Next Steps Therapies

We love getting messages like this! Feeding is connected in such big ways to culture, values, and your family overall, and I love working with parents to find sustainable strategies and tools for success. We have spent months creating neutral and positive food relationships, and mom really wanted to push her daughter more to try new foods. We worked together to find ways that worked for mom and also allowed her daughter choice, control, and a neutral food experience. Night one of trying this new collaboration method and her daughter ate at least four new foods. Not only that, but she said she liked them!

Part of what I love about our systems is it allows for HIPPA safe and compliant messaging (over an app on your phone) so we can work together and share wins or questions in the moment throughout the week between sessions. Prior to dinner mom had messaged me clarifying how to present the foods and was able to get my feedback to setup this big win!

⭐️ Let’s talk toe walking and some of my favorite exercises!

⭐️ Toe walking is a complex gait pattern since there are many potential contributing factors : sensory seeking, tightness, poor balance, higher muscle tone, weakness

⭐️ If your child is walking on their toes more than 80% of the time, it may be worth seeking a PT consult or evaluation

⭐️ PT can help evaluate for potential orthotics that can be very helpful for toe walking

⭐️ Follow along for more tips and tricks and some of my go-to exercises for different gait impairments!

As therapist we are always learning and looking for more resources! I was glad I hopped on this APTA webinar last night to learn from school based PTs about best practice when treating kids Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in the school setting
Did you know Next Steps Therapies can support your child’s school based therapy needs if their school is not able to provide the services deemed necessary on their IEP?
Reach out today if we can help with this for your child

A core value of Next Steps Therapies is neurodiversity affirming. And though it’s a big topic in speech therapy as well as related to sensory regulation and stimming, we believe that it can and should be incorporated into all parts of a child’s life. This includes feeding.

What does that look like?
- accepting that all people have food preferences. As an adult there are foods I don’t eat and no one is forcing me to. Accepting that different diagnoses have stronger food preferences.
- not using language like just take a bite, just try, kiss the food goodbye before you can leave the table. We don’t force children to interact with foods until they decide are ready.
- model what positive food interactions look like, all food has value to our bodies. Yes, even sugar, it may only last a short period of time, but it gives our bodies energy. We talk about what all food does for our bodies in age appropriate ways
- we take the time to build safety and security when it comes to food and mealtimes. If a child doesn’t feel safe, they will never be intrinsically motivated to try new foods. They will be trying new foods because they feel forced. It will become uncomfortable for them, and they will often become even more rigid. They may even begin to stop eating foods.
- we don’t tie rewards into trying new foods. We allow children to move at a pace they feel comfortable with and because they want to. Not to please an adult or make others happy

And of course what is needed changes when a child isn’t gaining weight or loosing weight or isn’t getting all the needed nutrients. Then it becomes a bigger conversation involving nutritionist and specialists.