One of the most rewarding parts of our work is watching a child go from complete food avoidance to genuine curiosity and exploration. Today, we want to share a story about one of those moments, a session that perfectly captures the power of the SOS Approach to Feeding.
The SOS Approach to Feeding
The SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach is an evidence-based method that helps children learn to eat new foods by gradually reducing anxiety and building positive associations with food. Instead of pressuring a child to eat, the SOS approach meets them where they are and walks them through a series of steps: tolerating the food being present, interacting with it, smelling it, touching it, tasting it, and eventually eating it.
A Rambutan and a Breakthrough
We were working with an autistic child who uses AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) to express themselves. This child had a history of significant food avoidance. Many textures, smells, and visual appearances of food triggered anxiety and avoidance responses. In early sessions, even having a new food on the table could cause them to leave the room.
During this particular session, we introduced a rambutan, a small tropical fruit with a spiky red exterior and a smooth, translucent interior. It looks unusual, almost like a little creature, which made it perfect for sparking curiosity through play.
At first, the child was hesitant. But instead of pushing, we treated the rambutan like a toy. We rolled it, described its spikes ("It is fuzzy like a caterpillar!"), and let the child watch us interact with it. Slowly, they moved closer. They touched one spike. Then another. They picked it up.
When we opened the rambutan to reveal the smooth, round fruit inside, the child was fascinated. They touched the inside, squeezed it, and then, using their AAC device, pressed "more ball", their way of requesting to see more of these round, ball-like fruits.
Key Takeaways
This single session accomplished so much more than food exploration. Here is what was happening beneath the surface:
- Decreasing anxiety around food. By approaching the rambutan through play instead of pressure, we reduced the stress response and built a positive association.
- Increasing vocabulary through AAC. The child used their device to make a spontaneous request, "more ball," connecting a new experience to language they already knew.
- Building social communication. The child engaged in joint attention, shared an experience with the therapist, and initiated communication about it.
- Empowering independence. The child was in control the entire time. They chose when to approach, when to touch, and when to ask for more. That autonomy is everything.
Not every session ends in a child eating a new food, and that is okay. The SOS approach recognizes that learning to eat is a process. Every step forward, from tolerating a food on the table to touching it for the first time, is a milestone worth celebrating.