Resources

More about Responsive Feeding Therapy

The Responsive Feeding Therapy (RFT) approach and respective values build on a body of research from the field of pediatric feeding and related areas of study. This includes, but is not limited to, responsive parenting, humanistic psychology, attachment theory and interpersonal neurobiology, theories of development, self-determination theory (SDT), and trauma physiology. (Rowell et al., 2023)

The RFT values are:

Autonomy

This means letting your child have some control and respecting their choices about their own body. It’s about giving them the freedom to make decisions that feel right for them.

Relationship

Refers to prioritizing the relationship between the caregiver and the child.

Competence

Refers to believing in a child’s abilities to manage a situation, make decisions, and do things their way.

Intrinsic Motivation

This is when a child wants to do something because they genuinely want to, not because an adult is telling, suggesting, or motivating them to. We support a child and their family in building intrinsic motivation to support lifelong comfort and safety with eating.

Holism (the whole child lens)

This means we look at your child as a whole person, considering their family, community, and culture. We tailor our approach to what’s best for your child and your family, taking everything into account.

RFT has three core goals:

To prioritize felt safety and nervous system regulation

Felt safety is the unconscious feeling of safety and security. When a child is feeling safe and secure, their nervous system is naturally more regulated. This improves the functioning of their bodily systems such as their digestion, heart, and immunity. Responsive feeding therapy coaches parents on increasing their child’s felt safety and nervous system regulation. A child who feels secure and is regulated is better able to tune into their appetite, build relationships and develop curiosity to try new foods. RFT coaches parents in observing their child’s cues and providing co-regulation which supports long term emotional and physical regulation.

To support and optimize a child’s relationship with food and their bodies

Research in the field suggests that building internal motivation vs external motivation (e.g. rewards/reinforcers) brings positive results. RFT supports children in listening to their body’s cues and build interoception (the ability to understand and feel what’s going on inside your body). E.g. hunger cues

To provide individualized care

The following values are critical to a RFT framework and inherently support a highly individualized program: autonomy/independence, relationship, competence, and intrinsic motivation.

What Responsive Feeding therapy is not

(Rowell et al., 2023)

Our team does not coach parents to encourage or ‘get’ the child to interact with, taste, or eat foods (although child-initiated food interactions may take place in therapy and at home).
RFT is not simply ‘having fun’ or playing with food. Just because an approach is playful, that doesn’t necessarily make it responsive or have positive long-term outcomes for the child or family.
Accepting a child’s ‘no’ or giving a child a choice does not necessarily imply that an intervention is responsive. Children may comply for many reasons, including a desire to please or to escape from a situation.
RFT is not simply ‘no pressure’ or doing nothing. The absence of pressure or coercion is one small piece of a holistic, relationship-building framework. (Rowell et al., 2023)

View Case Studies

Caloric Compensation and Sensory Specific Satiety: Evidence for Self Regulation of Food Intake By Young Children

Study in 1986 by L.L. Birch & M. Deysher.
This study looked at how kids regulate their eating in two ways: by knowing how many calories are in food and by getting tired of eating the same taste/texture.
The study found that children naturally know when they are full and adjust how much they eat based on that feeling. It’s important to listen to your child’s hunger and fullness signals to help them develop these skills.
View Study

If It’s Useful and You Know It, Do You Eat? Preschoolers Refrain from Instrumental Food.

Study by M. Maimaran & A. Fishbach
This study checked if telling kids a food is “healthy” affects how much they eat and if they want more later.
The study found that kids ate fewer crackers when told they were healthy compared to when no comment was made.
Kids who were told the crackers were healthy also didn’t want to take them home. So, telling kids a food is healthy might make them not want to eat it, both now and later.
View Study

Feeding Practices and Parenting: A Pathway to Child Health and Family Happiness

Research paper in 2019 by L.A. Daniels.
This paper discusses the link between feeding practices and parenting practices.
- Often, parents get worried about how much their child eats and react in ways that aren’t helpful. This can affect what their child likes to eat and how they control their hunger.
- The paper looks at how kids normally eat and shows that a caring and responsive approach from parents helps children develop a good relationship with food that lasts a lifetime.
Typical eating behaviours for infants and children:
- Babies are born liking sweet tastes and disliking bitter or sour tastes.
- Children might not want to eat new or unfamiliar foods, especially between the ages of 2 to 5.
- Kids are good at knowing when they’re hungry or full. It’s important to let them follow these feelings, even if you think they should eat more or less.
- Some children might be choosy about what they eat; this is normal and varies from family to family.
- Babies and toddlers often touch and play with food to learn about it.
View Study

Finish Your Soup: Counterproductive Effects of Pressuring Children to Eat on Intake and Affect

Study by A.T. Galloway, L.M. Fiorito, L.A. Francis, $ L.L. Birch.
This study checked if telling kids they must eat something affects how much they eat and if they like the food.
The study found that when kids weren’t told they had to finish everything on their plate, they ate more and said they liked the food more compared to kids who were told they had to eat everything.
View Study

Relationships Between Sensory Sensitivity, Anxiety, and Selective Eating In Children

Study in 2012 by C.V. Farrow & H. Coulthard
This study explored how sensory sensitivity, anxiety, and picky eating are connected in children aged 5-10.
The results found that kids who are sensitive to sensory experiences and feel anxious tend to be picky eaters.
The study also discovered that if children are allowed to eat the foods they like without pressure, and they’re reassured they can eat as much or as little as they want, mealtime anxiety might decrease.
View Study

