Trey has gone to four feeding groups sessions since we started this new therapy earlier this month. We have made slow progress but some is better than none for Trey.
I have been very pleased with how well the sessions have been ran. I have learned so many new ideas and things to practice and incorporate at home with Trey. Their suggestions and theories to help him learn to feel safe with eating have been so helpful over the last month.
Last week Trey only would touch bananas and strawberries but this weeks he felt comfortable enough to repetitively bring them to his lips. He was SO close to opening his mouth. It was very exciting to watch.
One of Trey's first therapist back in December of last year explained of a pediatric psychologist, Dr. Kay Toomey's theory of 32 steps to eating hierarchy for children with feeding difficulties. Here is a brief version..
The theory begins with a child being able to..
1. Tolerate - ex. food just being in the room.
then progresses to
2. Interacting with the food - ex. using utensils to touch food.
3. Smells - ex tolerating odor in room, leans down or picks up
to smell.
4. Touching food - ex with fingertips, then whole hand, lips, etc
5. Taste (Where Trey is)-
Which has 7 subdivisions
a. Licks lips, tongue licks food (Trey did yesterday in therapy)
b. Bites off piece and spits out immediately
c. Bites pieces, holds in mouth for "X" seconds and spits out
d. Bite, chews "X" times and spits out.
e. Chews, partially swallows
f. Chews, swallows with drink
g. Chews and swallows independently
6. Finally Eating different foods.
Of course I would love for Trey to jump through these steps and reach his final goal but I am learning to accept that with every gagging episode or negative experience Trey has shown to start back at square one. But I am SO thankful for this new support group that is teaching Curtis and I the best way to help Trey feel safe eating and drinking.
Even though I find daily moments of frustration and sadness because I want to fix my child and I can't I am so encouraged by how brave little Trey is. It has almost been a year in November since these feeding problems began and he has endured so much and through it all he has remained the happiest and resilient little boy ever.
HUGS TO TREY!!! We love you little guy:)
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