A year ago, our 22-month old boy had plenty of feeding issues: didn't know how to chew solid food, didn't know how to swallow anything but puree foods, and didn't like eating in general - so each of his meals usually lasted about an hour. He didn't know how to finger or spoon feed himself, and didn't even want to try to touch anything that was in his plate. Later we were informed that he was not only phobic about food, but about new textures and tactile sensations in general: he was very cautious with new toys, he avoided touching leaves and stones in the park, and cried whenever he had to step on the sand at the beach. Naturally, that made him very reserved towards any exposure to new environments, new influences, new contacts, and new people around him - which influenced his social and verbal skills. As first-time parents, we were extremely worried. We contacted the Westside Regional Center and they recommended an individual occupational therapy with a charming, self-confident and extremely skillful young therapist named Roxanne Benjamin. She tactfully introduced us to the issues our boy was facing, patiently explained the therapy stages we were about to go through, encouraged us to actively participate in them - and very soon achieved something no other but us had before: she won our son's sympathies!
Fast forward twelve months later: our boy just turn 3 and has zero feeding issues now. He bites, chews, swallows, feeds himself, enjoys various types of food, and even has his favorite tastes... He's also eager to play with new toys, enjoys discovering new textures, and loves being exposed to new environments. On top of everything, he turned into a very social person and talks like a five-year old!
And he sees Roxy not as a therapist but a member of the family - which is a place in his heart she truly deserved with her passionate work. read more