I am often asked "what the heck is feeding therapy?" The photo in this post is of feeding therapy in action. Note that virtually none of this food was eaten. But the food was touched, which is quite an achievement. Eliza has been touching the food for about three weeks now which is excellent progress.Feeding therapy requires hardwood or tile floors that can be easily cleaned, walls with washable paint, a dozen spoons for Eliza to play with, a z-vibe (vibrating thingie that you massage her mouth with), a nylon brush (to brush her skin to desensitize it), four to five different textured foods, a working knowledge of at least a half dozen children's songs and the patience of, well maybe not quite a saint, but at least someone who has been beatified, since feeding therapy requires endless repetition.
One of the greatest beneficiaries of feeding therapy is the Gerber company. Since three times a day I open about four jars of baby food to see if any will "work," I figure the Gerber people must think I gave birth to one of their best customers. To me, pureed squash tastes pretty much the same as pureed sweet potatoes, yet Eliza can figure out in no more than two spoons that I have snuck in the squash. Pureed bananas pretty much have the texture of yogurt, Eliza's main "food group." Yet Eliza can figure out before you can say Zwieback that I have traded her beloved yogurt for the evil banana puree.
There is an upside to the all yogurt diet. According to some old Dannon commercials Russian villagers who ate tons of yogurt lived to be 100 years old. I have the utmost confidence in the research performed by Dannon and can rest in the knowledge that Eliza has at least another 98 years to try squash.
Photo: Eliza Grace 18 Months Old