Changing Children’s Eating Behaviour: A Review of Experimental Research

Literature review in 2017 by P. DeCosta, P. Moller, M.B. Frost, & A. Olsen.
This review studied 120 experiments about how to change how children eat. They put the approaches into different groups:
- Parental Control (Pressure & Restriction): When parents force kids to eat certain foods, children tend to like those foods less. Similarly, when parents restrict foods, kids like those restricted foods even more, and may eat more of them in the future.
- Reward (Using Food and Non-Food Incentives): Giving food rewards often makes children like the desired food less and the reward food more. Non-food rewards don’t necessarily make kids like the food more in the future and can reduce their interest in trying new foods.
- Social Facilitation (Peer and Adult Modeling and Interaction): Kids are influenced by what their peers and adults eat. If someone says they don’t like a food, the child might not want to try it either.
- Cooking Programs: Learning to cook can make people like vegetables more because it exposes them to new foods and ways of preparing vegetables.
- School/Community Gardens: Being involved in gardening can make people eat more vegetables and like them more.
- Sensory Education: Teaching people about the taste and texture of food can help them try new foods without fear.
- Availability and Accessibility: If healthy food is easily accessible, like having cut-up fruit within reach, children are more likely to eat it.
View Study

Listen to Podcasts

The Feeding Pod

Responsive Feeding with Vanessa LaTorre
Listen Now
ARFID Treatment with a Registered and Neurodiversity-Affirming Dietician
Listen Now

The Feeding Humans Podcast

Affirming Approaches to Picky Eating: Moving Beyond Systematic Desensitization with Naureen Hunani
Listen Now

Two Sides of The Spectrum Podcast

Extreme Picky Eating with Katja Rowell
Listen Now

Sunny Side Up Nutrition Podcast

Exploring Responsive Feeding with Katja Rowell
Listen Now

MotivatED Mentors Podcast:

Responsive Feeding and Problem Feeders with Risa Nasatir
Listen Now

Sound Bites Podcast

Episode 210: Picky Eating & Responsive Feeding with Dr. Elizabeth Zmuda
Listen Now

Real Health Radio

Episode 258: Responsive Feeding and Creating A Healthy Feeding Relationship with Katja Rowell
Listen Now

Speak Up: A Speech Pathology Podcast

Season 4, Episode 19: A Journey into Paediatric Feeding, Infant Mental Health, and Responsive Feeding Therapy
Listen Now

Whole-Hearted Eating Podcast

Ending Eating Power Struggles with Children and Responsive Feeding with Katja Rowell
Listen Now

The Neurodivergent Magic Podcast

“Picky Eating”: Autism and ADHD Can Cause a Highly Restrictive Diet, and That’s Okay
Listen Now

Infographics

Responsive Feeding for Young Children

Infographic by Chicago Feeding Group
This infographic provides simple and clear reminders about what the child may do to indicate hunger and fullness and what the adult can do to be responsive to their child’s cues.
View Infographic

Why You Don’t Have to Work So Hard to Get Your Kids to Eat: Responsive Feeding Pro Infographic

This infographic helps parents and caregivers determine if what they are doing is responsive, and whether their child might feel pressured by this approach/strategy.
View Infographic

My son easily established rapport with Shannon, and their collaborative work is tailored to his needs. Shannon’s ability to listen, adapt sessions, and offer valuable suggestions creates a positive and engaging environment, making her a valuable asset. Our longstanding connection with VSPL has consistently provided satisfactory services, and I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone in need.

Melissa’s neurodiversity-affirming approach at Victoria Speech and Language Centre transformed our Autistic 5-year-old’s mealtimes, reducing meltdowns and creating a positive experience with gradual food introductions.

This course was really informative! I began to understand how and why my child struggles with food. Most helpful was the nonjudgmental approach from the facilitators.

Adopting Melissa’s techniques, our family at Victoria Speech and Language Centre has seen remarkable progress in our Kiddo’s approach to food, fostering a positive change and addressing picky eating.

I have done the parent course offered by the Responsive Feeding Centre and found it to be extremely helpful in understanding how to approach food and eating challenges with my son. Connecting with other families who are dealing with the same issues was really beneficial.

I highly recommend responsive feeding centre for any parents and caregivers who are looking for ND affirmative service provider.

Through Melissa’s collaborative and respectful feeding therapy, our Kiddo became more curious and less anxious about different foods, expanding their flavor palette at Victoria Speech and Language Centre.

Cannot recommend highly enough, it transformed our thinking of food with our kiddo, and opened lots of new doors. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed it and loved the lens of personal experience that Shannon brought to our group. I learned a lot about not only my kids but also my own sensory profiles. Really great resource for families.

Shannon was really great, I like that she taught the course because of her food sensory so it was nice to be able to hear it directly from someone who struggles with certain foods and it gave us some hope that soon our son will experiment and try new foods to grow his safe list.

I learned a lot about not only my kids’, but also my own sensory profile. Really great resource for families.

Proudly serving families across all of British Columbia.

Our commitment extends beyond treating feeding challenges, aiming to empower both children and parents with the tools and knowledge to create a lasting foundation for a lifetime of healthy and enjoyable eating experiences.

Free 15 Min Discovery Call