The Gerber Foundation and Anchor Center for Blind Children are partnering on a research project to determine how vision impairments affect feeding development in children from birth to age 3.

Feeding/eating concerns are among the most common challenges reported by parents of young children who are blind, visually impaired and deafblind. Without visual cues to establish feeding time as a pleasant experience, some children have issues related to texture, willingness to try a variety of foods and willingness to eat. If not resolved, these problems can impact nutritional habits into adulthood, requiring feeding clinics or other interventions.

The three-year study will identify the points at which the feeding/eating process breaks down. Researchers will also create a Functional Feeding Assessment, a tool for families, therapists and nutritionists to help children achieve independent eating and enjoyable mealtimes.

Come and See Us! Come visit our poster session at the 25th National Training Institute in Phoenix, Arizona on December 9 through December 11, 2010.  Visit the website at http://www.zttnticonference.org/.  We are also presenting at the CEC 2011 Convention and Expo April 25th through April 28 2011 in National Harbor, Maryland. The website for the CEC Convention is www.cec.sped.org. Hope to see you there!! 

Conference Papers
Information Sheet
A Texture Continuum
Scents
Sources for Products
References

Resources
Routines Article
Family Routines Article 2007
Feeding Your Child Age 1 to 5
Mealtime Notions Mealtime Tips
Ellyn Satter Associates: Helping Family Get Back to the Table

Links
Gerber Foundation
Expanding Children's Diets

Testimonials
Testimonials

For more information, contact Cathy Smyth at cathysmyth@yahoo.com, Carol Spicer at clspicy@comcast.net, or Zoe Morgese at zlmorgese@comcast.net.