How our senses can affect mealtimes

Eating is a very sensory experience, using all of our senses at mealtimes. The way we see, touch, hear, smell and taste food can all affect how comfortable and enjoyable mealtimes feel.

Vision (what we see)

The colour, size, shape and presentation of food can influence appetite and interest. The environment also matters — for example the chair, table, plate and cutlery.

Touch (what we feel)

This includes how cutlery feels in the hand, the surface of the table, and the chair we are sitting on. The texture, size and temperature of food can also make a difference.

Sound (what we hear)

Noises in the environment can affect focus and enjoyment. This might include TVs, household appliances, outside noise, or people talking, moving, or making eating sounds.

Taste

People have different preferences for sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savoury (umami) flavours. It is also important to identify that food is safe and comfortable to tolerate in the mouth.

Smell

Smells from food, people or the environment can either help or hinder mealtimes. Smell also helps us recognise whether food is safe to eat.

Body awareness (proprioception)

This helps us judge how much force to use — for example when cutting food, using cutlery, opening packaging, or lifting drinks.

Balance and movement (vestibular)

Balance is needed to sit upright, move safely in the chair, and reach for food or drinks. It is also important when carrying items.

Internal body signals (interoception)

This is our awareness of hunger and fullness. It also includes how we feel during mealtimes, such as calm, excited, stressed or distracted.

Supporting your child at mealtimes – Some ideas to try

Keep mealtimes predictable

Try regular meal and snack times. Go at your child’s pace, allow plenty of time, and use or remove background music if it helps them stay calm or focused (explore what assists)

Introduce new foods gently

Offer new foods slowly and often, without pressure. Try them outside main meals, give choices, and avoid hiding foods.

Support sensory comfort

Small changes can help – temperature, texture, or adding flavours on the side. Crunchy or chewy foods can be calming. Oral activities like humming, blowing bubbles, or deep pressure can also help regulate.

Create a supportive eating space

Think about noise, smells, lighting and distractions. Present food simply and be flexible with plates, bowls and cutlery.

Encourage involvement and play

Let children help with shopping and cooking. Food play (edible or non‑edible), messy play, or using fidgets or playdough can support regulation.

Support emotional regulation

Notice signs of stress or comfort eating. Gentle breathing, singing, or movement before or after meals can help. Offer other calming options that don’t involve food.

Promote positive food messages

Talk neutrally about food. Avoid rewards or punishments linked to eating. Be honest and don’t force tasting or finishing.

These suggestions could help make mealtimes feel calmer and safer, improve body awareness, reduce stress around food, and support more positive and regulated eating experiences.

How our senses can affect appetite

Our senses (such as smell, taste, touch, sight and sound) can strongly influence appetite, as certain sensations may help us decide if food feels nice or not, and some smells, textures, sounds or tastes can make us feel more or less hungry.

Vision (what we see)

What food looks like can affect how hungry we feel. Colour, shape, and how much food is on the plate can make food feel more or less appealing.

Touch (what we feel)

How food feels in the mouth – such as its texture or temperature – can make eating feel enjoyable or uncomfortable. This can increase or reduce how much a child wants to eat.

Sound (what we hear)

Sounds from cooking, chewing, or the eating environment can affect anticipation and enjoyment of food, which may increase or decrease appetite.

Taste

Taste plays a big role in food choices. Strong likes or dislikes can affect how aware a child is of feeling hungry and when they feel full.

Smell

Smells can trigger memories and strongly influence appetite. Illness or reduced sense of smell can also make food less appealing.

Body awareness (proprioception)

Knowing how much force to use when opening packets or using cutlery helps children feel more confident at mealtimes. Difficulties with these skills can reduce engagement with food.

Balance and movement (vestibular)

Movement can help regulate emotions and body signals. Gentle movement before or during the day can support appetite by helping the body feel calmer and more organised.

Internal body signals (interoception)

Emotions such as stress, excitement, or worry can make it harder to notice hunger and fullness signals, which may increase or reduce appetite.

