Are screens OK for children with feeding difficulties?
Introduction
You’ve likely heard the blanket advice: “No screens at the table.” And for many families, this guidance can be valid. Screens can distract kids from hunger cues, disrupt family connection, and create habits that are hard to break. However, when supporting children with feeding difficulties - they can sometimes be used as therapeutic tools. This is something I recently discussed with Joanne on the Food For Kids podcast (you can listen here).
Like most tools in child development, screens aren’t good or bad in isolation - it’s all about how and why they’re used. In this blog, I want to take a balanced look at when screens might be helpful, when they’re not, and how families can use them intentionally in feeding therapy and at home.
Why Feeding Is So Complex
Feeding isn’t just about eating food. It requires:
sensory processing
motor skills
postural stability
emotional regulation
social interaction
learning through exposure and repetition
For some children - especially those with sensory sensitivities, developmental differences, anxiety, or medical complications - eating can feel stressful or even threatening. When stress increases, the body enters a state where learning and appetite both decrease. That’s where screens can sometimes come in.
How Screens Can Support Feeding Therapy
1. To Reduce Anxiety and Lower the “Threat” Level
For a child who feels overwhelmed or fearful around food, a calming video or favourite show can lower arousal, helping them tolerate being at the table or being near new foods.
It’s not about “distracting them into eating,” but rather reducing the emotional intensity so they can begin to engage.
2. To Increase Tolerance of New Foods and Sensory Input
If touching, smelling, or looking at certain foods is difficult, pairing that experience with something predictable and enjoyable can make it less overwhelming.
A short, familiar video can act like:
a grounding tool
a sensory regulator
a motivator to stay in the interaction
This is especially useful in early stages of exposure-based eating therapies.
3. To Build Positive Associations
For some children, food has long been linked with discomfort, medical procedures, or stress. Pairing feeding practice with a joyful, highly preferred activity can help rewrite those associations.
4. As a Bridge, Not a Crutch
Screens can help families get started when mealtimes feel like battles. Once the child’s tolerance and skills grow, screens can gradually be faded out.
Practical Tips for Using Screens Intentionally
If you decide to use screens as part of feeding support, here’s how to keep it purposeful:
✔ Use them strategically, not automatically
Reserve screens for therapy tasks like tolerating new foods or staying seated a bit longer.
✔ Prefer short, predictable videos
Familiar content keeps the experience calming rather than overstimulating.
✔ Keep audio volume low
This helps maintain some awareness of the mealtime environment.
✔ Pair screen time with positive verbal cues
“Look at you sitting at the table!”
“You touched the cucumber — amazing!”
The screen supports regulation; you support connection.
✔ Fade gradually over time
Once the child’s tolerance improves, start with tiny steps:
screens only during new-food exposure
screens only for the first 2–3 minutes
switch to audio-only or a photo slideshow
shift the device farther away from the table
✔ Seek professional support when needed
If you’re unsure whether screens are helping or hindering progress - or if you’re finding it challenging to reduce screen use - a qualified professional can help you build a plan that supports your child’s safety, comfort, and long-term skills.
The Bottom Line
Screens aren’t the enemy. For some children with feeding difficulties, they’re simply a bridge that helps them feel safe enough to participate, explore, and build new skills.
If a screen helps a child take one small step toward more positive interactions with food, that’s not a failure of “perfect parenting.” That’s flexible, responsive, thoughtful caregiving.
And in feeding therapy, those small steps matter.