Fussy eating, textures and mealtimes
A mealtime plan is one new texture or one spoon skill, not a rebuilt menu overnight. If they gag, choke, or are not gaining weight, that is a doctor first — not more therapy games with food.
Written by the Inclusive Developmental and Therapy Center therapy team — our Speech & Language Therapist, psychology and ABA staff. This page is awaiting its clinical review.
What we practise
Looking at a food. Touching. A lick. Then a bite — maybe. A spoon they hold while you load. Stop before a flood. Feeding difficulties, feeding program, picky eating, when to see a doctor.
What we will not do
Force-feeding. A hunger protocol we are not qualified to run. Turning every dinner into therapy. If swallowing is unsafe, we stop and refer.
When we stop
Coughing, gagging, choking, a wet voice after swallowing, poor weight gain — paediatrician first. Condition: feeding difficulties.
The table is not a battleground we win by force
We work in no-pressure steps. A child who coughs, gags, chokes, sounds wet after swallowing, or is not gaining weight needs a paediatrician before a therapy plan. That sentence is also on feeding difficulties. Sensory texture sits with sensory mealtimes. Life-skill sitting and a snack sit with daily living.
We do not staff a dietitian. We do not run a force-feeding programme. A packed lunch they will eat is allowed while the sit is being taught. Extreme picky eating with medical signs: when to see a doctor.
The idea behind the work (in the books)
Sitting, trying, recovering from a no — not a diet. Coughing, choking or poor weight gain is a doctor first.
Ayres — sensory map, not Ayres SI
Texture, smell, a wet mouth. We map what they seek and avoid. Formal sensory integration therapy is a licensed OT speciality we do not staff.
Task analysis at the table
One new step: sit, look, touch, then maybe taste. No pressure to eat the whole plate.
What the research tells us
This isn’t just our opinion — it’s grounded in published research. Here are a few findings from trusted, independent sources:
NICE CG170 recommends a play-based social-communication intervention with parents, carers and teachers to increase joint attention, engagement and reciprocal communication, adjusted to the child’s developmental level. For pre-school children it recommends parent mediation.
— NICE Clinical Guideline CG170 — Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: support and management. View source
Take a worksheet home
Print one sheet. Fill it in this week. Bring it to the consultation — a consultation is Rs 1,500 and lasts up to 50 minutes.
Feeding home program (PDF)
No force. Doctor first if they cough or are not gaining weight.
Sensory checklist
What they seek, what they avoid, over ordinary days. Not a diagnosis.
Book a consultation
Contact owner Muhammad Salman Afzal first. No referral needed. A consultation is Rs 1,500 and lasts up to 50 minutes.
Mealtimes — questions parents ask
They only eat white food.
Then we start from white food and add one nearby texture. Shame at the table makes the list shorter.
Is this a feeding therapist?
No licensed feeding-OT or SLT dysphagia clinic. Practical mealtime skill-building, with a hard stop at safety.
Can you coach a meal on video?
Sometimes. A consultation is Rs 1,500 and lasts up to 50 minutes. If they choke or go silent, that is local emergency care.
Vitamins and weight?
A paediatrician. We will say so rather than guess a diet.
Can you fix a fussy eater?
We can work on sitting and trying when the difficulty is sensory and behavioural. We will not run a force-feeding plan.
Ask about mealtimes
A short, friendly conversation is the best first step. Call, text or WhatsApp us — we’ll listen and guide you, with no pressure.
MPS Road, Block A Model Town, Multan (near Bloomfield Hall School, Street No. 2) · Mon–Fri, 2 PM – 6 PM