Smell Processing · Taste · Oral-Motor Function · Food Acceptance. Olfaction has direct connections to the limbic (emotional) brain, bypassing the thalamus — making smell the most emotionally charged sense.
⚡ Gustatory (taste) processing is tightly linked to touch receptors inside the mouth — oral texture is inseparable from taste in children with tactile sensitivity. Both must be addressed together.
Scent sequencing: child smells 3 jars in order; adult changes order — child re-identifies the sequence
Scent storytelling: 'this smell reminds me of…' — builds language around olfactory experience
Child selects 3 favourite scents to use as personal calming tools
💡 TipsUse preferred scents in a personal inhaler stick — child carries to sniff instead of sniffing people. Introduce challenging scents at very low intensity — dilute in carrier oil first.
💡 TipsFood play is central to SOS — rolling food, making faces with food, sorting by colour are all valid therapeutic activities. NEVER force a child to eat — pressure creates lasting aversions. Progress is measured in months, not sessions.
Oral-Motor Warm-Up Exercises
6.3
★ Easy⏱ 5–8 min before meals
🎯 Prepare the oral-motor system for eating; reduce hypersensitivity inside the mouth; improve jaw grading
Jaw stretches: open wide (5 seconds), close slowly — 10 reps
Cheek puffs: inflate cheeks with air, hold 3 seconds, release slowly — 10 reps
Tongue push: press tongue firmly against roof of mouth for 5 seconds — 10 reps
Tongue circles: rotate tongue around lips clockwise then anti-clockwise — 5 each direction
Straw drinking: drink a thick smoothie through a narrow straw (resistive sucking) — 2 minutes
Vibrating toothbrush inside the mouth: gentle pressure on gums and cheeks for 1 minute before the meal
💡 TipsThese exercises desensitise the mouth before food contact — dramatically improves tolerance for new textures. Performed consistently before every meal, effects accumulate over 4–6 weeks.
Scent Desensitisation Programme
6.4
★★ Moderate⏱ 10 min · 3×/wk
🎯 Reduce avoidance response to specific triggering scents through graded exposure
Create an olfactory hierarchy: 10 scents from neutral to most triggering
Begin with scent 1 (neutral): sniff from 30 cm away — 3 sniffs, then reward
Week 2: sniff from 15 cm — 3 sniffs
Week 3: sniff from 5 cm — 3 sniffs
Week 4: move to scent 2 (mildly unpleasant) at 30 cm distance
Always pair exposure with a preferred calming activity (weighted blanket, fidget)
💡 TipsIf a scent is unavoidable (e.g., school cafeteria), the child's personal preferred scent inhaler can serve as olfactory 'camouflage'. Never introduce a strongly triggering scent without 3 sessions on milder scents first.