Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity
Sensory Feeding Selectivity: AbilityScore 600–700 — Next Steps
An AbilityScore of 600–700 in Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity is a useful starting baseline, not a verdict. The next step is a structured clinician review that turns the score into a personalised, child-led feeding plan — usually blending occupational and feeding therapy — with progress re-measured against your child's own baseline.
An AbilityScore in the 600–700 band is real, encouraging information — and it points to a clear, hopeful next step for mealtimes.
In short
Your child's [Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity](/) sits in the 600–700 band on their own AbilityScore baseline — a meaningful starting point that tells the clinician where to begin, not a label or a limit. The next step is a structured review with a Pinnacle clinician to turn that score into a personalised feeding plan, usually blending occupational therapy and feeding-focused support. Steady, child-led exposure — not pressure — is what moves this band upward over time.What this band means for feeding
Sensory-based feeding selectivity isn't fussiness or defiance — many children genuinely experience certain textures, smells or temperatures as overwhelming. A 600–700 score gives your clinician a precise picture of where your child is now: which sensory channels are sensitive, how wide the accepted-food range is, and how mealtimes are unfolding at home. From there the plan typically focuses on:- Lowering mealtime stress first — a calm, predictable table where no new food is forced
- Gentle sensory exploration — touching, smelling and playing with foods long before any expectation to eat them
- Tiny, repeated steps — building tolerance one texture or one food at a time, celebrating every approach
- Protecting nutrition and growth alongside expanding variety
When to seek prompt review
Book sooner rather than later if your child is losing weight, dropping previously accepted foods, gagging or choking often, or if mealtimes have become so distressing they affect the whole family. These deserve timely clinician attention.The Pinnacle way
A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care — never from an online figure alone. Your child's clinician will translate this band into a warm, practical plan and re-measure against their own baseline so progress stays visible. Explore occupational therapy and feeding support, and see how your AbilityScore is calculated.Trusted sources
WHO ICD-11 (6B83, feeding and eating disorders); American Academy of Pediatrics guidance on feeding and responsive mealtimes; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association on paediatric feeding; Pinnacle Blooms Network clinical studies.Next step — Turn this score into a plan. Book a feeding assessment with a Pinnacle clinician and walk away with clear, kind next steps.
This is general information, not a diagnosis — a clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care.
What to watch
Seek prompt clinician review if your child is losing weight, dropping foods they once ate, gagging or choking often at meals, or if mealtimes have become so distressing they affect the whole family.
Try this at home
Put one new food on the table near (not on) your child's plate with zero pressure to eat it. Let them touch, smell or simply look at it. Repeated calm exposure — sometimes ten or more times — gently builds familiarity that turns into willingness.
Trusted sources
Developed by SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network · Last reviewed 2026-06-10
This is general information, not a diagnosis. A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care.
Frequently asked
Does an AbilityScore of 600–700 mean my child's feeding problem is severe?
No. The score is a starting point on your child's own baseline that tells the clinician where to begin — it is not a severity label or a limit. Its real value is in showing where to focus support and in measuring progress over time.
Should I keep offering new foods at home?
Yes — gently and without pressure. Keep offering new foods alongside familiar ones, let your child explore by touching and smelling, and never force a bite. Repeated calm exposure is what builds tolerance. Your clinician will guide the pace.
What kind of therapy helps sensory-based feeding selectivity?
Support usually blends occupational therapy (for the sensory side) with feeding-focused therapy, always protecting nutrition and growth. Your Pinnacle clinician designs the plan around your child's specific score and home mealtimes.
Can this be diagnosed from the online AbilityScore alone?
No. A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care. An online figure is a helpful signal that guides the next step, not a diagnosis.