Analysis Of Picky Eating For Young Children

Suzy is a 5 year old girl with Cerebral Palsy (CP). She has recently entered Kindergarten, where she is receiving early intervention services. Suzy’s teacher has noticed during snack that Suzy shows little interest in most of the foods the other children enjoy, such as animal crackers and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. After several weeks of picky eating and food rejection, the teacher suggested the parents look into the matter further, as she was worried about Suzy’s nutritional needs being met. Suzy’s parents took her to their Primary Care Physician, who suggested an evaluation by a Speech Language Pathologist. Although picky eating is not uncommon for young children, it can have adverse effects on growth and development if not addressed early (Justice, L.M., 2014).

When evaluating Suzy for the first time, the Speech Language Pathologist could utilize several screening tools to address the possible need for further exploration. As Calis et al. (2008) explained in their article regarding screenings, the Dysphagia Disorders Survey (DDS) and the Schedule for Oral-Motor Assessment (SOMA) are both a quick check, which can be completed in a naturalistic environment and are non-invasive screening tools. It is also extremely important to

Specifically harder to chew and swallow textures, such as crackers and fresh vegetables. Meal times also took longer than expected to be completed. There were no outward signs of aspiration, such as coughing or a wet sounding voice, leading the Speech Language Pathologist to suspect an oral sensorimotor impairment. Suzy’s avoidance of certain foods is not uncommon for individuals with CP. One study reviewed by Gisel (2008), they found that, “…children with CP ate softer food textures, such as muffins, yogurts, bananas compared to chewy sandwiches, freshly cut vegetables and fruits by their peers (p.