Promoting Safe and Comfortable Feeding for the Home and the Learning Environment

When a child coughs or splutters through meals, or will only eat five foods, mealtimes can become the most anxious part of the day, for them and for you.

Two clinicians who specialise in feeding explain what might be going on and what helps. You'll learn the warning signs of swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) that mean it's time to ask for a specialist assessment, and how the way a child sits changes how easily they swallow. For a child who's wary of new food, the 32 steps to eating break trying something into tiny stages. It might start with having it in the room, then smelling, touching or licking it, with no pressure to eat.

There are everyday ideas too. Serve food out of its packet so a child doesn't fix on one brand, keep your reactions low-key, and don't use food as a reward.