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Preemies
self feeding fail
We started Speech Therapy last Tues. The goal to get Andrew to self-feed and talking. The first week we worked on the more immediate issue, self-feeding.
We tried her way all week. Andrew got progressively more pissed off, more hungry, to the point where he was sobbing at nap & bed time, and still downright refusing to self-feed. I mean he'd eat a couple of crunchy things here and there, but that's it.
They think he has a sensory disorder and I don't know what all - but - I wish I'd recognized that sooner. We didn't think all that much about the fact that he wouldn' eat much on his own and figured he'd need time.
So, he's desperate for sleep and food, so I just started to feed him again tonight. I don't know if the ST realized the extent that this would happen. I guess we'll get another plan on Tuesday. 
In the mean time I will let him try to self feed for a few minutes, which he generally won't or very little, and then just feed him.
Any advice on sensory disorders or texture issues is welcome please. He does fine if we feed him and has always gained weight well that way.
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Re: self feeding fail
DD hasn't had a problem eating since she was young, but she still has an issue self-feeding when she's really hungry. She gets too frustrated and worked up. Then when you do feed her she's choking because she's forcing things so quickly that she isn't slowing down and eating properly.
I would suggest to trying the self-feeding once he's had something to eat so that he isn't starving and worked up- I know I have trouble concentrating on things when I'm hungry! I would also work on self-feeding separate from the texture issues- find something that you know he enjoys for him to work with and deal with the textures in a way he's more comfortable (ex: you feeding him).
Honestly, I don't have any experience with this yet (way too young for that!), but on another message board for preemies, they talk about sensory issues a lot. You could get some ideas over there if you want to check it out.
https://www.inspire.com/groups/preemie
Good luck!
My kid also won't self-feed, and she has tactile defensiveness (which is a type of sensory issue). She doesn't like to get messy and touch her food, so DH and I have always fed her every bite by hand. She doesn't take food from utensils.
My daughter had IUGR, so I'm really sensitive about not wanting her to get hungry and un-fed. I imagine her being hungry in utero and it makes me sad.
With feeding, we are going slowly because we don't want DD to go on a hunger strike and stop eating. She is really strong-willed.
Our EI therapist has us taking little steps to get her more and more involved with feeding, so she's not as passive. First we started off holding her bite of food several inches from her face so she had to lean forward to get fed. She was fine with that.
Lately we've been holding her food out in front of her so it's too far for her to reach it with her mouth by leaning forward. I say "touch Mommy's hand" and when she touches my hand with her hand, I bring the food in immediately and put it in her mouth. She is okay with this too. A couple of times she has reached out and pulled my hand in toward her mouth. The idea is to use my hand like a utensil and eventually teach her to use a fork or spoon to feed herself (since she doesn't like to touch food).
Hope this helps. Feeding issues are hard.