Question
What are the key indicators that a client’s picky eating might be rooted in food allergies?
Answer
Before attributing feeding challenges to behavior or sensory processing, therapists must screen for underlying medical allergy issues through family interviews and symptom monitoring. Vital indicators include physical signs such as rashes, eczema, runny noses, and watery eyes, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms such as stomach aches, vomiting, or diarrhea. Even subtle symptoms, such as a "headband headache" occurring shortly after consumption, can signal a problematic reaction. If traditional sensory interventions are ineffective or these physical signs are present, therapists should assist families in using food diaries to identify triggers and facilitate a medical referral to a pediatrician.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, Feeding Interventions With Allergy Considerations, presented by Kristen Tompkins, OTR/L.
