Helping children with sensory-based food challenges expand food tolerance and build healthier, more flexible eating habits
For many families of children with autism and other developmental disabilities, mealtime can be one of the most challenging parts of the day. Food selectivity, often tied to sensory processing differences, can severely limit the foods a child is willing to eat or even be around. This can make daily routines and family outings difficult.
Lunch Bunch at the Bancroft School
At the Bancroft School, a new program called Lunch Bunch is helping to change that. Backed by a grant from the Ravitz Ramily Foundation, Lunch Bunch is a weekly group therapy session developed to support students with significant food selectivity.
Watch how Lunch Bunch is making a difference at Bancroft:
“Many of our students have very narrow food preferences, sometimes down to a specific brand or cooking method,” said Jodi Taylor, Sr. Occupational Therapist at Bancroft. “That can make daily life incredibly stressful for families and often prevents them from eating out together.”
The program takes an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together a team of occupational and speech therapists to help children safely explore new foods in a supportive environment. Each week, six students participate in a small group setting, working toward personalized goals around food tolerance and acceptance.
The team focuses not only on helping children try new foods but also on reducing anxiety and building the ability to simply be around unfamiliar food without distress. The students benefit from the combined expertise of the therapists, who all have different training and approaches to feeding challenges. That collaboration ensures strategies can be tailored to meet each student’s individual needs.
The progress has been meaningful. One student, previously unable to stay at the lunch table for more than a few minutes, now participates in the entire session. Another, once highly selective, recently ate chicken nuggets and fries from a restaurant for the first time, a significant step forward for his family.
“It’s not about forcing kids to eat,” said Meghan Montgomery, Speech Therapist. “It’s about creating a safe space for them to try new things at their own pace and helping families regain some normalcy around meals.”
Food Explorers in the Early Education Program
In Bancroft’s Preschool & Early Education program, the Food Explorers group introduces similar principles through playful, sensory-based experiences. Led by Occupational Therapist Tracy Bogdanski and supported by school leadership and a generous donation from Costco, the program currently serves three classrooms and runs twice a month.
Each session follows a consistent structure: a gross motor warm-up (such as a themed “Would You Rather” dance), an oral motor activity (like blowing bubbles or using coach’s whistles), and a food exploration component where students engage with themed snacks. For example, students have made fruit flowers, decorated placemats with vegetable strips, and even sampled green eggs and ham during Read Across America Week. There is no pressure to eat, only encouragement for participation at any level.
Helping More Children, Together
Whether a preschooler is learning to interact with a particular fruit for the first time or an older student is gaining the confidence to eat out with family, these programs represent Bancroft’s holistic approach to care, meeting each child where they are and supporting meaningful growth every step of the way.
Thanks to the generosity of our community partners, programs like Lunch Bunch and Food Explorers are already making a difference. With additional support, we hope to expand these efforts and reach even more students across our programs.
If your organization is interested in supporting initiatives like Lunch Bunch and Food Explorers, we’d love to hear from you. Contact Natalie Ragazzo at [email protected] to learn how you can help make a difference—one little bite at a time.
