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.
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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.
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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:
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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.
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Feeding home program (PDF)
No force. Doctor first if they cough or are not gaining weight.
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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