Ep. 28 Responsive Feeding (and how OTPs are using this approach)

Many of our families know that sinking feeling when mealtime becomes a battlefield—tears, tantrums, and the stress of watching a child refuse meal after meal. But what is the best way to help? This week, we dive into a brand-new scoping review on responsive feeding for pediatric feeding disorders—an approach that's finally putting words to what many OTPs have been doing intuitively. We'll break down the two key pillars: environmental supports (consistent meal schedules, intentional positioning, and sensory-minded food preparation) and strengthening caregiver-child relationships through coaching and education. While this approach might sound familiar to OTs—focusing on child autonomy, self-regulation, and trust-building—the research is just catching up to validate what works. This episode will give you concrete occupational therapy strategies to transform mealtimes from stressful battles into opportunities for connection and growth.

We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the article too.

Mattner, M. R., Guzman, A. L., Moore, E., Fortuna, J., & Cantwell-Jurkovic, L. (2025). Responsive feeding therapy for children with pediatric feeding disorder (PFD): A scoping review. Appetite, 214, 108211. Advance online publication. https://doi-org.kumc.idm.oclc.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.108211 

Foster, L., Lawson, L. M., & Moreland, H. (2025). Impact of a Responsive Feeding Intervention on Children and Caregivers: A Nonrandomized, Repeated-Measures Study. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 79(5), 7905205060. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2025.051100 

KEYWORDS: Occupational therapy; evidence-based practice; OT; OT ideas; Peds OT; pediatric occupational therapy; responsive feeding; pediatric feeding disorder; feeding therapy

Stay informed, stay curious, and stay playful!

✏️ Sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.

📧 Email us a question or comment at IdeasAtPlayPodcast@gmail.com

👉 Find us on Instagram @ideas.at.play