Little Eaters & Talkers

Little Eaters & Talkers At Little Eaters & Talkers, our team of Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) and Occupational Therapists (OTs) help children thrive at every stage of feeding.

We support families in the Houston area and virtually,

04/30/2026

Pairing associations is a great bridge to answering ‘wh’ questions! By using objects that ‘go together,’ we provide a visual scaffold for children to understand the why and how of their environment. 🧩✨

Your child's mealtime struggles don't need just one solution. They need a team.Here's who should be on your child's supp...
04/28/2026

Your child's mealtime struggles don't need just one solution. They need a team.
Here's who should be on your child's support team for feeding challenges:
🩺 Pediatrician — Your starting point. Monitors growth, makes referrals, checks for GI issues.

🍽️ Feeding Therapist (SLP or OT) — That's me. We work on the skills and the comfort your child needs to expand what they eat. Play-based, pressure-free.

🧠 Occupational Therapist — Focuses specifically on sensory processing. Helps figure out what sensory supports your child needs at the table.

🥦 Dietitian or Nutritionist — Makes sure your child is getting adequate nutrition even with a limited diet.

🏠 Behavioral Therapist or ABA Provider — Helps with mealtime behaviors like staying seated, reducing meltdowns, building routines.

You don't need all of these at once. Start with your pediatrician and a feeding therapist — and build from there.

Not sure how to find the right feeding therapist? Comment or DM AUTISM and I'll send you my free mini course, including exactly what to look for and what questions to ask. 💛

The chicken nuggets have to be the exact same brand. The exact same shape. Heated to the exact same temperature.Sound fa...
04/26/2026

The chicken nuggets have to be the exact same brand. The exact same shape. Heated to the exact same temperature.

Sound familiar?

This is not picky eating. This is a child whose nervous system needs predictability to feel safe enough to eat at all.

When an autistic child insists on sameness at mealtime — same foods, same plates, same seats, same routine — it's not defiance. It's regulation. Their brain is trying to make mealtime feel manageable.

Changing the brand? That's a completely different food to them. Different smell, different texture, slightly different taste. Their body experiences it as unfamiliar and potentially unsafe.

So before you try to sneak in a different nugget — understand what's driving the sameness. Because working with it, not against it, is what actually moves things forward.

I cover all of this in my free Autism & Feeding mini course. 10 minutes. Made for parents exactly like you.

Comment or DM AUTISM and I'll send you the link. 💛

Real tools we actually use in the clinic — and you can try some of them at home tonight.At Little Eaters & Talkers in Ho...
04/24/2026

Real tools we actually use in the clinic — and you can try some of them at home tonight.
At Little Eaters & Talkers in Houston, TX, our occupational therapist works with kids across Houston, Texas who struggle with textures, flavors, and the sensory overload of mealtimes. These three tools are cornerstones of what we do.

Oral sensory warm-ups (like a vibrating toothbrush) prep the mouth before eating
Heavy work (proprioceptive input) calms the nervous system BEFORE the meal begins
Sensory food play builds tolerance for foods without the pressure of eating them

None of these are magic fixes. But paired with a personalized OT plan, they're genuinely transformative.
Swipe through to see how each one works. Save this for your toolkit.

💬 Our OT Mckenna and Ryanne have openings now — DM us "OT" to get started, or visit thelittleeaters.com

📍 Little Eaters & Talkers | Bellaire, TX | Serving Houston, TX & surrounding areas

Nobody talks about this enough — but GI issues are one of the biggest reasons kids with autism struggle to eat.Constipat...
04/23/2026

Nobody talks about this enough — but GI issues are one of the biggest reasons kids with autism struggle to eat.

Constipation. Reflux. Stomach pain.

These are incredibly common in autism. And when eating hurts — or has hurt in the past — kids start to connect food with discomfort. They avoid eating, not because they're being stubborn, but because their body has learned that eating is painful.
And here's the hard part: they may not be able to tell you that's why.

So the mealtime refusal looks like behavior. But it's actually a body protecting itself.
If your child also struggles with GI issues alongside their eating challenges — that's worth bringing up with your pediatrician. It's a piece of the puzzle that often gets missed.
In my free Autism & Feeding mini course, I walk through all four of the main reasons eating is hard for kids with autism — so you can finally see the full picture.

Comment or DM AUTISM and I'll send you the link. 💛

9 days left to lock in the early bird price. 💛The Food Explorers Summer Camp is almost full — and once those 15 spots ar...
04/22/2026

9 days left to lock in the early bird price. 💛

The Food Explorers Summer Camp is almost full — and once those 15 spots are gone, they're gone.

4 afternoons with Jean. Small group. Ages 3–6. No pressure to taste, no stress at the table — just kids exploring food in a way that actually feels good.

June 8–11 in Bellaire. 3:30–5:00 PM.

Register before May 1st and you pay **$225**. After that it goes up to $250.

If your child struggles at mealtimes and you've been looking for something that actually addresses it — this is it.

Link in bio to grab your spot. 👆

A 9-month-old who could only nurse — now drinking independently at school.This is one of our latest Google reviews and i...
04/21/2026

A 9-month-old who could only nurse — now drinking independently at school.

This is one of our latest Google reviews and it's the kind of thing that reminds me exactly why this work matters. 💛
Mackenzie's daughter couldn't drink from a straw or a bottle. Mom was driving to school at lunch just to feed her. Within a couple of months, that all changed.

This is what pediatric feeding therapy looks like when it works — not just giving you generic advice, but helping you find the right tools and strategies for your specific child.
If you're in the Houston or Bellaire area and your baby or toddler is struggling with bottle refusal, straw drinking, or feeding transitions, we'd love to help.

📍 Serving families in Houston, Bellaire, and the surrounding area

🔗 Link in bio to book a consultation

"He'll grow out of it."If a pediatrician has ever said this to you about your child's eating — I want you to push back.T...
04/21/2026

"He'll grow out of it."

If a pediatrician has ever said this to you about your child's eating — I want you to push back.

The wait-and-see approach does NOT work for children with autism. Early intervention changes outcomes. The earlier your child gets the right support, the better.

Here are 5 questions you can bring to your next appointment:
→ "My child eats fewer than 20 foods. Is that typical for their age?"
→ "Should we be screened for sensory processing differences?"
→ "Can you refer us to a feeding therapist or occupational therapist?"
→ "What developmental milestones should I be watching for around eating?"
→ "I'm concerned about autism — what's the next step for evaluation?"

You know your child. A doctor sees them for 15 minutes. You live with them every day. Trust what you're seeing.

And if something in your gut says it's more than just picky eating — you're probably right.

Comment or DM AUTISM for my free mini course, including exactly who should be on your child's support team. 💛



Feeding therapy + autism support for families in Houston, Bellaire, Katy, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, and Memorial areas of TX | Jean Hawney, MS CCC-SLP | thelittleeaters.com

04/21/2026

Work smarter, not harder—even at meal time! 👏

Watching this guy crush his pouch is the highlight of my day. For our community, “fast” doesn’t mean “rushed”—it means efficient. We’re saving that precious energy for all the big things he has planned today!

Tell me in the comments: What is your “go-to” fast fuel for your little one? 🍏🍌

Address

6300 West Loop South, Suite 290
Bellaire, TX
77401

Opening Hours

Tuesday 8am - 3:30pm
Wednesday 11am - 3:30pm
Thursday 8am - 3:30pm

Telephone

+18323043506

Website

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/feeding-your-baby-without-fear-tickets-1234981134819?

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