Food Explorers!

Food Explorers! (FE) is a group-based therapeutic feeding program for children who demonstrate strong food preferences and/or are uncomfortable eating or interacting with a variety of foods. This feeding group focuses on creating a positive environment during mealtime, incorporates sensory strategies to increase the participants' overall regulation, allows for children to freely interact and play with various foods, and provides opportunities for peer modeling. This group is led by speech-language pathologists who are trained in the Get Permission and other feeding approaches. Participants will become comfortable with new foods at their own pace, using responsive feeding therapy strategies, trauma-informed intervention, and both adult and peer modeling in order to help support the children’s interaction with each food. Seeing others playing and interacting with foods along with increasing their self-advocacy around mealtime makes the experience fun and contributes to a more positive/successful mealtime!

What is the Get Permission Approach?
The Get Permission Approach is an evidence-based practice that was developed by Marsha Dunn Klein, OTR/L. It is based on solid principles of normal development, decades of research, and almost 50 years of clinical experience. The Get Permission Approach is a responsive, sensitive, and supportive approach to feeding. It aims to create positive change at mealtimes based on responsive feeding techniques.

Ages: 2 1/2 to 6 years old
Days: Monday - Thursday
Time: 12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Food Explorers! meets on an ongoing basis and follows the  PlayWorks Prep Preschool schedule. Each participant is required to attend at least 2 days each week.
Cost: This group is billable to insurance. There is a monthly food fee of $55 that is not billable to insurance.
Led by Get Permission trained therapist: Andrea Schaefer, MS CCC-SLP

Lunch Bunch

Lunch Bunch is an opportunity for children who are participating in Food Explorers! to consume their preferred foods prior to engaging in food exploration using the SOS approach. This group has a daily fee that is not billable to insurance.

Ages: 2 1/2 to 6 years old
Days: Monday - Thursday
Time:  12:15 p.m. to 12:45 p.m.

Families can choose to have their child attend one, two, three, or four days a week.