Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity
What an AbilityScore of 700–800 means in feeding selectivity
An AbilityScore of 700–800 for sensory-based feeding selectivity is an encouraging band — a broadening diet, calmer mealtimes and growing flexibility, measured against your child's own baseline. It guides consolidating gains rather than intensive therapy, and is read only with your clinician.
Seeing your child's AbilityScore® land in the 700–800 band can feel like a turning point — so let's read it together, warmly and clearly.
In short
An AbilityScore® of 700–800 for [Sensory-Based Feeding Selectivity](/) generally reflects a child who is doing well — eating a broadening range of foods and textures, with sensory responses that are settling and mealtimes that are becoming calmer and more flexible. It is an encouraging, reassuring band that points towards consolidating gains rather than intensive intervention. Importantly, the score is a snapshot measured against your own child's baseline — not a pass mark, and not a diagnosis.What this band tends to mean
The AbilityScore® is a clinician-administered structured assessment, and a band is read in context with your clinician — never in isolation. In the 700–800 range, families often see:- A wider food repertoire — more accepted textures, colours and temperatures than before.
- Lower mealtime distress — fewer refusals, gagging or strong reactions to new foods.
- Better flexibility — your child can try something new with support, and recover quickly if it doesn't go to plan.
- More everyday participation — eating at family meals, at school or with others becoming easier.
A band is not a finish line. Feeding development moves in spurts and plateaus, so the band shows where your child is now and helps your clinician decide whether to taper support, maintain gentle goals, or watch a specific texture or nutrient group more closely.
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 form or a number alone. Our feeding and occupational therapy team reads this band alongside your child's history, growth and daily mealtimes, then agrees the next gentle step with you. With 25 million+ therapy sessions behind our approach and progress always measured against your child's own baseline, the score becomes a tool for clarity — not a label.Trusted sources
WHO ICD-11 (6B83, feeding and eating); American Academy of Pediatrics guidance on feeding and mealtime development; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association on paediatric feeding; Pinnacle Blooms Network clinical studies.Next step — A band is best understood with the clinician who measured it. Book a feeding review to interpret your child's score and agree the next gentle goal.
What to watch
Even in a strong band, flag it sooner if your child suddenly drops accepted foods, loses weight, gags or chokes often, or refuses a whole food group — these warrant a prompt clinician review.
Try this at home
Keep new foods low-pressure: pop a tiny portion on the plate beside a favourite, with no expectation to eat it. Repeated, relaxed exposure — looking, touching, smelling — builds acceptance far better than coaxing.
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
Is 700–800 a good AbilityScore for feeding selectivity?
It is an encouraging band that usually reflects a broadening diet, calmer mealtimes and growing flexibility. But it is a snapshot against your own child's baseline, not a pass mark — your clinician reads it in full context.
Does a 700–800 band mean my child no longer needs therapy?
Not necessarily. The band helps your clinician decide whether to taper support, maintain gentle goals, or watch a specific texture or nutrient group. The decision is made with you at a Pinnacle centre, never from the number alone.
Can the AbilityScore diagnose my child?
No. The AbilityScore is a clinician-administered structured assessment that maps your child's strengths and needs. Any diagnosis is formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care.