Child won’t eat in school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another person whose kid didn't eat in school. I think he ate occasionally in 7th grade and the. When he hit puberty he ate more often. He had/has an IEP but it never addressed eating (even when he was in feeding therapy) because no one felt it interfered with his education.

Eating at lunch is part of socialization and peer relationships. It's sad that a kid in feeding therapy wouldn't have something in his IEP.

Feeding, just like swallowing, cannot be addressed in the schools because it is a medical, rather than an educational, issue. That doesn't mean that the medical issue does not impact school functioning, but feeding is not a qualifying disability for an IEP. There would be great liability issues and you'd be hard pressed to find a school slp who would be qualified.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another person whose kid didn't eat in school. I think he ate occasionally in 7th grade and the. When he hit puberty he ate more often. He had/has an IEP but it never addressed eating (even when he was in feeding therapy) because no one felt it interfered with his education.

Eating at lunch is part of socialization and peer relationships. It's sad that a kid in feeding therapy wouldn't have something in his IEP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another person whose kid didn't eat in school. I think he ate occasionally in 7th grade and the. When he hit puberty he ate more often. He had/has an IEP but it never addressed eating (even when he was in feeding therapy) because no one felt it interfered with his education.

Eating at lunch is part of socialization and peer relationships. It's sad that a kid in feeding therapy wouldn't have something in his IEP.

Feeding, just like swallowing, cannot be addressed in the schools because it is a medical, rather than an educational, issue. That doesn't mean that the medical issue does not impact school functioning, but feeding is not a qualifying disability for an IEP. There would be great liability issues and you'd be hard pressed to find a school slp who would be qualified.

Uh, you realize that 'feeding therapy' doesn't just address the biomechanics of eating, don't you? Guess not. My DS was in feeding therapy because of anxiety. Once, he choked on food and developed a phobia. He was capable of eating but was too fearful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another person whose kid didn't eat in school. I think he ate occasionally in 7th grade and the. When he hit puberty he ate more often. He had/has an IEP but it never addressed eating (even when he was in feeding therapy) because no one felt it interfered with his education.

Eating at lunch is part of socialization and peer relationships. It's sad that a kid in feeding therapy wouldn't have something in his IEP.

Feeding, just like swallowing, cannot be addressed in the schools because it is a medical, rather than an educational, issue. That doesn't mean that the medical issue does not impact school functioning, but feeding is not a qualifying disability for an IEP. There would be great liability issues and you'd be hard pressed to find a school slp who would be qualified.

It definitely qualifies for a 504.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another person whose kid didn't eat in school. I think he ate occasionally in 7th grade and the. When he hit puberty he ate more often. He had/has an IEP but it never addressed eating (even when he was in feeding therapy) because no one felt it interfered with his education.

Eating at lunch is part of socialization and peer relationships. It's sad that a kid in feeding therapy wouldn't have something in his IEP.

Feeding, just like swallowing, cannot be addressed in the schools because it is a medical, rather than an educational, issue. That doesn't mean that the medical issue does not impact school functioning, but feeding is not a qualifying disability for an IEP. There would be great liability issues and you'd be hard pressed to find a school slp who would be qualified.

Uh, you realize that 'feeding therapy' doesn't just address the biomechanics of eating, don't you? Guess not. My DS was in feeding therapy because of anxiety. Once, he choked on food and developed a phobia. He was capable of eating but was too fearful.

Yes, I do know what is involved in feeding therapy, as I am an SLP. Regardless, food therapy is not conducted in an educational setting as it is a medical treatment that must occur in a medical setting. While it is not a qualifying disability for an IEP, one can receive a 504 plan that addresses needed accommodations due to this medical condition.

[Anonymous]

Having gone through this to some extent my suggestion is that if they're hungry enough, they'll eat. If they're not eating, they don't need to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another person whose kid didn't eat in school. I think he ate occasionally in 7th grade and the. When he hit puberty he ate more often. He had/has an IEP but it never addressed eating (even when he was in feeding therapy) because no one felt it interfered with his education.

Eating at lunch is part of socialization and peer relationships. It's sad that a kid in feeding therapy wouldn't have something in his IEP.

Feeding, just like swallowing, cannot be addressed in the schools because it is a medical, rather than an educational, issue. That doesn't mean that the medical issue does not impact school functioning, but feeding is not a qualifying disability for an IEP. There would be great liability issues and you'd be hard pressed to find a school slp who would be qualified.

Uh, you realize that 'feeding therapy' doesn't just address the biomechanics of eating, don't you? Guess not. My DS was in feeding therapy because of anxiety. Once, he choked on food and developed a phobia. He was capable of eating but was too fearful.

