Selective Eating Course

Lesson 1 • The Selective Eating Spectrum

Maps the continuum from mild pickiness to severe restriction. Enables practitioners to locate a client's presentation accurately on the spectrum.

Lesson 2 • Historical and Cultural Context

Traces how selective eating has been understood across time and cultures. Provides perspective that prevents cultural bias in assessment.

Lesson 3 • Defining Selective Eating

Clarifies what selective eating is, its core characteristics, and how it differs from general food preference. Anchors all subsequent content in precise terminology.

Lesson 1 • Sensory Processing and Food

Covers how the sensory systems process taste, texture, smell, and appearance. Links sensory profiles directly to selective eating behaviours.

Lesson 2 • Appetite Regulation Basics

Explains hunger and satiety signalling and how dysregulation affects food intake variety. Connects physiology to meal-by-meal behaviour.

Lesson 3 • Gastrointestinal Contributions

Examines how gut discomfort, motility issues, and reflux history shape food avoidance. Connects medical history to behavioural presentation.

Lesson 4 • Oral Motor Development

Describes typical oral motor milestones and how delays affect texture acceptance. Grounds texture-based refusal in developmental physiology.

Lesson 1 • Neurodevelopmental Conditions and Eating

Examines how autism, ADHD, and sensory processing disorder intersect with selective eating. Enables differentiated intervention planning.

Lesson 2 • Developmental Stages and Eating

Maps typical feeding development from infancy through adolescence. Identifies windows of vulnerability and opportunity for intervention.

Lesson 3 • Cognitive Patterns in Selective Eaters

Identifies rigid thinking, catastrophising, and disgust-based cognitions that drive avoidance. Prepares students for cognitive intervention strategies.

Lesson 4 • Trauma and Adverse Feeding Experiences

Explores how medical procedures, force-feeding, and choking incidents create lasting aversions. Guides trauma-sensitive case formulation.

Lesson 1 • Caregiver Stress and Mental Health

Addresses parental anxiety, guilt, and burnout related to feeding struggles. Integrates caregiver wellbeing into the intervention plan.

Lesson 2 • School and Social Eating Environments

Analyses cafeteria, social event, and travel eating challenges. Prepares practitioners to extend intervention beyond the home setting.

Lesson 3 • Mealtime Structure and Routines

Covers how schedule, seating, distraction, and portion size affect eating behaviour. Provides a practical framework for mealtime restructuring.

Lesson 4 • Caregiver Feeding Practices

Examines pressure, restriction, and permissive feeding styles and their outcomes. Links caregiver behaviour directly to child food acceptance.

Lesson 1 • Intake Interview Techniques

Teaches structured and motivational interviewing approaches for gathering feeding history. Produces a complete developmental and behavioural picture.

Lesson 2 • Standardised Assessment Tools

Reviews validated questionnaires and observational scales for selective eating. Enables evidence-based tool selection for each case.

Lesson 3 • Observational Mealtime Assessment

Describes structured observation of live or recorded mealtimes to capture real behaviour. Bridges self-report gaps with direct behavioural data.

Lesson 4 • Multidisciplinary Screening and Referral

Outlines when and how to involve medical, occupational, and speech professionals. Ensures no biological or motor contributor is missed.

Lesson 1 • Collaborating with Registered Dietitians

Defines the dietitian's role in the multidisciplinary team and effective collaboration protocols. Ensures nutritional and behavioural goals are aligned.

Lesson 2 • Supplementation and Safe Nutrition Bridging

Reviews supplement options and fortified foods that fill nutritional gaps during treatment. Prevents harm while food variety is being expanded.

Lesson 3 • Nutritional Risks in Selective Eaters

Identifies micronutrient deficiencies common in restricted diets and their health consequences. Prioritises nutritional targets for intervention.

Lesson 4 • Introducing New Foods Safely

Provides a step-by-step protocol for introducing novel foods without triggering setbacks. Aligns food introduction with intervention progress.

Lesson 1 • Food Chaining Technique

Teaches systematic progression from accepted foods to novel targets using shared sensory properties. Builds food variety through gradual, tolerable steps.

Lesson 2 • Exposure-Based Approaches

Applies graduated exposure hierarchies to reduce food-related anxiety and avoidance. Adapts clinical exposure protocols to feeding contexts.

Lesson 3 • Sensory Desensitisation Methods

Describes tactile, olfactory, and visual desensitisation protocols for sensory-based refusal. Reduces sensory barriers before food tasting is introduced.

Lesson 4 • Cognitive Restructuring for Eating

Applies cognitive techniques to challenge catastrophic and disgust-based food beliefs. Equips older children and adults with self-directed coping tools.

Lesson 5 • Behavioural Reinforcement Strategies

Covers positive reinforcement, token systems, and extinction of escape behaviours. Ensures reward systems support rather than undermine intrinsic motivation.

Lesson 1 • Adapting Intervention When Progress Stalls

Identifies reasons for treatment plateaus and provides decision frameworks for adjusting plans. Prevents premature discharge or unnecessary escalation.

Lesson 2 • Relapse Prevention and Maintenance

Designs maintenance protocols and relapse prevention plans for post-treatment sustainability. Equips families to manage setbacks independently.

Lesson 3 • Data Collection and Progress Tracking

Covers food diary methods, behavioural logs, and digital tracking tools. Produces objective data to guide clinical decision-making.

Lesson 4 • Long-Term Outcomes and Quality of Life

Reviews research on adult outcomes of childhood selective eating and quality-of-life measures. Frames success beyond food variety alone.