Huntington University Hosts the SOS Approach to Feeding® Course

The Huntington University Doctoral Program in Occupational Therapy recently hosted Dr. Kay Toomey and associates for the SOS Approach to Feeding® (Sequential Oral Sensory Approach to Feeding) training course at the Grand Wayne Convention Center in Fort Wayne from July 18-21, 2025.

The SOS Approach to Feeding® is an evidence-based program developed by Toomey to help children with feeding difficulties. This holistic and comprehensive approach is used worldwide by health care professionals, such as occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and other professionals from medical and educational disciplines. One hundred and twenty-eight attendees took part in the five-day hybrid course, which required four days of onsite and one day of online training. The course was well-attended by multi-disciplinary professionals from Indiana and neighboring states. Participants traveled across the United States and internationally to attend this advanced level course. Professionals showed a high level of engagement. There was a lot of positive feedback touching on the highly knowledgeable speakers and evidence-based information and materials.

Dr. Patricia Henton, faculty of Huntington’s OTD Program, served as a co-host of the event and developed a scholarship program for professionals in Northeast Indiana to attend the conference. Henton co-hosted a complimentary two-hour parent/caregiver workshop, "When Children Won’t Eat (and how to help!)," taught by Toomey, with the support of the Huntington University Holistic Feeding Program and a grant from AWS Foundation. Parents, caregivers and student and graduate volunteers all felt the information was extremely useful and easy to understand, setting them up for successful implementation in the future.

“The conference was a huge success due to a dedicated team of volunteers, and it added value to the curriculum for students from Huntington’s OTD and Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) programs,” Henton said.

Huntington University was delighted to have five recent graduates from the OTD program and seven Huntington University alumni participate in the conference along with OTD and OTA faculty.

“The level of participation in this advanced feeding course was amazing and we hope to offer similar opportunities in the future,” Henton said.