Moving From Get to Let: Responsive Feeding Intervention for Toddlers & Children

Much of the struggle around feeding and eating stems from an individual’s need for autonomy and control. For our clients, whether they be toddlers or teens, facilitation of trust in their body, in food, and in the people around them is a crucial part of intervention. Indeed, our job is not to get a client to eat more or differently than they can right now. This involves a major shift in thinking. Instead, our job is to pay attention to the cues the client is giving us as to what they need and how they feel, which makes us better able to react to those needs. We can gently facilitate progress through presentation of options that the client gets to opt out of if they so choose. Through video and case examples, this session will provide clinicians with tools to build trust within the partnership they have with caregivers and clients in therapy.