Lots of kids are picky. But when mealtimes are a daily battle, or your child eats only a handful of foods, it may be more than a phase. Here's how to tell the difference, from the feeding team at Charm City Speech in Columbia, MD.
Most toddlers go through a picky stage. They refuse vegetables, want the same snack every day, or decide overnight that they no longer like something they ate last week. That's normal. But some children struggle with eating in ways that affect their nutrition, growth and family life. These children often benefit from feeding therapy with a trained speech-language pathologist.
Typical picky eating vs. a feeding problem
Typical picky eater
Eats 30 or more foods
Will touch or taste a new food on their plate
Drops a food for a while, then eats it again
Eats at least one food from most food groups
Growing well
May need a feeding evaluation
Eats fewer than 20 foods, and the list keeps shrinking
Gags, cries or melts down when a new food is nearby
Drops foods and never adds them back
Refuses whole food groups or textures (all meats, all crunchy foods)
Weight or growth concerns from the pediatrician
Other signs to watch for
Coughing, choking or gagging often during meals
Meals routinely take longer than 30 minutes
Trouble moving from purees to table foods, or from bottle to cup
Holding food in the mouth ("pocketing") or spitting it out
Only eating certain brands or foods prepared one exact way
Mealtimes causing stress or conflict for the whole family
What does a speech therapist have to do with eating?
Speech-language pathologists are trained in the muscles and movements of the mouth and throat: the same ones used for talking, chewing and swallowing. In feeding therapy, we look at how your child chews, moves food in their mouth and swallows, along with sensory sensitivities and mealtime behavior. Then we build a plan, one small, low-pressure step at a time.
What feeding therapy looks like
Feeding therapy is never about forcing a child to eat. Sessions are playful and child-led. Kids might explore a new food by touching, smelling or "painting" with it long before they ever take a bite. We coach parents along the way, so the progress carries over to your kitchen table.
Feeding therapy in Columbia and Howard County, MD
Charm City Speech specializes in pediatric feeding therapy for children with picky or selective eating, oral motor delays, sensory-based feeding challenges and swallowing concerns. Our clinic is at 8865 Stanford Blvd in Columbia, MD, and we serve families from Ellicott City, Elkridge, Laurel, Clarksville and throughout Maryland. As a private pay practice, we can start sooner and tailor the number and length of sessions to your child, not to an insurance limit.
Are mealtimes stressful at your house? Call (443) 718-0563 or email info@charmcityspeech.com for a free phone consultation. We'll talk through what you're seeing and whether a feeding evaluation is the right next step.
