinic
At Ollie’s Therapy Centre, our Feeding Clinic supports children who are picky eaters, eat a limited range of foods, or find new tastes and textures difficult. We aim to help children build confidence around food and make mealtimes calmer and more enjoyable for the whole family.
Our Occupational Therapist (OT) and Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) work together to understand your child’s individual feeding needs. We consider sensory preferences, seating and posture, everyday mealtime routines, and the skills involved in eating and drinking. We recognise that feeding difficulties can involve physical, sensory, developmental, medical and nutritional factors.
Our approach emphasises gradual, playful exploration. Children build confidence through small, manageable steps, from feeling comfortable near a food to interacting with it, smelling, touching and eventually tasting and eating it when they are ready. Activities begin with each child’s existing skills and support their next achievable step, without pressure to eat.
Children have opportunities to explore different foods and dry and wet textures in a relaxed, supportive setting. Foods are chosen thoughtfully to introduce manageable differences in taste, texture, temperature and appearance. Purposeful play helps children become more familiar and comfortable with food at their own pace.
Parents and carers are an essential part of the process. Together, we agree practical goals and share strategies to use at home, supporting steady progress at your child’s pace and helping families build positive experiences around food.
