Webinars: Why Won’t They Eat? Supporting Sensory & Autistic Kids at Mealtimes
Practical support for Educators, Health Teams, Program Staff, and anyone working with young children at mealtimes
Every First Thursday of the Month - Coming up: November 5, 10:00 - 11:00 am ET
Monthly Webinar Series (FREE)
Join Natalia Stasenko, Pediatric RD, and the Easy Bites team for 1-hour webinars where we’ll explore complex feeding challenges in children, unpack key drivers behind avoidant eating, and equip you with actionable strategies to ease mealtime distress for Head Start professionals and caregivers.
What we’ll cover
Pick the sessions you want and register once. You'll get a Zoom link and reminders for each date you choose. Every session includes practical strategies you can use the next day, plus time for your questions.
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Thursday, November 5 · 10:00–11:00 am ET · For everyone
Navigating the Holidays: Mealtimes with Sensory-Sensitive and Autistic Children
Holiday meals bring new foods, new people, noise, and broken routines, which can overwhelm children with sensory differences. This session covers how to prepare children ahead of time, lower the pressure at the table, and plan for the foods and moments that tend to be hardest, both in the classroom and at home.
Thursday, December 3 · 10:00–11:00 am ET · For families
Supporting Picky Eaters: A Session for Parents
Picky eating is common, and it's stressful when it happens at your table. This session explains why young children are cautious about food and what actually helps them try new things. You'll also learn which common approaches, like bribes and "one more bite," tend to backfire. Expect realistic ideas for busy family meals.
Thursday, January 7 · 10:00–11:00 am ET · For educators & food service staff
The Food Substitution Problem: Meeting CACFP Requirements
When a child won't eat what's on the menu, or a family asks for a swap, what can you serve and still stay compliant? We'll walk through how food substitutions work under CACFP and what documentation you need. You'll also get approaches that support children's needs without creating a separate menu for every child.
Thursday, February 4 · 10:00–11:00 am ET · For everyone
When Picky Eating Is More Than Picky
Some children's eating challenges go beyond typical pickiness. This session covers the signs that a child may need more support, such as a very limited food list, gagging, distress at meals, or growth concerns. You'll also learn how to document what you see and when and how to involve families and specialists.
Thursday, March 4 · 10:00–11:00 am ET · For educators & food service staff
Talking with Parents About Their Child's Eating
Conversations about food can feel personal, and families can feel judged. Learn how to share what you're seeing at mealtimes in a way that builds trust, how to respond when families are worried or defensive, and how to work together so children get consistent support at school and at home.
Thursday, April 1 · 10:00–11:00 am ET · For everyone
Autism and Eating in Early Childhood
Many autistic children have strong food preferences, sensory sensitivities, or rigid mealtime routines. This session explains what drives these patterns and how to support children respectfully. You'll learn how to make mealtimes more predictable and how to expand variety gradually without pressure or power struggles.
Thursday, May 6 · 10:00–11:00 am ET · For educators & food service staff
Onboarding Children to Family-Style Meals
Family-style dining builds independence, motor skills, and social connection, but only if children know how it works. This session gives you a step-by-step approach to introducing serving, passing, and pouring. It also covers how to support children who are new, anxious, or still building skills, and how to keep the table calm.
Bring a webinar series to your community
We love spreading the word about responsive feeding and how to create inclusive and accessible mealtimes for all kids. Contact us for a free webinar series like the one we are running with Illinois HSA and Texas HSA (Mealtimes with Autistic and Sensory kids, CACFP Compliance, Building a responsive feeding system) or a paid bespoke webinar series created just for your organization’s needs and level of depth.
September 24: 10:00 - 11:00 am CT (FREE)
When Picky Eating is more than Picky: Mealtimes with autistic and sensory kids at Head Start
Join Natalia Stasenko, Pediatric RD, for a 1-hour webinar where we’ll explore complex feeding challenges in children, unpack key drivers behind avoidant eating, and equip you with actionable strategies to ease mealtime distress. Hosted by the Texas Head Start Collaboration Office.
October 8: 10:00 - 11:00 am CT (FREE)
Onboarding Children to Family Style Meals
Now that we are back to school, eating in a communal setting can be hard for some children, especially those who are not used to eating at a table, sensory, and avoidant eaters. Get practical tips on supporting kids to ease into and start enjoying family-style meals in your program. Hosted by the Texas Head Start Collaboration Office.
