Fussy eating can feel overwhelming for both parents and children, especially when mealtime becomes a battleground. For families struggling with extreme picky eating, the SOS Approach to Feeding offers a gentle, structured method to encourage children to try new foods and develop a healthy relationship with eating. Developed by Dr. Kay Toomey, this evidence-based approach focuses on sensory, motor, oral, and behavioral aspects of eating, meeting children where they are and building from there.
What is the SOS Approach to Feeding?
SOS, or “Sequential-Oral-Sensory,” is a therapeutic approach designed to treat children who have severe picky eating habits or feeding disorders. Unlike methods that focus solely on eating behaviors, the SOS Approach considers each child’s sensory and motor experiences with food, from sight and smell to touch, texture, and, eventually, taste. The method encourages exploration of new foods in a way that’s engaging, positive, and pressure-free, helping children gradually develop confidence with food.
The Core Principles of the SOS Approach
- Focus on the Whole Child: SOS recognizes that fussy eating can be influenced by sensory sensitivities, physical issues, motor skills, and past negative experiences with food. By addressing all these factors, the approach takes a comprehensive view of feeding challenges.
- Build Trust and Reduce Anxiety: The SOS Approach centers on creating a relaxed and fun mealtime environment. Instead of pressuring children to “just take a bite,” the SOS model encourages trust-building, allowing kids to interact with food in ways that feel safe to them.
- Sequential Exposure to Food: SOS introduces new foods in gradual steps. Children explore food through a hierarchy of steps, beginning with looking and progressing to smelling, touching, tasting, and eventually chewing and swallowing. This structure lets children build familiarity and confidence at their own pace.
- Child-Led Progression: SOS is child-centered, meaning that progress happens only when the child feels comfortable. This helps avoid mealtime battles and makes food exploration feel positive and empowering.
How the SOS Approach Works: The Steps to Eating
The SOS Approach breaks down the process of learning to eat into 32 manageable steps, beginning with simply tolerating the presence of food and ending with eating it. Here’s a glimpse of the process:
- Tolerating: At first, children may only need to look at a new food placed nearby, allowing them to gradually get used to its appearance without feeling pressured.
- Interacting: Next, they move to non-eating interactions, like using the food to build or play with it. For example, creating “faces” with veggies or sorting foods by color. This builds familiarity and fun associations.
- Smelling: The child may progress to smelling the food, getting used to its scent in a way that feels safe and comfortable.
- Touching: After they’re comfortable with seeing and smelling the food, the child is encouraged to touch it, starting with just fingertips and then using their hands or even their lips.
- Tasting: Eventually, they may move to licking, nibbling, or holding the food in their mouth. This stage often happens naturally after they’ve built a solid comfort level.
- Eating: The last step is actually chewing and swallowing, which, at this stage, feels like a natural progression rather than a demand. By the time a child reaches this point, they’re usually excited to try the food!
Each child moves through these stages at their own pace. This gradual exposure helps children experience food in a non-threatening way, building up their willingness to eat without pressure.
Why the SOS Approach Works for Fussy Eaters
Fussy eaters often have heightened sensory sensitivities that can make certain textures, tastes, or smells feel overwhelming. The SOS Approach gives them time to adapt by focusing on food exploration rather than eating. This method is highly effective for kids with sensory processing differences or those who have experienced stress or trauma around food in the past.
The approach also emphasizes parental involvement and support, teaching caregivers how to create positive mealtime interactions without pushing or shaming. This not only helps children feel secure but also promotes a positive, family-centered food environment that can ease tension around eating.
How Parents Can Use SOS Techniques at Home
If you’re interested in trying the SOS Approach at home, here are a few practical tips to get started:
- Start Slow and Keep it Fun: Set up a relaxed mealtime environment and introduce new foods by simply placing them on the table. Let kids explore visually, and don’t be afraid to get creative with food-based play!
- Encourage Interaction Without Pressure: Use activities like sorting, stacking, or counting foods to help your child interact without the expectation of eating.
- Celebrate Small Wins: When your child touches, smells, or even just looks at a new food, offer positive reinforcement. Celebrate each step they take, no matter how small.
- Offer Food Exposure Outside Mealtime: Take the pressure off meals by introducing food play at other times. You could create a “food sensory bin” or set up a mini “taste test” of different textures (even without eating them) to build comfort gradually.
- Stay Patient and Consistent: The SOS Approach is not a quick fix; it’s about gradual progress. Sticking with it can help children become more open to new foods over time.
Seeking Professional Support
If you feel that your child could benefit from a more structured feeding therapy program, working with an SOS-trained therapist can provide additional support. These professionals have specialized training in the SOS Approach and can guide you through each step, tailoring strategies to your child’s unique needs and progress. Our Fuss No More method is specially designed for children with extreme picky eating habits. Through practical, enjoyable activities and a structured approach, we work to expand your child’s palate, reduce stress around food, and help them develop a healthy, happy relationship with eating. This program empowers parents with tools and strategies to make mealtimes smoother and more enjoyable. You can book a discovery call to discuss if our Fuss No More method is right for your family.
Conclusion
The SOS Approach to Feeding is a transformative, child-centered method for helping picky eaters build a healthy relationship with food. By focusing on gradual, sensory-based exposure to new foods, the SOS Approach helps children build trust and curiosity, ultimately supporting their ability to explore and enjoy new foods without anxiety. For parents dealing with fussy eating, this approach provides a compassionate, structured path forward—one small step at a time.
To book an appointment with one of our feeding specialists, use this link.
