Parents Encouraging Parents

Parents Encouraging Parents (PEP) provides parent to parent support and information to families of children with a disability, chronic illness or a special health care need. PEP is based on the belief that parents can support each other by sharing their knowledge and experience. PEP links parents interested in talking with an experienced resource parent who has a child with similar circumstances. PEP also assists parents locate information about disabilities, services or programs.

(615) 929-5923

Try It, You Might Like It: How to Help Your Child Accept New Food Textures

One area of feeding that often causes a child to reject foods is a change in the texture of food. Some children with special needs have particular difficulty adjusting to foods of different texture. The transition from liquids to smooth solids or pureed, lumpy foods bothers most children, but these transitions may be especially difficult and may go on for long periods of time with children who gag easily and are sensitive to different textures in their mouths.

Helpful guidelines for introducing new foods and textures:

1. Introduce new foods and textures gradually.
2. Introduce bland foods first. Rather than stronger-tasting foods.
3. Consider the child’s preference in temperature. Some children prefer foods that are warm or at room temperature rather than cold.
4. Introduce taste differences in liquids by diluting them. Add more water to the new flavored juices, (apple, grape, apricot, prune) to reduce the concentration and sharpness of the juice.
5. Introduce a new texture by giving the child a food that he likes. Present this food in a thickened texture.
6. Introduce a change in thickness by adding the same type of juice to the solid food item. Add apple juice to apple sauce, carrot juice to strained carrots, and formula or milk to cereal. Try this with children 4 months and older who have experienced different-tasting fluids. Use a wide-mouthed cup or a spoon so the child can slurp or suck the food.
7. Introduce new textures along with familiar textures. First give the child a spoonful of the familiar texture; then give a spoonful of the new texture and continue to alternate these.
8. Introduce smooth solids that have not been diluted with a liquid from a spoon. Use a spoon that is small enough to fit into the child’s mouth, which allows him to suck the food from the spoon. This works well with children who are sensitive to taste and temperature.
9. Introduce home-prepared, blenderized table foods. Do this to offer a change in taste from commercially prepared baby food.
10. Introduce homemade food ground in a baby food grinder. The food can be ground into a smoother consistency by putting it through the grinder more than once.
11. Introduce thicker mashed or thickened food. To thicken a semi-solid food, add potato flakes, wheat germ, or dehydrated fruit and vegetable flakes. Fork-mashed bananas or mashed potatoes are good transition foods.
12. Introduce lumpy foods by using foods that have very tiny, soft lumps that can be swallowed easily. Foods such as mashed banana or fork-mashed vegetables.
13. Gradually add more soft lumps using foods that stick together. Foods such as fork-mashed macaroni with a thick cheese sauce.
14. Offer foods in thin sauces that scatter in the mouth last. These foods are more challenging for the child to organize for swallowing, such as stew or vegetable soup.

Tune in to Family Time

In early August, the American Academy of Pediatrics announced a new policy advising parents to limit, monitor, and become involved in all their children’s various electronic mediums, including movies, videos, computer games, the Internet and music videos and lyrics and to avoid television viewing entirely for children under age 2.

	Keep a log of hours and programs watched by your family.
	Be firm and consistent with rules and limits on TV viewing.
	Start regulating TV early, before age 3.
	Discuss and evaluate the content of TV programming with your children.
	Teach children to select the programs they want to watch before they turn the TV on and turn the TV off when the program is over to prevent excessive viewing from becoming automatic.
	Encourage children’s involvement in more active pursuits and help them develop curiosity about the world around them.
	Don’t waste daily opportunities for family interaction by eating meals in front of the TV.
	Plan activities to replace TV watching such as making a recipe or going for a nature walk.
	Plan a fun night at home with the TV off.

Johnson City Press, Sunday, August 29, 1999

CPR Recertification – Get re-certified in Pediatric and/or Adult Basic Life Support. Review packets available. Appointment and current CPR card required. $2 fee.

Infant and Child CPR and First Aid training is available to parents through the Red Cross for a low fee or for free depending upon income. Contact Don at 928-3561 at the Red Cross for training times. Training is held at the Red Cross office in Johnson City – 69 Wilson Ave.

The Council

The Arc of Washington County’s Early Intervention Program, Little Folks, continues to strive toward receiving accreditation in the year 2000 from the Council. During this accreditation process, the quality of the Little Folks early intervention program will be determined by family and child outcomes. The outcomes for families and children include: choice, goals, rights, respect, health and safety, relationships, security and satisfaction.

Families choose services and supports. After information about service options has been presented; the family chooses services that match their needs and preferences. Through these services and supports, families and their children can achieve goals and reach developmental goals.

Speech Clinic Openings Available

The Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic at East Tennessee State University is accepting new children.

For more information, call the clinic at 439-4355.