SOS Approach to Feeding: A Dietitian Approach to Helping Children and Families with Sensory Senstivities

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What Is the SOS Approach to Feeding?

If your child struggles with picky eating, sensory sensitivities, or anxiety around food, the SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach to Feeding may help. Developed by pediatric feeding specialist Kay Toomey, the SOS Approach is a child-centered, evidence-informed method that helps children build comfort and confidence with food through gradual, positive experiences.

Unlike traditional approaches that focus on getting a child to take bites, SOS recognizes that eating is a complex skill involving sensory processing, oral-motor abilities, emotional regulation, digestion, and developmental readiness. Children are encouraged to explore foods through a series of steps, beginning with simply tolerating a food nearby and progressing toward touching, smelling, tasting, chewing, and eventually eating it.

The role of a dietitian trained in the SOS Approach is to assess your child's nutrition, identify feeding barriers, and create individualized goals that support both nutritional adequacy and feeding skill development. In addition, your dietitian will provide practical guidance for parents on reducing mealtime stress, introducing new foods, and creating positive feeding experiences at home.

During SOS-based nutrition counseling, families can expect a comprehensive feeding assessment, parent education, and interactive food exploration activities. Sessions are designed to be supportive and pressure-free, helping children feel safe while building new skills around food.

The SOS Approach can be particularly beneficial for children with sensory sensitivities, autism, ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), developmental delays, gastrointestinal concerns, or highly selective eating patterns.

Becoming SOS-trained requires specialized professional education through the official SOS Approach to Feeding program. Healthcare professionals, including registered dietitians, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists, complete intensive coursework focused on feeding development, sensory processing, oral-motor skills, assessment, and treatment strategies.

The ultimate goal of SOS is not simply to increase the number of foods a child eats, but to help them develop a positive, confident, and lifelong relationship with food while reducing stress for the entire family.

Which Children May Benefit from the SOS Approach?

The SOS Approach may be helpful for children who:

  • Have sensory sensitivities

  • Are autistic or neurodivergent

  • Have ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)

  • Have developmental delays

  • Have feeding anxiety

  • Have a history of tube feeding

  • Have oral-motor challenges

  • Have limited food variety

  • Experience mealtime distress

  • Have gastrointestinal conditions affecting eating

What Training Is Required to Become SOS Trained?

The SOS Approach includes specialized professional training intended for healthcare providers who work with feeding challenges.

Training is offered through the official SOS Approach to Feeding program and is commonly completed by:

  • Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs)

  • Occupational Therapists (OTs)

  • Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs)

  • Psychologists

  • Physicians

  • Other qualified healthcare professionals

The foundational training includes:

SOS Approach to Feeding Conference

Professionals complete an intensive educational program that covers:

  • Feeding development

  • Sensory processing

  • Oral-motor skills

  • Assessment procedures

  • Treatment planning

  • The Steps to Eating hierarchy

  • Family-centered feeding interventions

Mentorship and Advanced Learning

Many clinicians pursue additional mentorship, supervision, advanced coursework, and case consultation after completing the foundational training.

Ongoing education helps practitioners develop greater expertise in:

  • Complex feeding disorders

  • ARFID

  • Autism and feeding

  • Sensory processing differences

  • Medical feeding challenges

If your child struggles with eating, it is important to remember that feeding challenges are rarely about stubbornness, willpower, or poor parenting. Eating is a complex developmental skill, and many children require support to build comfort and confidence around food.

The SOS Approach helps children develop trust, curiosity, and positive experiences with food while respecting their individual sensory needs and developmental readiness. Through a combination of nutrition expertise, feeding therapy principles, and parent coaching, an SOS-trained dietitian can help families create less stressful mealtimes and support children in expanding their relationship with food at a pace that feels safe and achievable.

The ultimate goal is not simply getting children to eat more foods—it's helping them become confident, comfortable eaters who can participate fully in family meals and enjoy a positive lifelong relationship with food.

Book Appointment with an SOS Dietitian