Gustatory Sense - Identifying what we taste

Under responsive

A child who is under responsive to the taste or gustatory sense may put non-food items in their mouth e.g. chewing the end of their pencil, hair or clothing. They may prefer strong flavours e.g. spicy, salty, sour and appear more alert once they have eaten them.

Over responsive

A child who is over responsive to the taste or gustatory sense may have a limited range of foods that they are able to eat usually tending to prefer bland foods. They may avoid certain tastes, textures and temperatures of food and drink. They may struggle with brushing their teeth due to the taste of toothpaste.