Resources, Therapy Tips 
It is a very fine and messy art to learn to control a spoon. Baby Dipper® Bowl was created by an ingenious mom who took the playground slide and stuck it in a bowl! The non-skid base, triangular shape and internal slide guide baby to dip (he learned that step in my previous post) and then, slide and scoop! To see it in action with a child with special needs, click here.
Not only does this silly little contraption cut food into bite sized pieces, it has no sharp edges. Kids can’t resist helping to cut and arrange the fun shapes on their plates. We know that the first step to learning to eat solids is helping to prepare the food and handling the various textures and shapes on our plates. It’s not just babies that need to explore the world with their hands and their mouths together. Toddlers and even some older kids need that too. It helps them feel safe with the food before they ever try to chew and swallow…and it’s fun!
SentioCHEWS are adorable, durable BPA-free “chewelry” with break-away lanyards for added safety. For children with sensory needs, having something to chew in easy reach that is age-appropriate is often a must. Many kids with oral motor challenges benefit from a non-food chewy throughout the day to build strength and stability for eating solid foods. Plus, these are darn cute, and that’s important too!
Teaching kids to drink from a straw is so much easier with any container that allows the parent to gently squeeze the cup to prime the straw and thus assist the child while he learns to suck. The Playtex Lil’ Gripper straw cup does just that. Try to step away from the spouted sippy cups or limit their use – in this article I explain why.
4 Fun Products for Helping Toddlers Learn to Eat
In my previous post, we discussed products that support early feeding skills, like dipping! Today’s post focuses on the early toddler years, and that often begins with learning to use a spoon, explore food via safe cutting utensils, independent straw drinking and practicing chewing.1. Baby Dipper®
It is a very fine and messy art to learn to control a spoon. Baby Dipper® Bowl was created by an ingenious mom who took the playground slide and stuck it in a bowl! The non-skid base, triangular shape and internal slide guide baby to dip (he learned that step in my previous post) and then, slide and scoop! To see it in action with a child with special needs, click here.
2. FunBites®
Not only does this silly little contraption cut food into bite sized pieces, it has no sharp edges. Kids can’t resist helping to cut and arrange the fun shapes on their plates. We know that the first step to learning to eat solids is helping to prepare the food and handling the various textures and shapes on our plates. It’s not just babies that need to explore the world with their hands and their mouths together. Toddlers and even some older kids need that too. It helps them feel safe with the food before they ever try to chew and swallow…and it’s fun!
3. Older Kids Need Practice Chewing Too
SentioCHEWS are adorable, durable BPA-free “chewelry” with break-away lanyards for added safety. For children with sensory needs, having something to chew in easy reach that is age-appropriate is often a must. Many kids with oral motor challenges benefit from a non-food chewy throughout the day to build strength and stability for eating solid foods. Plus, these are darn cute, and that’s important too!
4. Playtex™ Straw Cup
Teaching kids to drink from a straw is so much easier with any container that allows the parent to gently squeeze the cup to prime the straw and thus assist the child while he learns to suck. The Playtex Lil’ Gripper straw cup does just that. Try to step away from the spouted sippy cups or limit their use – in this article I explain why.
In my next post, we’ll chat about your preschooler and that dreaded picky-eating stage so common at this age…
