The Gustatory System 101

We are already halfway through our 8 sensory systems!! Let’s talk gustatory system this week. This system is responsible for our sense of taste and flavor. It detects sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami.  It helps us with knowing what foods are safe or harmful to eat. This also includes tolerance of textures in the mouth and normal functioning of the gag reflex.  Is your child a picky eater? An overstuffer? Do they gag when certain foods or textures are introduced in the mouth? Do they mouth non edible objects? These are very common concerns that I am presented with on a daily basis in my practice. Before we talk about what dysfunction or concerns can look like and what strategies you can use to strengthen or desensitize this system it is important to go back to the origins of this system. 

The gustatory system is very inter-related to our tactile system. The sense of touch in the lips and nose is the very first sensory system to develop in utero at about 8 weeks. The mouth is the also the very first place that serves as the gateway for exploration. Before a child learns to experience touch and explore with their hands, their mouth is the first place that they feel. Their first real experiences to touch and taste is through their first feeding whether that be bottle or breast. When it comes time to explore with toys they first explore with their mouths also- we will discuss this more when I discuss the tactile system, but for now it is important to know that there is a connection between textures and taste due to the nature of how children develop and learn to explore with their mouths before their hands. 

Dysfunction can appear as a child being overly sensitive to tastes or textures, having a limited diet of specific category of flavor profile( sweet, sour, salty, or spicy) or textures of foods (smooth, crunchy, or soft). they may have an overly responsive gag reflex present or may demonstrate sensitivity to toothbrushing or utensil use. 

Simple Activities to Help Strengthen System:

Use of pudding, baby food, or yogurt to “paint” with and allow your child to explore the flavors without being connected to meal times

 Encourage your child to help you prepare the food, which makes them more interested in eating and trying new foods. 

Use crunchy foods and strong flavors- such as citrus, spicy bbq/ hot sauce, dressings, or ketchup to dip with for a child that likes to explore non food items with their mouth. 

Use of straws and sports water bottles to enhance focus 

Vibrating toothbrush or vibrating massager to provide input to decrease hypersensitivity and/or low muscle tone before meal times

 Play around with temperature of foods- some children prefer room temperature to hot food. 

Offer veggies in a variety of ways- sometimes cooked and sometimes raw- such as veggies and dip.

Can’t wait to hear from you, so please drop a comment below! Don’t forget to grab your free gustatory system printable here! 

photo credit for sprinkle tongue @annieduberry