Raising a Foodie

Simple Solutions for Everyday Feeding Challenges

This workshop is designed for parents who:

• have trouble introducing more challenging textures to their child, 
• have difficulty navigating mealtimes with a picky eater or,
• would like your child to develop a more sophisticated palate

Eating seems like a simple and innate skill for children to develop, but many parents can attest to how challenging and frustrating it can be to teach healthy eating skills.  Raising a Foodie: Simple Solutions for Everyday Feeding Challenges will help you understand your child’s readiness for eating and what we can expect based on their developmental abilities. 

The workshop is led by a registered occupational therapist, Ali Cooper. Some of the topics discussed include:

• • Skills for feeding/eating
  • Fundamental skills and habits
  • How to Progress Textures
  • How to increasing variety in your child’s diet 
  • Common feeding challenges, including picky eating  

By the end of the session everyone should have a handful of general strategies and tools to apply with your family immediately.

Ali Cooper OT Reg. (Ont.)

Ali Cooper is a registered Occupational Therapist who began her career as a teacher, with a B.Ed. from McGill University. Her experience working in the education system ignited her passion to better support children, and led her to earn her Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of Toronto. Ali strives to help children with a wide variety of difficulties, including those that struggle with fine and gross motor, regulation, sensory processing, handwriting, and feeding skills. Ali’s background in teaching provides her with key insight to both the in-school and at-home needs of your child, and she has experience with direct and consultative therapy related to school, play, and self-care. Ali’s specialized training includes certification in Handwriting Without Tears, as well as experience with animal-assisted therapy (AAT), which involves incorporating animals into treatment sessions to motivate and engage clients to meet their goals. She also works with the University of Toronto’s Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy program as a preceptor and facilitator, enabling her to maintain a strictly evidence-based mode of practice.