Age: 10-12 months

Oral-motor and self-feeding skills and behaviors

• Bringing spoon to mouth
• Beginning to pick up and hold cup
• Rotary chewing beginning
• Beginning to finger-feed with pincer grasp
• Closing lips when swallowing

Positioning

• Seat back at 90 degrees
• External support required for sitting (e.g., highchair)
• Feet supported
• Hips flexed and trunk and head in midline
• Highchair seatbelt used for safety, not support

Appropriate foods

• small finger foods
• liquids (e.g., juice) from a cup
• chopped or mashed table foods
• ground foods, soft semisolids
• breastmilk or infant formula

At this stage, foods with increased textures are introduced, including many foods from the family’s table (e.g., well-cooked or mashed vegetables, soft fruits, tender meat).