Work to improve feeding skills can be incorporated into both the individual therapy session and in the classroom. Feeding skills are sensorimotor skills, and like other sensorimotor skills such as sitting, and walking, and hopping, children may require special therapy assistance to learn a new or unfamiliar movement. Often new patterns of chewing or swallowing will be taught initially by a therapist or teacher with special skill or training in the learning of feeding skills. As new skills develop, children need lots of opportunity to practice the new patterns. The classroom provides many opportunities for continued learning and change.
Snack time occurs in every classroom.
Often it is considered a time to physically refresh the children with food or an opportunity to work on language and social skills. When food is carefully selected, snack time can provide major opportunities to develop sensorimotor skills for feeding. Food can be selected to meet specific goals for individual children and to provide opportunities for all children in the group to increase their experience with different kinds of food. Foods which consist of more than one texture are very challenging to children. The child must swallow the liquid and extra saliva produced by the food while continuing to chew the more solid parts.