Your toddler will only eat pureed food.
Your son will only eat crunchy foods like hard pretzels, celery, and chips.
Your daughter calls any food wetter than a cracker “slimy.”
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Your pediatrician can help you determine whether a very picky eater should be evaluated for the condition.
What Is SPD?
Sensory processing disorder is a condition that affects how your brain processes sensory information.
For example, many people with SPD cannot handle loud noises, like thunder or fireworks.
Researchers believe the problem in SPD involves differences in how the brain handles sensory inputs.
SPD can also affect adults and is typically classified asavoidant-restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).
What Causes Food Texture Sensitivity?
Children with sensory processing disorder have a difficult time making sense of the sensory information that their body collects.
The texture that triggers the aversion could be crunchy, slimy, near-liquid, or something else.
SPD can cause other symptoms, such as being over- or under-responsive to stimuli.
It’s also worth noting that food allergies may be a possible cause of food aversion.
They’re also more likely to have a sensory processing disorder.
The two conditions are separate but linked.
Work With a Therapist
A therapist can work with your child to gradually expand their diet.
Another technique is gradual exposure.
This technique involves introducing new or disliked foods slowly and in small quantities.
Food Pairing
Pairing disliked foods with favorites may help improve overall acceptance.
For example, if your child dislikes yogurt, pair it with their favorite fruit or cereal.
Cooking Methods
Different cooking techniques can alter the texture of foods.
For example, raw vegetables have a very different texture than roasted or sauteed vegetables and vice versa.
Altering the texture may make it more palatable to your child.
Food Temperature
Along with cooking methods, the temperature of foods can change the texture.
Blend Textures
Sometimes masking a texture can help your child get a greater variety of foods.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Sensory processing disorder (SPD).
2017;2017:2876080. doi:10.1155/2017/2876080
National Eating Disorders Collaboration.Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.
Farrow CV, Coulthard H.Relationships between sensory sensitivity, anxiety and selective eating in children.Appetite.
2006 Spring;39(1):122].J Appl Behav Anal.
2011;2011:1-8. doi:10.1155/2011/541926
STAR Center Foundation.Understanding the sensory integration process.