Helping Your Child Understand their Appetite

Some children don’t notice hunger, and others feel hungry all the time. This is often linked to how their body and senses are working. Eating can be hard because our body, mouth, or senses are not quite “ready”. These ideas can help your child’s body feel calm, alert, and ready for food.

Getting the Mouth Ready

• Offer cold, crunchy, or chewy foods (even small tastes) before meals to help wake up the mouth.
• Use flavoured straws or sour tastes to help the mouth make saliva and notice hunger.
• If your child likes mouth movement, try sipping water, sucking ice, singing, blowing bubbles, or mouth games.

Helping the Body Feel Calm and Organised

• Give tight hugs or squeezes before meals to help your child feel calm and focused.
• Some children find weighted lap pads or snug clothing helpful for sitting and eating.
• Try to eat in a quiet, calm space with fewer distractions.
• Some young people experience improved focus and awareness of body signals when there is increased sensory input, such as sound.

Making Food Feel Safer and More Engaging to support focus

• Present food in a neat and colourful way, with foods kept separate if your child prefers.
• Let children touch and explore food with their hands.
• Try messy or tactile play (like playdough or sensory trays) before meals to help prepare for food textures.

Helping Children Understand Hunger and Fullness

• Use pictures or scales to show “hungry”, “just right”, and “full”.
• Before eating, ask: “How do you/does your body feel?”
• Encourage slow bites and noticing taste and texture.
• If recognising fullness is tricky, gently help your child shift focus away from the food when portion is consumed.

When we understand how each sense shapes appetite and support children in recognising what their body needs, mealtimes can become calmer, more positive, and more comfortable. With the right sensory awareness, children can gradually learn “when their body needs food and when it has had enough.”

Interoception helps us understand what is happening inside our body. It plays a key role in helping us look after ourselves and regulate how we feel.

It helps us to:

• Regulate our emotions and notice how our feelings show up in our body
• Know our body temperature, such as when we are too hot or too cold
• Recognise hunger and fullness, so we know when to eat and when we’ve had enough
• Notice when we need the toilet
• Realise when we are thirsty and need a drink
• Recognise tiredness and know when we need to rest or sleep
• Respond appropriately to pain, helping us keep ourselves safe

How Body Signals Can Look and Feel Different for Some Children

• no or little reaction to pain
• not wearing weather appropriate clothing or footwear
• not feeling full after eating
• misunderstanding feelings e.g. pain or anxiety as hunger
• never feeling hungry or thirsty
• urgency or ‘accidents’ with toileting

Ideas to help with Interoception Sense Differences

Build body awareness – use mindfulness, body scans, breathing, and notice body signals like hunger or needing the toilet

Support regular eating and drinking – eat at similar times, use reminders, carry snacks and drinks, and use a timed water bottle

Sensory activities – blowing bubbles, using a straw,

Create routines – have plans for meals, drinks, toilet use, clothing for the weather, and regular rest breaks

Get support when needed – ask for help with clothing choices or portion sizes if unsure

Understand emotions – use colours, shapes, or characters to help name and understand feelings

Encourage children to notice and respond to the internal body signals that feel comfortable for them, remembering that what supports their interoceptive system can change with tiredness, mood, and environment. Everyone’s internal‑body needs are different – some children easily recognise hunger, thirst, tiredness, or needing the toilet, while others need more support to notice or interpret these signals. The goal is to notice what helps your child feel aware of their body, comfortable, and able to take part.

Our balance and movement sense helps us stay steady, understand how our body is moving, and supports almost every physical action because our brain is always tracking your position in space. It’s one of those senses that works quietly in the background until something goes wrong.

Why is the balance and movement (vestibular) sense important?

• helps us balance and stay upright
• lets us know how fast we are moving, and in what direction
• allows us to move our eyes when reading without moving our hea
• helps coordinate our movements and prevents us from falling when walking on flat ground or going up and down stairs
• we use our balance to get dressed, shower and lots of other daily tasks

If a child has differences with their balance and movement sense, you might notice

• Trips, slips, or falls more often
• Difficulty walking on uneven ground, curbs, or stairs
• Avoids climbing, running, or playground equipment because it feels unsafe
• Gets dizzy easily or dislikes spinning, swinging, or fast movement
• Appears clumsy or uncoordinated
• Has trouble sitting still because their body doesn’t feel stable
• Struggles to keep their head steady, which can affect reading or copying from the board
• Moves more cautiously or seems anxious about movement and finds it challenging to change direction
• Has trouble learning new motor skills, like hopping, skipping, or riding a bike

These signs don’t automatically mean something is “wrong” — they just show that the child’s vestibular system might be working differently, and they may need extra support or practice.