Oct 22: 10:00 - 11:00 am CT (FREE)
Supporting Picky Eaters for Caregivers
Some kids are genuinely, deeply hard to feed — and often caregivers think it’s their fault. This webinar helps understand what’s behind the avoidant (picky) eating and how accepted foods and family style meals can support children to participate in meals. Hosted by the Texas Head Start Collaboration Office.
Aug 27 - 12 pm ET ($20)
Why won’t they eat?
Some kids are genuinely, deeply hard to feed — and the usual advice doesn't work for them. This webinar explains why and what actually does work.
Aug 20 - 11 am ET
Neurodiversity and Feeding Challenges in Early Years Settings - Hosted by CACFP as part of the CACFP Virtual Summit
Many young children in early childhood settings have neurodevelopmental differences that significantly affect how they experience eating. This session explores the neurodevelopmental roots of feeding difficulties, including the often-overlooked intersection of food insecurity and neurodivergence, and equips early years professionals with practical strategies to create supportive, inclusive mealtime environments.
Sept 4 - 11 am - 12:15 ET (FREE)
Transforming Mealtimes: Supporting Autistic & Sensory Kids in Head Start
Join Natalia Stasenko, Pediatric RD, for a 1.25-hour webinar where we’ll explore complex feeding challenges in children, unpack key drivers behind avoidant eating, and equip you with actionable strategies to ease mealtime distress. Hosted by the Illinois Head Start Association.
Sept 18 - 11 am - 12:15 ET (FREE)
Food Substitutions for CACFP Compliance and Meeting Families' Needs
Join Natalia Stasenko, Pediatric RD, for a 1.25-hour webinar exploring CACFP food substitutions. Learn strategies to meet families’ needs while ensuring audit success and supporting children's wellbeing. Hosted by the Illinois Head Start Association.
Oct 2 - 11 am - 12:15 ET (FREE)
Building a Village: A Responsive Feeding System for Head Start Programs
Join Natalia Stasenko for a 1.25 hr webinar. This session shows what a joined-up responsive feeding system looks like across a whole program, from the classroom to the health office to the family's kitchen table. Hosted by the Illinois Head Start Association.
July 29 - 1:30 pm ET (FREE)
When Food Feels Hard - a webinar hosted by Georgetown University’s Thrive Center
Join Natalia Stasenko in this engaging webinar with Georgetown University's Thrive Center, where we'll explore effective strategies for Head Start Programs to support sensory and autistic kids at mealtimes and to get families on board.
What you’ll walk away with
A clear explanation of why some children eat the way they do, including how sensory processing, anxiety, and neurodevelopment shape food behavior in ways that have nothing to do with pickiness or bad habits
A new way to talk about selective eating that reduces family blame and opens the door to real support
Practical, concrete language shifts you can use in the classroom, at mealtimes, and in conversations with families, starting the next day
Confidence to recognize when a child's eating challenges go beyond what typical guidance can address, and what to do next
Meet your speaker
Natalia Stasenko
Founder, Pediatric Registered Dietitian, and mom of three
Natalia, Georgetown Thrive Center Innovation Fellow, specializes in responsive feeding, picky eating, and feeding children with sensory differences and neurodivergence. Natalia’s work is grounded in the latest feeding research, and her experience working with families and early childhood programs.
A Deep Dive into Understanding Kids' Mealtime Challenges
You know the child. The one who gags at the sight of certain foods. Who eats the same four things, every single day, without exception. Who shuts down completely at the table, or melts down before the meal even starts. You've tried encouragement. You've tried food play. You've tried everything the handouts suggest.
It didn't work because those strategies weren't built for this child.
Many of the kids educators find hardest to feed are wired differently. They may be autistic, sensory-sensitive, anxious, or still undiagnosed, but their relationship with food is real, it's complex, and it requires a different kind of understanding.
These webinars are about Understanding & Strategies
For early childhood educators, Head Start and Early Head Start staff, program directors, family support workers, and anyone who eats lunch with kids and wonders why on earth won't they just try it.
No nutrition background required.
Bring a webinar series to your community
We love spreading the word about responsive feeding and how to create inclusive and accessible mealtimes for all kids. Contact us for a free webinar series or a bespoke webinar series created just for your organization’s needs and level of depth.