Our SOS-trained dietitians use a comprehensive, collaborative approach to address feeding challenges, ensuring that each child receives the personalised care they need to thrive.
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Our dietitians are trained feeding therapists, meaning they have undergone training to address feeding challenges in children using a sequential oral sensory (SOS) based method.

SOS therapy involves play-based activities, gradual food exposure, and collaboration among therapists, parents, and dietitians. The approach aims to make eating an enjoyable experience, promoting healthy nutrition and positive mealtime interactions.

SOS feeding therapy teaches children to learn about a mealtime routine and cues to eating, to decrease resistance to touching, tasting and swallowing food, to increase the range of food children will try, and ultimately to increase the volume of food ingested. Feeding difficulties are complex and require a gradual and ongoing approach to ensure long term success. 
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Why you need a Dietitian on your SOS team:
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‍‍Our feeding therapy services include the monitoring of weights and heights to ensure appropriate growth and development. Nutritional intake can be assessed by a dietitian, using a comprehensive nutrition analysis software that provides detailed analysis at the micronutrient level.

Our dietitians can provide strategies to ensure adequate nutritional intake, including nutritional supplementation recommendations where required. In addition, we can provide allied health recommendations as appropriate, and work with your current team to ensure a well-rounded approach (e.g. speech pathologist, occupational therapist, paediatrician, developmental educator). 

Group sessions involve play based therapy where children explore foods together, guided by one of our dietitians. Parents will be in another room learning the feeding process and how to introduce new foods.

Group sessions are recommended for children between 18 months to 6 years of age and are offered in 12 week blocks. Group therapy is not suitable for all children and an assessment to determine suitability is required.

Individual sessions can include play based therapy or office style consults. We use an individualised approach to get the most out of each session, catering for what works best for the client. Individual sessions are recommended for all ages and can be ongoing as required. 

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‍Conditions we commonly work with:

• ‍Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) 
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  
• Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
  
• Global development delay (GDD) 
• Sensory processing disorder (SPD)
• Faltering growth / poor growth 
• Restricted diets (e.g. due to intolerance or allergy) 
• Gastrointestinal upset (e.g. constipation, diarrhoea, reflux)
• Gastrointestinal conditions (e.g. short bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) e.g. crohn’s and ulcerative colitis)
• Enteral feeding (tube feeding e.g. PEG, NG)