What’s in store for you: Therapy
The therapy at The Eating School is aimed at creating a safe and positive environment in which your child can explore food and food and thus develop a healthy relationship with eating. The main goal is to gain a positive experience with food and gradually build a positive relationship with food as well as other skills associated with its consumption.
It is essential that at the beginning of any therapy we do not expect children to eat or taste food. Our method is based on a playful approach, and if your child asks what they are going to do in therapy, you can safely tell them that we are going to play. The pace and activities are adapted so that the child feels safe, regardless of the current difficulties with food.
The Eating School offers several forms of therapy:
Individual therapy takes place directly in the doctor’s office. In therapy, one therapist, child and parent are present. In some cases, it is appropriate to limit the presence of the parent. It’s not necessary, but often this step speeds up the process. The duration of the therapy is 45 minutes, after the expiration of the time there is a short consultation with the parents or assignment of homework.
Group therapy takes place regularly once a week in the afternoon. The main and assistant therapist and a maximum of 5 children are present in the therapy. Group therapy takes place without parents present. This is not a fixed group, parents enroll their children according to their possibilities and interests. These are group activities that use behavior modeling among peers. However, we always respect the possibilities of individuals and the activities are adapted so that each child feels safe during therapy. The duration of the therapy is 45 minutes, followed by a short consultation with the parents.
The intensive program is a form of suburban camp. The main and assistant therapist and a maximum of 5 children are present in the therapy. Group therapies during the intensive program take place without the presence of parents. This is a fixed group of children. The program is a combination of fun group activities and targeted therapeutic work with food. The program also includes a joint lunch, which we prepare with the children. The duration of the therapy is 4 hours every day for one working week, i.e. 20 hours a week.
Home visits are a concept of individual therapy, but in a home environment. They are especially suitable if commuting to the doctor’s office is too burdensome for the family or if the child finds it difficult to adapt in a new environment. They are time-consuming, so their capacity is limited. They take place in the territory of Prague and the Central Bohemian Region, after individual agreement they can also take place in other regions.
What problems do we most often deal with in therapy:
difficulties in handling food, independent eating,
difficulties with handling the bite in the mouth, with chewing, with swallowing,
aversion to various sensory aspects of food such as appearance, smell, texture, temperature and, last but not least, the taste of food,
food neophobia (reluctance to taste new foods) and other food-related anxieties.
Therapy is indicated on the basis of a comprehensive examination. It is not possible to admit a child to therapy without passing an examination. The only exception is group programs, but even in this case we strongly recommend taking the examination.
All therapies can be ordered, edited and canceled conveniently through the reservation system according to your options. You will get access to ordering individual therapy and home visits in the event of an indication from a comprehensive examination.
When will the results be seen?
Progress in therapy is very individual and depends on both the child and you, the parents. For some, progress may be visible immediately, for others it may take longer. By following the homework and rules set in the therapy plan, you can make a significant contribution to your child’s progress. Our aim is that every child can safely discover food and form a positive relationship with it, which will be the basis for their healthy eating habits in the future. If the child attends therapy and acquires new skills, but does not have the opportunity to apply them at home while eating, progress may not occur at all.
If you are interested in attending therapy at The Eating School, make an appointment for a comprehensive examination or contact us.
