Parent Programme for Picky Eaters
Structured feeding therapy and home routines that expand food acceptance and meal-time participation.
Meal times should not be a battle. This program is built for parents, not just the child: a clinician works with you to understand why your child refuses food — texture, smell, fear of new foods, oral-motor difficulty, sensory overload or a routine that has quietly turned into pressure — and then gives you a structured, repeatable plan to run at your own table. Food acceptance grows slowly and predictably when the steps are small, the routine is consistent and nobody is forced. Our aim is a child who sits with the family, stays at the table, and is willing to try more foods over time.
At your home, at our centre, or online — with clinician review of your meal-time videos between sessions
Who this supports
- Children who eat fewer than about 10–15 foods, or only one texture
- Children who refuse entire food groups — vegetables, proteins, anything lumpy
- Children who gag, retch or vomit on new or unfamiliar foods
- Children who need screens, toys or chasing to be fed
- Children who leave the table within minutes or will not eat with the family
- Children on purees or blends well past the expected stage
- Parents who need a clear, step-by-step routine rather than general advice
How we help
- A feeding assessment covering medical red flags, oral-motor skills, sensory responses and your current meal-time routine
- A written food-chaining plan — starting from what your child already eats safely and expanding one small step at a time
- Structured exposure: looking, touching, smelling, licking, biting, chewing — with no pressure to swallow
- Oral-motor and mouth-work activities for children who struggle with chewing, drinking from a cup or managing textures
- Sensory and seating set-up so the child is calm, supported and ready to eat
- Meal-time rules that remove pressure — same food for everyone, fixed times, no bribes or force
- Parent coaching in the room, then a home routine you run and report back on each week
How the program runs
Free pre-assessment conversation
You tell us what your child will and will not eat, how a meal actually goes, and what you have already tried. A senior clinician suggests the right starting point — no charge, no obligation.
Feeding assessment
We rule out medical and oral-motor causes, map your child's sensory responses to food, and document the routine that currently surrounds meal times.
A written feeding plan
Goals and the next small step are written in plain language, with the foods, timings and seating set-up you should use — so both carers run the same plan.
Weekly sessions and home practice
Your therapist coaches you through the step at the real table, then you practise it at home and report what happened before the next session.
Reviews and widening the menu
Periodic clinician reviews check accepted-food count, table participation and any remaining red flags, then raise the next step — or refer on if a medical issue is found.
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