Yes, I do know what is involved in feeding therapy, as I am an SLP. Regardless, food therapy is not conducted in an educational setting as it is a medical treatment that must occur in a medical setting. While it is not a qualifying disability for an IEP, one can receive a 504 plan that addresses needed accommodations due to this medical condition.

I have to say, if you really are an SLP, I'm glad you've never been ours. 'Feeding therapy' does not have to be conducted in a 'medical setting'. It can be offered in the same environment you get OT/PT/ST. And, just like those therapies, you can do it at home, as well. Schools may not offer 'feeding therapy' (no one one this thread is actually advocating for it) but students absolutely can have IEP goals related to lunch.

In a county special ed preschool, my DS had goals related to trying/taking one bite of foods offered/cooked. The school worked in collaboration with our private team. There was both a sensory component with food and an anxiety component. By the time he was in K, the sensory component was no longer an issue but the anxiety component was still there. He had a 'lunch' goal in every IEP up until he was in about 5th grade. And, of course, he didn't qualify for the IEP because of 'food therapy' but because of his underlying disabilities. Had he a physical disability that impacted his abiity to participate in lunch, I would absolutely expect accommodations/goals that addressed this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having gone through this to some extent my suggestion is that if they're hungry enough, they'll eat. If they're not eating, they don't need to.

Blah, blah, blah.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having gone through this to some extent my suggestion is that if they're hungry enough, they'll eat. If they're not eating, they don't need to.

Blah, blah, blah.

+1 Clearly, someone who wandered in from GP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another person whose kid didn't eat in school. I think he ate occasionally in 7th grade and the. When he hit puberty he ate more often. He had/has an IEP but it never addressed eating (even when he was in feeding therapy) because no one felt it interfered with his education.

Eating at lunch is part of socialization and peer relationships. It's sad that a kid in feeding therapy wouldn't have something in his IEP.

Feeding, just like swallowing, cannot be addressed in the schools because it is a medical, rather than an educational, issue. That doesn't mean that the medical issue does not impact school functioning, but feeding is not a qualifying disability for an IEP. There would be great liability issues and you'd be hard pressed to find a school slp who would be qualified.

Uh, you realize that 'feeding therapy' doesn't just address the biomechanics of eating, don't you? Guess not. My DS was in feeding therapy because of anxiety. Once, he choked on food and developed a phobia. He was capable of eating but was too fearful.

Yes, I do know what is involved in feeding therapy, as I am an SLP. Regardless, food therapy is not conducted in an educational setting as it is a medical treatment that must occur in a medical setting. While it is not a qualifying disability for an IEP, one can receive a 504 plan that addresses needed accommodations due to this medical condition.

I have to say, if you really are an SLP, I'm glad you've never been ours. 'Feeding therapy' does not have to be conducted in a 'medical setting'. It can be offered in the same environment you get OT/PT/ST. And, just like those therapies, you can do it at home, as well. Schools may not offer 'feeding therapy' (no one one this thread is actually advocating for it) but students absolutely can have IEP goals related to lunch.

In a county special ed preschool, my DS had goals related to trying/taking one bite of foods offered/cooked. The school worked in collaboration with our private team. There was both a sensory component with food and an anxiety component. By the time he was in K, the sensory component was no longer an issue but the anxiety component was still there. He had a 'lunch' goal in every IEP up until he was in about 5th grade. And, of course, he didn't qualify for the IEP because of 'food therapy' but because of his underlying disabilities. Had he a physical disability that impacted his abiity to participate in lunch, I would absolutely expect accommodations/goals that addressed this.

I fail to understand why you could not have communicated your opinion and personal experience without resorting to insults. I don't appreciate that you've added a negative experience to my day. Think before you type please. Though you can't see me, your words hurt.

When I used the term medical setting, I refer to a setting that is not a school, that has the necessary tools to maintain safety, and treatment that is conducted by a qualified professional. That say may well be a home if the aforementioned items are met. As I stated earlier, I spoke only to SLPs. Sensory and psychological aspects of feeding are addressed by OTs and psychologists and, because they do not involve motor components (which would be addressed by speech) can be addressed with limited concern for safety.

[Anonymous]

^^The PP did not offer 'insults'. She opined that she was glad you were not her SLP. You did not make clear you were addressing SLPs in your posts. You were responding to a post that lamented a kid in feeding therapy didn't have goals in his IEP related to lunch and the socialization and peer interactions that occur during it. There are LOTS of things that the school can do to address these areas as the PP noted. As the school IEP team has beaten in to us, not all services/supports have to be provided by an SLP/pscyhologist/PT/OT or special ed teacher.