What is the ideal spoon for a small child? || Speech therapy literature defines the ideal first spoon criteria as follows:
~ The bowl of the spoon is relatively flat, so that the food can be easily removed from the spoon with the upper lip.
~ The spoon will not break or shatter if a child bites it.
~ The bowl of the spoon fits the size of child’s mouth.
~ For children who have hypersensitivity to taste or temperature or have a bite reflex, it is good to have a plastic instead of a metal spoon.
~ The length of the spoon’s handle is suitable for the child’s independent eating and/or for the hand of the feeder.
~ The handle of the spoon is the right size and fits well in the child’s hand.
~ The spoon is interesting to a child who is learning independent spoon feeding. The color, design or image of the spoon attracts and maintains the child’s attention.
~ The spoon has a suitable weight for the child’s independent feeding needs.
~ The spoon has a pleasant texture for the child to hold.
(Resources: Pre-Feeding Skills, Second edition 2000, Suzanne Evans Morris, PH.D, CCC-SLP & Marsha Dunn Klein, M.ED, OTR/L.)
|| What is the ideal spoon for a small child? ||
