SOS Approach to Feeding

Specialized Support for Childhood Feeding Difficulties

Proper nutrition is important for a child's growth and development. For some children, mealtimes present challenges that go beyond typical “picky” eating. The Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding is a nationally recognized program to assess and treat children with feeding problems. This evidence-based intervention addresses difficult feeding behaviors and supports healthy eating habits.

What is the SOS Approach to Feeding?

The SOS Approach to Feeding is a noninvasive developmental program that allows a child to interact with food in a playful, stress-free way. It focuses on increasing comfort with food by exploring and learning about its different properties, such as texture, smell and color.
This approach looks at the whole child by considering sensory, motor, oral, behavioral, medical and nutritional factors to fully understand feeding issues. The main goal is to help children progress through the Steps to Eating, a hierarchy that begins with tolerating food in the room, then moves through touching and smelling, then eventually tasting and eating new foods.

Who Can Benefit from This Program?

The SOS Approach is designed for children who are considered problem feeders. You may want to consider this program if your child has feeding behaviors such as:

A very limited diet, eating fewer than 20 different foods.
Refusing entire categories of food textures or nutritional groups.
Crying or becoming distressed when presented with new foods.
A history of poor weight gain or weight loss.
An over-reliance on a specific brand or preparation method for foods.

The SOS approach helps children develop a positive relationship with food and gives families strategies to make mealtimes more successful and less stressful.