Meeting Milestones Children's Therapies

Meeting Milestones Children's Therapies Pediatric Occupational Therapy Clinic, Pediatric Feeding Specialist

We are so thrilled to have Erin joining our team!
11/21/2025

We are so thrilled to have Erin joining our team!

Do you have a favorite family dish that your kids won’t touch? Or a child who enjoys individual snacks but struggles whe...
11/21/2025

Do you have a favorite family dish that your kids won’t touch? Or a child who enjoys individual snacks but struggles when it comes to full meals?

Mixed-texture meals can be challenging for children both oral motor and sensory-wise. Breaking a meal down into its individual components can help your child learn about the different colors, tastes, and textures—making it easier for them to eventually accept these elements as part of a cohesive dish.

This is an example of a food hierarchy designed to gradually build comfort and acceptance when working toward eating a mixed meal, such as a meatball and pasta dish.

Do you have a picky eater at home? Creating a safe, fun, social, and stress-free environment during mealtimes can make a...
11/03/2025

Do you have a picky eater at home? Creating a safe, fun, social, and stress-free environment during mealtimes can make a big difference.

Avoid pressuring your child to eat. Instead, encourage them to explore foods at their own pace and decide how they feel comfortable engaging with new foods.

Children learn by watching others. Sit with your child during meals and model eating the foods that are offered. Sharing mealtime together provides opportunities to talk about the foods on your plate and describe their sensory qualities—such as texture, flavor, and smell—helping your child know what to expect.

Children are more likely to try and enjoy new foods when they receive honest, trustworthy information about taste and sensory experiences.

Offer a wide variety of foods. Try to include at least one food from each food group—proteins, carbohydrates, and fruits or vegetables—at every meal and snack.

For picky eaters, mealtimes can be stressful, which may lead to decreased appetite. Establish a predictable mealtime routine so your child knows what to expect. This can include starting with a simple activity, such as washing hands, setting a timer to show how long the meal will last, and ending with a clean-up routine like clearing their plate.

Our role as parents, is to provide the foods offered to our children. It is important to offer a variety of foods and t...
10/29/2025

Our role as parents, is to provide the foods offered to our children. It is important to offer a variety of foods and then to allow your child to decide what they are comfortable doing with the foods offered. Through sensory exploration, this can increase volume intake. When planning your child's plate, try offering 80% of foods that are easily consumed, and 20% of foods that provide a new learning experience. Multiple exposures to foods are needed for a child to learn about and feel comfortable with a new food before the child will be willing to eat it. Try to avoid providing only safe foods. Repeated exposures to the same food can result in the nervous system losing interest in that food and dropping that food from one diet can occur.

In order to eat we need to have access to a variety of foods, have an appetite and have the physical competence to eat, ...
10/28/2025

In order to eat we need to have access to a variety of foods, have an appetite and have the physical competence to eat, swallow and digest. If a child is nauseous or constipated after eating, it will impact their desire to eat. If they are stressed during mealtimes, their appetite will shut down. If your child has a limited diet or nutritional intake, identifying the contributing factors can help in supporting them to become successful feeders.

You can help your child learn strategies to regulate by discussing, practicing and drawing attention to activities that ...
10/08/2025

You can help your child learn strategies to regulate by discussing, practicing and drawing attention to activities that change the way their body feels!

Self-regulation is a big focus area in occupational therapy as emotional regulation impacts all areas of life!
10/01/2025

Self-regulation is a big focus area in occupational therapy as emotional regulation impacts all areas of life!

We all have differences in how we perceive sensory input. This can make it challenging for us to understand exactly how ...
10/01/2025

We all have differences in how we perceive sensory input. This can make it challenging for us to understand exactly how we are feeling. Learning to pay attention and make sense of your unique sensory experiences can be very powerful and have a great impact on your regulation.

Interoception awareness is a foundation for regulation. Emotions hold little meaning if there is no concrete meaning to...
10/01/2025

Interoception awareness is a foundation for regulation. Emotions hold little meaning if there is no concrete meaning to the words.

Meet Lexi! We are thrilled to have her join our OT team!
04/14/2025

Meet Lexi! We are thrilled to have her join our OT team!

Please join us in welcoming our new occupational therapist, Stephanie. We are so excited to have such a talented and exp...
01/07/2025

Please join us in welcoming our new occupational therapist, Stephanie. We are so excited to have such a talented and experienced occupational therapist at Meeting Milestones!

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197 High Street, Suite 105
Ipswich, MA
01938

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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