From Food Fears to Family Cheers: Speech Therapy for Picky Eaters in NYC This Holiday Season
Holiday meals can be a stressful time for children with sensitive tummies, digestive concerns, and limited food repertoires.
These meals can also be overwhelming to highly sensitive children who may be highly attuned to changes in their environments.
Environmental changes could include new people, novel faces, loud voices, and a variety of cooking smells. These are all common experiences during large holiday gatherings that we navigate in speech therapy for picky eaters in NYC.
So, what can parents do to make holiday mealtimes more comfortable, enjoyable, and enticing for their highly sensitive children?
Supporting Your Child During Holiday Meals
Here are some tips and tricks that I like to give parents to create a calm and enjoyable holiday mealtimes experience:
- Firstly, make sure to clearly communicate the day’s schedule and expected activities for that day.
This will help create a sense of structure and familiarity for your child. Maybe discuss where you are going, who will be there, and what type of food will be served.
Giving a differently abled child information about what to expect throughout the day is an extremely important step and will be calming to their nervous system.
- Provide your child with some safe food options to bring along with them. Foods that you know they will enjoy eating. Maybe that’s their favorite cracker or smoothie pouch. Whatever it is, bring it along!
Let them bring their favorite snacks along for the ride. This will create a feeling of comfort and safety, while also allowing other new experiences to be had.
- Encourage your child to “lightly try” a new food. There will be many opportunities to sample novel tastes during this holiday season.
Consider allowing them to “sample” a new food in different ways. Sampling a novel food can include: looking at it, touching it, smelling it, or taking a small bite.
As a speech therapist in NYC, I invite you to proudly accept this brave new food try. Remember that these new environments may have many new faces, noises, and smells to boot!
Creating Space for Calm and Regulation
Be mindful that these compounding sensory stimuli can be overwhelming for a highly sensitive child.
- Lastly, I recommend designating a “small calming spot” for your child.
In the case of sensory overwhelm or overload, your child can always choose to take a moment, pause, breathe, and regroup.
If your child becomes dysregulated or overwhelmed during a holiday meal, they can use a designated calming spot. They can use this spot to stop, pause, breathe, and gently come back to center.
I invite you to try these tips from speech therapy for picky eaters at your next holiday meal. The goal is to encourage more calm and joy during the holidays with your little ones!
Sincerely,
Heather Lynn Boerner, MA CCC/SLP at Chatty Child
Speech Therapy for Picky Eaters in NYC: Supporting Calm, Confident Mealtimes
Holiday meals can be especially challenging for picky eaters. New foods, busy gatherings, and increased expectations often lead to stress for children and caregivers alike. At Chatty Child, we offer speech therapy for picky eaters in NYC that helps children feel safer around food, communicate their preferences, and participate in family meals without pressure or overwhelm.
Our speech therapists address the sensory and communication factors that often contribute to picky eating. Using gentle, play-based strategies, we support children in building comfort, confidence, and flexibility around food at a pace that respects their nervous system.
Here’s how to get started:
- Schedule a free 15-minute phone conversation to discuss your child’s eating challenges and holiday mealtime concerns.
- Book a comprehensive evaluation to understand your child’s sensory needs and eating patterns.
- Begin individualized therapy sessions focused on expanding food tolerance, communication, and mealtime regulation.
- Enjoy calmer, more connected meals as your child builds confidence around food and family routines.
Your child doesn’t need to eat perfectly to make progress. With compassionate, evidence-informed therapy for picky eaters in NYC, your family can move toward less stressful meals and more positive shared moments during the holidays and beyond.
Holistic Speech and Developmental Services for Children in NYC
At Chatty Child, we help children build communication skills that support confidence, connection, and everyday success. Our holistic approach to speech therapy recognizes that language development is closely tied to emotional regulation, learning, and relationships.
We work collaboratively with families to create individualized plans that support self-expression and developmental growth across home, school, and community settings.
Our services include:
- InterAct – A playful, story-based program that builds language, social connection, and confidence through imagination and interaction.
- Occupational Therapy – Support for sensory integration, fine motor skills, and independence in daily routines.
- Teletherapy – At-home speech and occupational therapy for families across New York State.
- Tutoring – Personalized academic support to strengthen reading, writing, and critical thinking.
- Functional Nutrition – Nutrition guidance to support focus, regulation, and development.
- Consulting – Collaborative support for caregivers and educators.
- Group Programs – Small-group experiences that promote communication, cooperation, and social-emotional growth.
Through evidence-informed care and creative, individualized support, Chatty Child helps children find their voice and grow with confidence.
Meet Heather Boerner, Helping Children Find Their Voice
Heather Lynn Boerner, MA, CCC-SLP, is a licensed, nationally certified speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience providing pediatric speech therapy in NYC. Her work is guided by mindfulness training, a trauma-informed lens, and her lived experience as a neurodiverse, differently-abled individual, shaping a compassionate, whole-child approach to care.
Motivated by her personal and professional journey, Heather founded Chatty Child Speech, Occupational & Physical Therapy, PLLC, an inclusive practice centered on creativity and individualized support. She is also the author of Carrie the Colorful Chameleon, a children’s book created to encourage confidence, curiosity, and connection.
Heather and her team offer in-person therapy at the Tribeca clinic and virtual services throughout New York State, helping children build communication skills, confidence, and comfort in expressing their voice.
