Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS)
The SOS Approach to Feeding
A whole-child, play-based path to eating success
At PediaSpeech, our feeding therapy draws on the SOS Approach to Feeding (Sequential Oral Sensory Approach), developed by Dr. Kay Toomey over more than three decades of clinical work. It’s one of the most widely respected, research-informed feeding programs in pediatric therapy, and it shapes how we assess and support children who struggle at mealtimes.
What Is the SOS Approach?
SOS stands for Sequential Oral Sensory — but the program’s founders also like to say it stands for “Save Our Ship.” That’s because the SOS Approach treats a feeding difficulty like the tip of an iceberg: what a family sees is a child who won’t eat or isn’t gaining weight, but underneath the surface are the real, often overlapping reasons why.
The SOS Approach looks at feeding across seven areas of function: organs, muscles, sensory processing, learning, development, nutrition, and environment. By assessing all seven, rather than treating “picky eating” as a single, simple problem, we’re able to build a plan that addresses what’s actually driving a child’s difficulty — not just the behavior at the table.
Core Principles We Bring to Every Session
Typical development is our roadmap
We use the normal developmental progression of feeding skills as the blueprint for therapy, while recognizing that every child's path to get there looks a little different.
Play with a purpose
Children build comfort with new foods through structured, playful interaction — touching, smelling, and exploring — long before they're ever expected to taste or eat.
A gradual hierarchy of steps
Progress moves through small, manageable stages: tolerating a food being nearby, then its smell, then touching it, then tasting, then eating — never skipping ahead of what a child is ready for.
A pressure-free environment
Removing pressure at mealtimes lowers a child's anxiety, which is often the biggest barrier standing between a child and a new food.
A transdisciplinary lens
The SOS Approach was built by professionals across psychology, medicine, occupational therapy, nutrition, and speech-language pathology, and we bring that same whole-child perspective to our own feeding evaluations and coordinate with other providers as needed.
Why We Use This Approach
Evidence-based, individualized treatment for every child
Feeding difficulties rarely have a single cause, and a child who “just needs to try more foods” often has real sensory, motor, medical, or developmental factors underneath the surface. The SOS Approach gives us a structured, evidence-informed way to look past the behavior at the table and get to what’s really going on — then build a plan around it. Because progress happens through play rather than pressure, mealtimes become a place where children can feel safe, curious, and successful, which is what ultimately builds a lasting, positive relationship with food.
This philosophy is woven throughout our Intensive Feeding Program, where families get focused, concentrated support built on these same whole-child, developmentally grounded principles.
Helpful Resources for Parents
blog posts
Explore our collection of articles written by our pediatric therapy experts, covering topics such as speech and language development, feeding therapy, occupational therapy, developmental milestones, communication tips, and practical strategies you can use at home.
resources page
We compiled a list of websites that provide insights, therapy tips, developmental milestones, and evidence-based strategies that help children build confidence, improve communication, and thrive at every stage of development.
Help Your Child Enjoy Mealtimes
Schedule a feeding evaluation
Whether your child has difficulty chewing, swallowing, transitioning to new foods, or accepts only a limited variety of foods, our experienced feeding therapists create individualized treatment plans designed to improve feeding skills while reducing frustration for both children and caregivers.