Some young people may actively seek movement and need lots of it to feel regulated.

Strategies that can support balance and movement sensory differences across different environments

Home

• Rocking in a chair
• Swinging
• Yoga or stretching
• Sitting or balancing on a gym ball
• Using different positions for tasks

School / Classroom

• Taking regular movement breaks
• Using different positions
• Sitting on a wobble cushion
• Walking at different speeds
• Carrying a heavy bag

Playground / Outdoor Spaces

• Swinging
• Running
• Jumping
• Climbing
• Hanging upside down
• Walking on varied surfaces

Let children help choose the types of movement or body positions that feel best for them, keeping in mind that what supports their balance and movement sensory system can change depending on tiredness, mood, and environment.

Our proprioceptive, or body‑awareness, sense helps us understand where our body is and how much force to use during everyday actions.

Why is the body awareness (proprioception) sense important?

• Helps children run, jump, ride, climb, and play with confidence
• Supports using the right amount of force
• Makes everyday tasks easier
• Helps children sit upright and stay steady
• Supports feeling calm and ready to focus

If a child has differences with their body awareness sense, you might notice

• Needing to look at their feet
• Pressing too hard or too lightly
• Difficulty judging force
• Challenges using cutlery
• Appearing fidgety
• Appearing clumsy
• Using too much or too little force
• Challenges with dressing
• Needing extra time to plan movements

Strategies to Support Body‑Awareness (Proprioceptive) Differences

• Use heavy‑work activities
• Build movement into the day
• Offer deep‑pressure input
• Support regulation with breathing
• Practise judging force
• Provide supportive seating options

Let children help choose the types of body pressure and activities that feel best for them.

Our sense of smell helps us understand the world around us and is closely linked to memory, strongly influencing how we feel, behave, and stay safe.

Why is the smell (olfactory) sense important?

• It can help us feel calm and relaxed or more alert and awake
• Smell plays a role in appetite, hunger, and food choices
• Some smells are strongly linked to memories and past experiences, which is why they can bring up strong emotions very quickly.
• Smell helps keep us safe by warning us about danger, such as smoke, gas, or food that is not safe to eat

If a child has differences with their smell sense, you might notice some of the following.

Some children and young people may be more sensitive to smells, while others may not notice smells very much.

You might notice

• Feels sick or nauseous in certain places or around specific smells (for example cooking, perfumes, or cleaning products)
• Is not always aware of smells, including strong or unpleasant ones
• Smells objects or people more than others (such as clothes, furniture, or seats)
• Uses lots of scented products, such as shower gels, sprays, or candles, to feel comfortable or alert
• Reacts strongly to everyday smells that others may barely notice
• Becomes upset, distracted, or overwhelmed when smells are unexpected or changed

Strategies that can help with smell sensory differences

These ideas can help children feel more comfortable, calm, and in control around smells:

To reduce overwhelming smells

• Keep environments well ventilated (open windows, use extractor fans)
• Use unscented or low‑scent products
• Avoid mixing lots of different scents
• Remove strong smells before entering a room
• Try gentle, calming smells such as lavender or vanilla
• Offer a familiar safe smell
• Plan ahead for places with strong smells
• Allow the child to step away from strong smells

To support children who seek smells

• Add scent in a controlled way
• Use stronger, familiar smells
• Use smells to support routines
• Allow choice in personal care products

General helpful strategies

• Let children know everyone’s smell sense works differently
• Talk about smells in advance
• Pair strategies with calming support
• Avoid using smells as surprises
• Work with school/employer

Using favourite or safe smells

• Keep preferred smells accessible
• Carry a favoured scented item
• Use consistent smells for routines
• Let children choose their preferred smells

Let children help choose the types of smells, scents, and environments that feel comfortable for them, remembering that what supports their smell system can change with tiredness, mood, and environment.

