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family therapy after a divorce

Have you recently been through a divorce? Are you feeling the impact of the divorce in ways that you didn't plan for? After my divorce, my kids and I went through several months where they were angry and I felt like a complete failure. It was almost a year before I decided to begin seeing a family therapist to help us get through such a difficult transitional time for the entire family. She was so understanding, compassionate and helpful. She helped us talk through our feelings and provided us with the tools that we needed to get through the most difficult time in our lives.

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family therapy after a divorce

When Your Child's Extreme Picky Eating Indicates It's Time For Help

by Fernando Barnett

It's one thing to have a toddler who's a picky eater, but quite another when a child severely restricts the kinds of food they're willing to eat and gets very upset at the prospect of trying something else. Pediatric speech therapists can help when the problem isn't sheer stubbornness. These therapists not only specialize in helping youngsters with speaking difficulties, but those with problems involving eating, chewing and swallowing. 

Problem Feeding

Medically known as problem feeding, feeding difficulty or resistant feeding, this condition has certain characteristics that distinguish it from picky eating. Consider whether your little one:

  • is only willing to eat a very limited number of foods
  • sticks with specific food categories, such as only eating a few fruits and a few kinds of meat
  • has stopped consuming foods they used to eat
  • has an emotional outburst if encouraged to try a new food
  • is not gaining enough weight because of the restricted diet
  • is averse to certain food textures

Food texture aversion may help you understand why your child refuses to eat many items that aren't in the same category. For instance, they may refuse to eat foods such as cream soups, cottage cheese and canned mushrooms because they feel that those substances are slimy. 

Possible Reasons for the Resistant Feeding

Schedule an appointment with a family doctor or pediatrician and explain your toddler's eating problems.

Your child may be too young to effectively communicate the reasons for this unwillingness to eat many foods. This youngster has learned that most foods cause discomfort, pain or a choking sensation. Only a limited number of foods seem safe.

There may be a food sensitivity that causes discomfort but not a severe enough reaction for you to see. The problem could be gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly called GERD, or another esophageal problem that causes difficulty swallowing.

Another possibility is a condition known as sensory processing disorder. This disorder can amplify sensations to the point of discomfort. In addition to problems with eating, the youngster may find certain fabrics to be too itchy, or feel bothered by common aromas and normal levels of light.

Starting Sessions With a Speech Therapist

After the underlying cause is treated and corrected, your child will probably still rebel against expanding food choices. That's where a pediatric speech therapist can help. The toddler needs to learn that eating a variety of foods no longer has unpleasant, painful or scary effects. The speech therapist guides them in trying small amounts of a broad range of foods, helping the little one feel safe and build confidence.

Your child's doctor can refer you to a speech therapist or you can contact one, like ABC Pediatric Therapy, directly for more information. 

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