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Are sensory sensitivities a factor in fussy eating?

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Are sensory sensitivities a factor in fussy eating?

Sensory sensitivities are thought to affect a significant percentage of children. They also go hand in hand with other childhood challenges like autism and ADHD.

If a child has sensory integration challenges it can make eating more difficult and often unpleasant because eating is a huge sensory experience:

It’s the sight, the smell, the taste, the feel and even the sound. Think of how a corn chip feels in the fingers, how it smells, the sound and the feeling when you crunch on it and then the distinctive taste as you eat it.

The way people interpret sensations from their environment is unique to them. It is also something that individuals often manage differently over time. Young children can struggle to process the volume of information coming into their system and find certain things overwhelming.

Sensory sensitivities around food

A sensory discomfort can often be seen in relation to food and it can make eating uncomfortable,  unpleasant and even painful. Although the discomfort stems from the sensory input it often leads to other challenges that make eating more difficult too:

i) Causing fear – Food producing an uncomfortable feeling can lead to fears around eating or eating specific types of food.

ii) Anxiety – It can also build up a general dread or anxiety around meals in general.

iii) Memory – Even when a child better adapts to sensory input as they mature, they may have an emotional reaction to the foods, a ‘hangover’ from when those foods were unpleasant.

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The sensory spectrum

Although it’s common for children to find sensory inputs overwhelming, the opposite end of the sensory spectrum is where there is under stimulation of the system. A child may not like soft textures, for example, as they may find it difficult to feel them in the mouth. Or, they may want to cram foods into the mouth so there is a noticeable feeling.

Sensory seekers are likely to want to jump and swing and bang. Whereas at the opposite end of the spectrum there may be avoidance of loud noises or mess.

However, just to make things really challenging for a parent though, you can have a child who is both a sensory seeker and a sensory avoider in different areas (or even both in the same sense).

How to spot sensory sensitivities or challenges

There are many ways that discomfort may show up. Some of these are listed below:

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a) A dislike of loud noises or bright lights

b) Discomfort having dirty hands or faces

c) Not wanting to be touched or hugged

d) Touching everything and wanting to be squeezed, squashed or love bear hugs

e) Discomfort with labels in clothes, the fit of socks, shoes or certain materials

f) Poor coordination

There are also some signs that are specific to food:

i) Gagging – Gagging at the sight, smell, touch or taste of a food (this is before it goes in the mouth, not when trying to eat)

ii) Avoiding certain textures – for example not liking wet foods like fruits.

Or,

iii) Eating only specific textures – does your child gravitate to crunchy foods, for example.

iv) Pocketing – Overstuffing or holding food in the mouth

It is also helpful to think back to when your child was a baby. Did they put things into their mouths, or did they seem to skip this? Or, did they chew everything, even when a toddler?

What can you do if you feel there are sensory sensitivities to food?

Although having a child with sensory sensitivities can make eating much more of a challenge, it does not mean they are unable to learn to eat well and widely.

As children mature sensory challenges can become less overwhelming and they learn to interpret information in new ways.

There are also specific ways you can support your child to be able to eat more comfortably and more widely:

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1. Empathise –  Appreciating that this can be something your child finds really challenging and validating that is important.

Conversely, it’s also vital that they don’t avoid specific tastes, textures and smells. Studies have shown that not coming into contact with stimuli can make children more sensitive to them. If a child doesn’t like smells for example, if you ensure they don’t come into contact with them, over time can exacerbate rather than solve the problem.

2. Desensitise touch –  The great news is, that when you desensitize certain parts of the body, it helps with other areas. For example, if you become less uncomfortable with touching something with your hands, it also helps with the feeling in your mouth.

There are specific ways you can support a child to become less sensitive via props like sensory bins. Creating tubs filled with uncooked rice or sand to play in, for example. What is appropriate will depend on what the specific sensory needs are.

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A vibrating toothbrush can be a great way to desensitize the mouth. Brushing not just the teeth but also the sides and the top of the tongue and the insides of the cheek as well.

3. Creating a comfort level – Building a gradual comfort level with all aspects of a food. This is often best done away from the table, for example, via shopping, gardening, and cooking. Messy play may also be an option.

Starting gently and taking things in really small steps enables a child to gradually build up a tolerance to something that initially may seem overwhelming.
You may also need to scaffold those steps forwards to begin with to enable them to be able to manage things. For example, if touching a food seems overwhelmingly difficult, perhaps to start with instead of using hands they can use a fork.

Thinking of ways you can make things easier for your child can also pay off. For example, if soft foods are a no, can you alternate between crunchy and a tiny bite of soft so that the main texture that is experienced is the favoured one? Or can you add some soft to the crunchy? For example, some banana on a cracker.

4. Role modelling. Children are always learning from us, as parents, and watching to see how we behave around food. Demonstrating pleasure in touching and handling foods, over time can give them the confidence that those foods are okay.

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Although sensory sensitivities can make eating more challenging, you can also do many things to support your child to manage the sensations more comfortably and the sooner you start, the easier it becomes.

If you are recognizing your child in some of this, it may be worth getting in touch for additional support.

 

Judith, MA Cantab (Cambridge University), Post Grad Dip Psychology (Massey University), is an AOTA accredited picky eating advisor and internationally certified nutritional therapist. She works with 100+ families every year resolving fussy eating and returning pleasure and joy to the meal table.

She is also mum to two boys and the author of Creating Confident Eaters and Winner Winner I Eat Dinner. Her dream is that every child is able to approach food from a place of safety and joy, not fear.

Learn more about Judith here: https://theconfidenteater.com/about/

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