Won't Chew

[nina2385]

My 2 year old daughter does not chew her food. She swallows and then holds her ears as if it hurts why is that. I alway feed her soft food and try and chop her food as tiny as possible is this the reason she does not chew her food?

[specialmom]

Hi,  I just wanted to say that my son has sensory integration disorder and chewing is very difficult for him.  It involves motor planning which is part of the sensory system/ nervous system.  He met motor milestones on time and was talking, so I did not put this correlation together until he was older and seeing an occupational therapist.  That is excellent advice to see a speech pathologist and you may be referred to an occupational therapist.  We've seen tremendous improvement with our son who is now almost 6.  It is a true worry with children like yours and mine that they could choke.  My son now chews everything pretty easily with the exception of meat.  Still working on that!  Good luck.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

I don't know the answer to your question. It would be sensible to speak with her pediatrician and see if she should be evaluated by a Speech/Language pathologist for the purpose of assessing her swallowing process and the status of her oral muscles.