Food Sensory Awareness Program
The Food Sensory Awareness (FSA) Therapy program introduces food sensory experiences using practical, fun activities. The activities provide a range of sensory exposures to increase food acceptance. Then, when ready, a variety of nourishing wholefoods can be enjoyed.
Sensory Sensitivities
Sensory Avoidance
Sensory Seeking
The FSA Therapy is suited to children, teenagers and adults with or without a disability. Anyone with sensory sensitivity, sensory avoidance or sensory seeking preferences to some or many food textures will benefit.
Eating is a demanding sensory experience
The way food looks, how it smells, if it is smooth or lumpy, hot or cold all influence how we enjoy the eating experience. If the sensory sensitivity is a significant factor, it will be recognised by a refusal to eat entire categories of foods, or colours or texture groups. Children and adults can be over (or under) responsive to the sensory stimulations of food. In more extreme cases, this can cause gagging at the sight or smell of certain foods.
The Food Sensory Awareness (FSA) Therapy program introduces food sensory experiences using practical, fun activities.
In a preliminary nutrition and eating behaviour assessment we identify the extent of the sensory issues along with food anxiety, food intolerances and self-limiting eating behaviours.
All sessions are planned around individual’s goals. Our Food Sensory Awareness program is a 10-week program to help to increase the range of foods they will eat and learn to enjoy eating.
Please note: We do not assess for oral motor skills and risk of swallowing problems (i.e., If your child’s mouth muscles are functioning the way they need to eat all food textures); If you suspect this is an issue it should be assessed by a speech therapist prior to commencing Nutrition Therapy.
Find out more about our Food Sensory Awareness program and how it may help.