About Us
What is Food School?
Feeding Therapy 'FoodSchool' is based on the SOS Approach to Feeding, which is a popular method for therapy in Trinidad. The SOS Approach stands for Sequential-Oral-Sensory, highlighting the major components of the program. For instance, there are 6 major steps to eating—eating does not begin at the mouth! First, we must tolerate the physical presence or the look of the food; this might even include just being in the same room as the food. Then, perhaps, we can interact with the food without directly touching it, maybe by using a kitchen utensil like a mini food chopper or a fork. Next, our body needs to process and manage the smell or odor of food. The play then expands to include touching the food with your fingers, hands, body, and mouth—think about that baby first learning to eat! Tasting comes next, which might look like quickly poking the food with the tip of your tongue or maybe putting the food in your mouth and spitting it out. Finally, we are ready to practice chewing and swallowing.
How we can help
Picky Eating & Limited Food Variety
Picky Eating & Limited Food Variety
Picky Eating & Limited Food Variety
Supporting children who eat a very limited range of foods or refuse new foods. Therapy focuses on gradually expanding food variety and helping children feel more comfortable trying new textures, tastes, and smells.
Oral Motor Skills for Eating
Picky Eating & Limited Food Variety
Picky Eating & Limited Food Variety
Helping children develop the strength and coordination needed for chewing, biting, and swallowing safely. This includes supporting the movements of the lips, tongue, and jaw during eating.
Sensory Sensitivities to Food
Picky Eating & Limited Food Variety
Transitioning to New Foods or Textures
Some children are highly sensitive to food textures, smells, temperatures, or appearances. Feeding therapy helps children gradually tolerate and interact with different sensory experiences during meals.
Transitioning to New Foods or Textures
Transitioning to New Foods or Textures
Transitioning to New Foods or Textures
Supporting children who have difficulty progressing from purees to solids or from soft foods to more complex textures.
Self-Feeding Skills
Transitioning to New Foods or Textures
Mealtime Behaviour & Routines
Helping children learn to independently use utensils, drink from cups, and manage foods during meals to build independence and confidence.
Mealtime Behaviour & Routines
Transitioning to New Foods or Textures
Mealtime Behaviour & Routines
Supporting families in creating structured, positive mealtime routines while addressing food refusal, anxiety around eating, or disruptive mealtime behaviours.
Safe Eating & Swallowing Skills
Transitioning from Tube to Oral Feeding
Transitioning from Tube to Oral Feeding
Helping children who may struggle with chewing safely, managing food in their mouth, or swallowing effectively.
Transitioning from Tube to Oral Feeding
Transitioning from Tube to Oral Feeding
Transitioning from Tube to Oral Feeding
Some children who have relied on tube feeding may require support when transitioning to eating and drinking by mouth. Feeding therapy can help children gradually develop the oral motor skills, sensory tolerance, and confidence needed to safely and comfortably participate in oral feeding.
Parent Guidance & Mealtime Strategies
Transitioning from Tube to Oral Feeding
Parent Guidance & Mealtime Strategies
Providing parents with practical tools and strategies to reduce stress during meals and support progress at home.
Cotreatment
Cotreatment
Parent Guidance & Mealtime Strategies
Some children benefit from collaborative sessions where therapists work together to address overlapping areas such as oral motor development, sensory processing, posture, and feeding skills.
Referrals
Children can be referred for Feeding Therapy by parents, pediatricians, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, teachers, or other healthcare professionals. A referral is not required, and parents are welcome to contact the clinic directly if they have concerns about their child’s eating, feeding skills, or mealtime routines.
We commonly accept referrals for children experiencing challenges with:
- Limited food variety or picky eating
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing food safely
- Oral motor delays affecting eating or drinking
- Sensory sensitivities to food textures, smells, or tastes
- Difficulty transitioning to new food textures (e.g., purees to solids)
- Mealtime anxiety, stress, or food refusal
- Delayed self-feeding skills (using utensils, drinking from cups)
- Feeding challenges related to developmental differences or medical needs
If you are unsure whether feeding therapy is appropriate for your child, our team is happy to discuss your concerns and guide you through the intake process.
Ways We Provide Food School
- Individual Therapy
- Co-Treatment with Occupational Therapy or Speech Therapy
- Feeding Assessments
- Parent Coaching & Mealtime Support
Our Therapeutic Approach
Our feeding therapy approach is child-centered, collaborative, and evidence-based. We focus on building a positive relationship with food while supporting the development of the skills needed for safe and confident eating.
Therapy may incorporate:
- Play-based exploration of food
- Gradual exposure to new foods and textures
- Oral motor skill development
- Sensory-based feeding strategies
- Parent coaching and mealtime structure
- Collaboration with occupational therapists, speech therapists, and other professionals when appropriate
Our goal is to create positive, supportive feeding experiences that help children build confidence, expand their food repertoire, and participate comfortably in family meals.
How to Get Started
We invite you to complete our intake form. This helps our team understand your child’s needs and determine the most appropriate support.
Once your form is submitted, you will be placed on our Waitlist. Our team will contact you to discuss next steps and schedule an initial appointment once a spot becomes available.