5 Tips to Create Positive Food Memories for Pediatric Feeding Groups

Think about a favorite food memory. Do you remember only the taste of the food or does the entire scene—the smell of the dishes served, the sounds of the bustling restaurant or conversation of the friends’ home, the sight of the table setting and plating of the food—spring to mind? Food can trigger memories and emotions in a way other experiences can’t. How do these multi-faceted sensory memories created by good—or bad—food experiences affect our pediatric population when it comes to feeding? Using this question as my guide, I tried to find ways to create positive memories between food and sensory play for my young patients. To deconstruct the intensity of these culinary sensory memories, we turn to Neurology 101 on how our brains create, retain, and retrieve memories. We store memories throughout the brain in groups of neurons that are primed to fire together in the same pattern that created the original experience. Each component of a memory gets stored in the brain area related to the sense that initiated it—sight, touch, taste. 3 Ways to Play in Food Without the Mess The Not So Hungry Caterpillar: Supporting Families’ Feeding Issues In Early Intervention Feeding is communication. When we help NICU caregivers interpret what their preemie is telling them during feeding, we support the parent-infant relationship. Confusing? Let’s use a trip to Thailand as an example—specifically, a cooking class where my husband and I learned to make fried Thai ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Health Care Private Practice Slider Speech-Language Pathology Early Intervention Feeding Disorders Swallowing Disorders Source Type: blogs