Therapy
for individuals with disordered patterns of dietary intake.
"There are seven major steps to eating. Eating doesn't begin at the mouth!"
When children don't eat...
Having a child or adolescent who struggles with eating, avoids certain foods, or refuses meals can present significant emotional and practical challenges for parents and caregivers. These experiences often bring understandable concerns about whether a child is receiving the nourishment they need to support the rapid growth and development that takes place in these years.
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Mealtimes can also become tense and emotionally charged, particularly when everyone is trying their best but feeling unheard or overwhelmed. Over time, this can place strain on the parent–child relationship, with meals becoming a source of stress rather than connection.
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It can be difficult to know how to interpret changes in eating. A child’s limited food range may reflect shifting sensory preferences, developmental stages as independence emerges, or temporary fluctuations that resolve with time. In other cases, there may be underlying factors influencing eating that require closer understanding and support. Distinguishing between typical developmental variation and more persistent feeding difficulties is not always straightforward.
Dr Bujtor's approach
Dr Bujtor is an expert in paediatric feeding, specialising in all aspects of child feeding, including paediatric feeding and eating disorders. She is a trained feeding therapist with extensive clinical experience supporting children, young people and families navigating complex feeding and eating challenges across different stages of development.
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She understands the significant anxiety, stress and uncertainty that can arise when a child or young person is unable to eat, limits their food range, or experiences distress around meals. Through both her specialist training and years of clinical practice, Dr Bujtor brings a calm, informed and compassionate presence to situations that can otherwise feel overwhelming.
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Her work spans the full spectrum of feeding and eating presentations — from early sensory-based feeding differences and food avoidance, through to more entrenched patterns of restriction, anxiety around eating, and weight-related concerns. She approaches each case with careful assessment and individualised planning, recognising that eating difficulties are rarely straightforward and often reflect a combination of developmental, sensory, psychological and environmental factors.
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Her approach is empathic and professional, grounded in evidence-based practice and delivered in a way that is engaging and developmentally attuned. She is personable, warm, and above all, makes sessions enjoyable and safe. This helps to create a therapeutic environment in which children and young people feel regulated and more open to exploring new experiences with food.
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Dr Bujtor also recognises the importance of supporting parents, caregivers and the wider family system alongside the child or young person. Feeding challenges rarely affect just one individual; they influence routines, relationships and emotional wellbeing across the household.
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She takes a collaborative, family-centred approach, working proactively with each family’s unique circumstances to personalise the feeding therapy journey at every stage.
Therapeutic Approaches
Dr. Bujtor utilizes a comprehensive and individualized approach when working with children and adolescents who experience feeding and eating difficulties. Recognizing that each child is unique, Dr. Bujtor carefully tailors therapy to meet the specific needs of each patient. This often involves integrating a variety of therapeutic modalities to address the physical, sensory, and behavioural aspects of feeding.
Whether it's the play-based Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) approach, the supportive environment fostered by Family-Based Therapy, or the skill-building focus of Oral-Motor Therapy, Dr. Bujtor’s method is flexible and adaptive. By combining different therapies, she ensures a holistic and effective treatment plan that promotes healthy eating habits and a positive relationship with food. Below are some of the key approaches used in Dr. Bujtor’s practice:
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Sequential-Oral_sensory (SOS) Approach:
One of Dr Bujtor's preferred therapy approaches with younger children is the Sequential-Oral-Sensory (SOS) approach to feeding. This is an evidence-based program, grounded in the normal developmental steps, stages and skills of feeding that are identified in typically developing children.​ ​The program focuses on increasing a child's comfort level through play with a purpose in a non-stressful way, beginning with the ability to tolerate the food in the room and in front of the child, then moving on to managing touch and smell and finally enjoying the taste. Most of all, it is steeped in fun! Helping children to move beyond their individual barriers that prevent them from having an age-appropriate dietary intake, and discover the joyous world of food.
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Family Therapy
Family-Based Therapy involves the active participation of the entire family in the feeding process, fostering a supportive and nurturing eating environment. This approach emphasizes the importance of educating parents and caregivers on effective strategies to encourage healthy eating habits at home, ensuring that positive changes in feeding behaviors are sustainable and reinforced in the child’s daily life.
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Responsive Feeding Therapy
This therapy promotes a child-led approach to eating, empowering children to listen to and trust their own hunger and fullness cues. This method focuses on fostering a positive and stress-free relationship with food, where children are encouraged to eat at their own pace and make choices based on their internal cues rather than external pressures. By respecting the child's natural signals, Responsive Feeding Therapy aims to create a healthy and balanced approach to eating that supports long-term well-being.
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Oral-Motor Therapy
Designed to enhance the development of essential oral-motor skills required for safe and effective eating, including chewing, swallowing, and managing food within the mouth. This therapy involves targeted exercises and activities that strengthen the muscles used in feeding, helping children improve their ability to handle a variety of textures and consistencies. By focusing on these foundational skills, Oral-Motor Therapy supports the development of efficient and comfortable eating patterns, crucial for overall feeding success and safety.
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Sensory Integration Therapy
Aimed at addressing sensory processing challenges that can impact a child's ability to eat a wide range of foods. This approach focuses on gradually helping children become more comfortable with various textures, temperatures, and flavors through controlled exposure and sensory play. By desensitizing children to the sensory aspects of eating, Sensory Integration Therapy helps them expand their food preferences and enjoy a more diverse and balanced diet, making mealtime a more positive and less stressful experience.
