18 Month Old Not Quite Eating Solids Yet

I'm a pediatric physical therapist and have known many kids like your son. Sometimes kids will even eat something like rice pudding and spit out the rice! It's often not so much underdeveloped muscles as it is hypersensitivity in his mouth. One thing that might help is to go buy a Nuk brush. Most drugstores have them in the baby aisle. It looks like a toothbrush with hard bumps on one end instead of bristles. You can work with this in his mouth, letting him chomp on it and sort of brushing in his mouth to help reduce the sensitivity. There are some pediatric therapists (usually speech or occupational therapists) who specialize or are extra good at swallowing issues. They would be able to help you more and you might really benefit from a visit or two with them. Good luck!

My son choked on food because his tonsils were huge. Once they were out he has been fine.

I agree! Take him to a specialist. He may need help in learning how to use his mouth. This difficulty may also make it difficult for him to talk.

My grandson has a speech disorder, diagnosed as apraxia of speech. He, at 7, still has difficulty forming words and using his tongue. He didn't have difficulty with textures, as your son has, but he stuffed his mouth so full he couldn't chew or swallow the food. I suspect that your son's mouth is overly sensitive while my grandson's is not sensitive enough. A specialist has diagnostic tools to help with a diagnosis which will then provide for a way to treat him so that he can eat solid foods and be able to correctly make sounds to form specific words.

He needs to be evaluated, talk to your Pediatrician and call Early Intervention in your State they offer services till age 3. I called them for my son when he was 21 months, mainly because he wouldn't eat anything chunky, I had to grind everything to the consitency of stage 3 baby food. He has oral motor skill issues therefore a speech delay and a problem with chewing (doesn't do it properly), also Sensory Processing Disorder, so a problem with food textures. A Speech Pathologist was working with him on the eating and the speech. He just turned 3 and it has improved but I'm still dicing and mashing, he won't eat cut up fruit or veggies either (likes mashed peas instead of whole peas). I will continue his therapy till it gets better. Bernie

My daughter is 3.5 and just started eating solid foods consistently. I posted similar question a few months ago and got some good responses. You can seem them here:
http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/13565056769633353729

Hopefully you find it as helpful as I did.

Wow! My daughter has the same issue and it NEVER would have dawned on me to see a specialist...I would give it a couple of months, especially since he is eating the animal crackers. I have a 3 year old and then my 18 mo. old and I swear, so many of the things I've worried about turned out to be just a phase...I feel like it could just be a preference thing as this point-- if he is not showing other signs of having a problem just keep trying new foods with him...