For years, everyday moments most families take for granted were overwhelming for Alex N., a speech and occupational therapy patient at Unified Therapy Services in Lancaster, WI. A smell, a texture, or even watching someone else eat could trigger intense gagging and fear. Meals required careful planning, and trying new foods felt impossible. What followed, though, was a journey filled with patience, persistence, and progress that completely changed Alex’s world through the help of his Speech Therapist, Madi.
Written by Alex’s mom, Heidi N.
For years, everyday moments most families take for granted were overwhelming for Alex N., a speech and occupational therapy patient at Unified Therapy Services in Lancaster, Wisconsin. A smell, a texture, or even watching someone else eat could trigger intense gagging and fear. Meals required careful planning, and trying new foods felt impossible. What followed, however, was a journey filled with patience, persistence, and remarkable progress—one that ultimately changed Alex’s world with the help of his speech therapist, Madi.
Life Before Feeding Therapy
We could be eating at home, out at a restaurant, or simply walking past a garbage can, and Alex would gag if he saw rice, noodles, a saucy condiment, or even smelled trash. He would only eat crunchy foods like chips, pretzels, and popcorn. If a soft fruit—like a grape or watermelon—was cut up in front of him, he would gag and run away. Sometimes the gagging was so severe that it caused him to throw up.
Going out to eat required careful planning. We always checked menus ahead of time to make sure French fries were available. As a family, we even had to plan who would sit next to Alex, because watching someone eat noodles or rice was too overwhelming for him due to the textures. Our 10-yearold’s favorite restaurant, HuHot, was especially difficult to visit.
We had previously gone through feeding therapy with our older son, so we decided to try again with Alex. At the time, Alex was a 6-year-old with Level 3 Autism Spectrum Disorder, and feeding challenges were impacting nearly every part of our daily life.
Starting Therapy: Small Steps, Big Feelings
From the very first evaluation in June 2024, I think Madi knew she was in for quite a challenge. Even the therapy room itself made Alex gag. He struggled to throw food—especially items wrapped in paper towels or plastic—into the trash can. There were even a session or two that ended with vomiting due to intense gagging.
Madi spent a lot of time educating us about food jags and the importance of repeated exposure. While it felt like we were doing “food school” for months (in reality, it was about 10 weeks) with very little progress, something unexpected happened one day.
Alex stuck his finger into his brother’s ketchup.
He didn’t gag looking at the ketchup. He gagged when he touched it. But he didn’t gag when he tasted it. He immediately tried to wipe his tongue and drank a full cup of water to get the taste out—but it was a start.
A World Opens Up
That single taste of ketchup opened Alex’s world. By January 2025, while he still gagged at throwing items in the trash or even walking past it, he was able to touch, pick up, and taste new foods. He tried Polynesian sauce from Chick-fil-A. He tasted mayo and cheese sauce. He touched noodles and rice—and with small enough pieces, he might even eat them.
Now, in late 2025, I honestly can’t tell you the last time Alex gagged.
We can go out to eat at any restaurant. Anyone in our family can order whatever they want, and Alex won’t gag. He can throw things away without fear. He can open the fridge and look through leftovers without reacting to the smells or textures. Our biggest challenge now is that we can’t fill him up—he wants to eat or try nearly everything he sees. This is a problem I never thought we would have, and one I will never complain about.
Beyond Feeding: Finding His Voice
Beyond feeding therapy, Alex has also received speech therapy and occupational therapy at Unified in Lancaster. Madi helped Alex obtain a new AAC device (his “talker”) when he became eligible, and it has completely changed how he communicates with the world.
Just because Alex is nonspeaking doesn’t mean he is silent.
Through his talker, Alex communicates his wants, needs, and—very importantly—his sense of humor. As a family, we now get to understand him better, and Alex gets to show the world that he can crack jokes and be sarcastic just like the rest of us.
Growing Independence Through Occupational Therapy
Thanks to occupational therapy, Alex has made huge gains in dressing, toilet training, and self-feeding. He especially loves the sensory breaks he gets during sessions and is a big fan of the swings at Unified— so much so that he convinced us to buy a few swings for home.
Our Gratitude
We are incredibly thankful to Madi, Kelsey, and Stephanie (who patiently handles all the reminder and reschedule calls) at Unified Therapy Services. Their dedication, patience, and sense of humor have helped Alex reach milestones we once thought were impossible. We are forever grateful to be on this journey with such an amazing team.