Our hearing sense helps us understand what’s happening around us and feel safe and connected.

• It helps us stay safe by noticing warning sounds.
• It helps us learn to talk and chat with other people.
• It works together with our eyes to make sense of the world.
• It helps us notice how loud or quiet, high or low, and fast or slow sounds are.
• It helps us understand how close or far away things are.

How the Hearing Sense Can Feel Different for Some Children

Some children’s ears notice sounds more strongly or differently.

• Covering their ears when sounds feel too loud
• Finding sudden or noisy sounds uncomfortable
• Noticing quiet sounds others don’t
• Finding busy places hard
• Making their own noise to feel settled
• Feeling tired more quickly

These differences are about how the ears and brain work together, not behaviour.

Ideas to Help with Sound Sensory Differences

When sound feels overwhelming

• Close windows and doors
• Move to quieter spaces
• Turn noise down
• Listen to gentle music
• Use white noise
• Take sound breaks
• Spend time outside
• Wear ear coverings
• Use ear defenders or earbuds
• Ask for written instructions

If more sound is needed

• Listen to upbeat music
• Increase background sound slightly
• Use music for movement
• Have low-level background noise
• Ask people to say your name first

Let children help choose the types of sounds and environments that feel comfortable.

The taste and oral sense helps children and young people notice flavours, textures and sensations in the mouth. This sense plays an important role in eating, drinking, chewing, toothbrushing and communication.

Why the taste (oral) sense is important

The taste sense helps us understand food through flavour, texture, temperature, and movement in the mouth.

The taste / oral sense helps us to:

• Notice flavours and textures
• Chew safely
• Look after teeth and mouth
• Feel calm when eating
• Explore new foods
• Support jaw strength and digestion

What you might notice if there are taste / oral sense differences

• Picky eating
• Strong preferences
• Chewing non-food items
• Difficulty noticing food in mouth
• Slow eating
• Gagging or anxiety
• Texture avoidance or seeking
• Toothbrushing difficulties

Ideas to help with taste/oral sense differences

For children who need more oral sensation

• Chewy foods
• Crunchy foods
• Strong flavours
• Cold foods
• Straws and chewing activities

For children who are very sensitive

• Introduce foods gradually
• Offer familiar foods
• Use mild flavours
• Allow food separation
• Encourage exploration

Supporting toothbrushing & oral care

• Try different toothpaste
• Adjust flavours
• Use massage or vibration
• Use visual routines

Everyday regulation & calm

• Chewing activities
• Straws and drinks
• Oral input before meals
• Daily routines

Everyone’s oral needs are different.

Our touch sense helps us understand texture, temperature, and pressure.

Why is the touch sense important

• Supports connection with others
• Supports motor skills
• Helps detect danger
• Helps with comfort and safety
• Supports daily activities

Common signs of touch sensory differences

• Avoiding certain clothing
• Difficulty in busy spaces
• Strong or limited reactions to touch
• Avoiding messy play
• Seeking touch or fidgeting

Strategies which might support touch sensory differences

• Deep pressure input
• Warm or cool experiences
• Adapt clothing
• Prepare for touch tasks
• Provide sensory items
• Use fidgets
• Support communication about touch

Everyone’s tactile needs are different.

The visual sense helps us understand what we see and supports learning, movement, and safety.

Why is the visual sense important

• Navigate safely
• Recognise patterns and shapes
• Support learning
• Recognise faces
• Complete daily tasks

If a child has visual differences

• Sensitivity to light
• Preference for dim spaces
• Difficulty with reading
• Distracted by busy environments
• Difficulty judging distance

Ideas to help with visual sensory differences

When things feel too bright or busy

• Use softer lighting
• Reduce clutter
• Use plain backgrounds
• Use reading guides

When more visual input is needed

• Use bright colours
• Use visual displays
• Use moving visual elements
• Use timers and charts

Everyone’s visual needs are different.