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Some simple sensory enhancement procedures include the following:
- Start with a cold food; alternate temperatures, tastes, and textures when feeding.
- Minimize spoon-to-teeth/jaw stimulation to decrease elicitation of bite reflex.
- If the student bites the spoon, wait for the bite to be released. Don't pull against the spoon. Use coated or non-metal spoons.
- Avoid constant face wiping. When wiping a student's face, tell him/her what you are going to do before you do it.
- Adjust bite size according to the student's abilities and responses.
- Present a bite of a new or seldom-eaten food to a student between bites of favorite foods.
- Mix a small amount of a new food in with a favorite food to increase acceptance. Slowly decrease the amount of the favorite food in each subsequent bite.
- Tap the lip or tongue to alert the student prior to presenting the bite.
- Implement an oral-motor stimulation program (e.g., Bailey & Angell, 2005) to alert the sensory system prior to the mealtime. This strategy may help to improve a student's reaction to sensory stimuli associated with feeding and may lead to improved acceptance of different foods and increased tolerance to touch.
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