{"h1":"Feeding & Eating Difficulties: AbilityScore 700–800 — next steps","faq":[{"a":"It sits in a higher-functioning band, which is encouraging — it suggests your child is managing many feeding skills well, with some specific areas still to strengthen. The exact meaning depends on which skills the score reflects, which your Pinnacle clinician will explain.","q":"Is an AbilityScore of 700–800 a good result for feeding difficulties?"},{"a":"Not necessarily. Many children in this band move to a lighter or maintenance plan rather than stopping entirely, so gains hold and generalise to home and school. Your clinician will advise the right frequency for your child.","q":"Does a 700–800 band mean we can stop therapy?"},{"a":"Re-measurement is scheduled with your clinician so progress stays visible against your child's own baseline. Feeding develops in spurts and plateaus, so repeated structured measurement separates a normal pause from a real concern.","q":"How often should we re-measure the AbilityScore?"},{"a":"No. The AbilityScore is a clinician-administered structured assessment, and any diagnosis is formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care — never from a number alone.","q":"Can I find out my child's diagnosis from the AbilityScore number?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-feeding-and-eating-difficulties-has-an-abilityscore-of-700-800-what-should-we-do-next","title":"AbilityScore 700–800 for Feeding & Eating Difficulties — what to do next","entity":{"key":"feeding-disorder","kind":"condition","name":"Feeding & Eating Difficulties","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Adaptive","value":"adaptive"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Support","value":"support"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Measure","value":"measure"},{"kind":"route","label":"Book-Assessment","value":"book-assessment"},{"kind":"score_band","label":"As 700 800","value":"as_700_800"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Self Sufficiency","value":"self_sufficiency"}],"parent":{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-feeding-and-eating-difficulties-has-an-abilityscore-of-300-400-what-should-we-do-next","title":"AbilityScore 300–400 for Feeding & Eating Difficulties — Your Next Steps"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-feeding-and-eating-difficulties-has-an-abilityscore-of-800-900-what-should-we-do-next","title":"AbilityScore 800–900 for Feeding & Eating Difficulties"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-feeding-and-eating-difficulties-has-an-abilityscore-of-200-300-what-should-we-do-next","title":"AbilityScore 200–300 for Feeding & Eating Difficulties — Next Steps"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-feeding-and-eating-difficulties-has-an-abilityscore-of-600-700-what-should-we-do-next","title":"AbilityScore 600–700 for Feeding & Eating Difficulties: What to Do Next"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-feeding-and-eating-difficulties-has-an-abilityscore-of-500-600-what-should-we-do-next","title":"AbilityScore 500–600 for Feeding & Eating Difficulties"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-with-feeding-and-eating-difficulties-has-an-abilityscore-of-900-1000-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Feeding & Eating Difficulties: AbilityScore 900–1000 Next Steps"}],"summary":"An AbilityScore of 700–800 for feeding difficulties is an encouraging, higher-functioning band. The next step is a lighter, focused plan to consolidate gains, plus scheduled re-measurement against your child's own baseline — interpreted only by your Pinnacle clinician.","answer_md":"*An AbilityScore in the 700–800 band is genuinely encouraging news — it tells you your child is in a strong place, and your next steps are about steady momentum, not rescue.*\n\n## In short\nAn AbilityScore® of 700–800 for [Feeding & Eating Difficulties](/feeding-therapy) sits in a higher-functioning band — your child is managing many feeding and mealtime skills well, with some specific areas still to strengthen. The next step is simple: keep the gains going with a focused, lighter-touch plan, and re-measure against your child's own baseline so progress stays visible. This score is a snapshot to build on, not a finish line — and only your Pinnacle clinician can interpret what it means for *your* child.\n\n## What a 700–800 band usually means\nThink of the AbilityScore® as a structured picture of where your child is right now, measured against their own starting point rather than other children. A score in this band typically reflects:\n\n- **Solid foundations** — your child accepts a reasonable range of foods, textures or feeding routines\n- **Targeted gaps** — a few specific challenges remain, such as a narrow food repertoire, mealtime anxiety, slow eating, or difficulty with particular textures\n- **Readiness for refinement** — the work ahead is often about consolidating skills and generalising them to home, school and outings\n\nFeeding develops in spurts and plateaus, so a strong score is something to protect with consistency. The aim now is fewer, sharper goals — not more pressure at the table.\n\n## What to do next\n1. **Review the detail with your clinician.** The single number matters less than *which* skills it reflects. Your Pinnacle clinician will translate the band into a short list of priorities.\n2. **Continue a right-sized plan.** Many children in this band move to lighter or maintenance-frequency [feeding therapy](/feeding-therapy) with clear home routines.\n3. **Re-measure on schedule.** Repeating the [AbilityScore® assessment](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) shows whether gains are holding and where to focus next.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nYour child's Developmental measurement supports care planning; diagnosis requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional., under the care of a qualified clinician — never from an online figure alone. Drawing on 25 million+ therapy sessions and 4.95 lakh+ families served across 70+ centres, our team turns a strong score into a practical, empowering plan that fits your child's real mealtimes. Explore [feeding therapy](/feeding-therapy), understand [how the AbilityScore® works](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated), or start from [our home](/).\n\n## Trusted sources\nWHO ICD-11 (feeding and eating difficulties, 6B8Z); American Academy of Pediatrics guidance on feeding and mealtime development; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) resources on paediatric feeding; Pinnacle Blooms Network clinical studies.\n\n**Next step —** Turn a strong score into lasting progress. [Book a review with your Pinnacle feeding clinician](/feeding-therapy) to set your child's next goals.\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-with-feeding-and-eating-difficulties-has-an-abilityscore-of-700-800-what-should-we-do-next","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-with-feeding-and-eating-difficulties-has-an-abilityscore-of-700-800-what-should-we-do-next","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"}],"meta_title":"AbilityScore 700–800 for Feeding: What's Next","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Keep mealtimes calm and pressure-free: offer one small portion of a target food alongside familiar favourites, and let your child explore it without insisting they eat it. Repeated relaxed exposure builds acceptance far better than coaxing.","published_at":"2026-06-10T10:36:00.237648+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"understand","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-feeding-and-eating-difficulties-affect-a-child-s-daily-life","title":"How Feeding & Eating Difficulties Affect a Child's Daily Life","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-feeding-and-eating-difficulties-considered-a-disability","title":"Is Feeding & Eating Difficulties a disability?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-feeding-and-eating-difficulties-genetic-or-hereditary","title":"Is Feeding & Eating Difficulties genetic or hereditary?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-common-myths-about-feeding-and-eating-difficulties","title":"Common Myths About Feeding & Eating Difficulties","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-types-or-levels-of-feeding-and-eating-difficulties","title":"What are the types or levels of Feeding & Eating 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Any of these warrants an earlier review with your clinician rather than waiting for the next scheduled re-measurement.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://icd.who.int/browse11","code":"6B8Z","label":"WHO ICD-11 — Feeding & Eating Difficulties"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren — feeding and mealtime development"},{"url":"https://www.asha.org","label":"ASHA — paediatric feeding resources"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T10:36:00.237648+00:00","meta_description":"Your child's feeding AbilityScore is 700–800 — an encouraging band. Learn what it means and the practical next steps to keep progress going at Pinnacle.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}