What are the different types of feeding therapy for kids?

When it comes to feeding therapy, there’s a whole menu of approaches designed to help children feel more confident and comfortable at mealtime.

• Medical and motor-based: focuses on helping children develop the muscle strength, coordination, and body awareness they need for eating to feel easier and safer

• Medically complex: for a child who uses a G-tube, has trouble swallowing (dysphagia), or faces challenges with eating due to physical or sensory issues

• Behavioral: focuses on the why behind food refusal or avoidance, such as discomfort, fear, or sensory overwhelm.

• Sensory-based: aids children who are sensitive to textures, temperatures, or other sensory aspects of food to promote positive mealtime experiences.

• Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach: introduces new foods gradually in a nonthreatening way, starting with touching, then smelling, then tasting

• Beckman Oral Motor: uses structured exercises to build strength and coordination for chewing and swallowing

• Oral Placement Therapy (OPT): combines tactile, visual, and auditory cues to improve oral-motor coordination

• Responsive feeding therapy: centers on emotional safety, trust, and autonomy to support a joyful, low-stress relationship with food

For more information, see our full article Feeding Therapy 101.