Autism and Picky Eaters

In the case your child is autistic and a picky eater fret not since a recent study has proved that autistic children are five times more likely to be picky eaters including problems like very few food selections, ritualistic eating behaviours and tantrums related to meals.

The first step however is to speak to a doctor to make sure they don’t have any stomach related issues that are effecting their eating habits.

Another thing to take in to consideration is that autistic children may prefer the feeling of certain food in their mouths, for example soft foods or crunchy foods. This could also be caused by weak jaw muscles that prevent them from eating tougher foods. To add to this having special children sit down for meal times and behaving well can be an issue you may face.

A good idea is to have a specific goal relating to eating habits. This can be

1.      Increasing the kinds and types of food that your child eats

2.      The amount that they eat

3.      Sitting at a table for longer periods of time

You should praise behaviour when you see an improvement or positive result to help to reinforce the positive behaviours. Another important aspect is to keep patient and keep trying and hoping for small improvements one step at a time.

There is also a certain amount of predictability when it comes to autistic children eating habits. They tend to like processed foods more because vegetables and fruits don’t taste exactly the same every time they are eaten.

Another strategy to use when children throw tantrums is to ignore the behaviour as long as it is not dangerous or harmful in anyway.

One more thing you can do is to keep a food journal which lists what the child is eating while keeping track of the progress made. This kind of record is easy to track and follow and can prove to be very useful

Another issue that the child may be facing is problems with their bowel movements when they eat certain types of food. This may be the cause children do not want to sit and eat at the table.

Consider this, children generally take up to 12 times of eating the same food before they become comfortable with it and this goes even more for autistic children so stay calm and be patient. If one food doesn’t seem to be working try a different one.

One more tactic is to take steps towards tasting because autistic kids are more likely to resist new foods. Let them touch, smell and lick it or mixing a new food with an older more favourite one.

Keep textures of the food in mind. You can even try blending and chopping foods to see if that makes any difference.

Try playing with new food like painting with  pasta sauce or use vegetable to make faces on pizza. Cookie cutters can be used to cut food in to certain shapes that are fun while allowing the child to taste and enjoy the experience.

Just like regular human beings some foods will be dislike and that is completely normal so do offer a variety of choices to help overcome this hurdle. For example you can place five different items on the table and tell the child to try one of each sub type or if you make a favorite dish add something else as a mystery ingredient for example broccoli or chicken.

Another strategy is to introduce new foods outside meals times, for example when you visit the grocery store. You can even try showing them pictures of new food to get them accustomed to it. Don’t hesitate to prepare meals together and share recipes. Plus explore new foods through play for example smelling, squashing, painting or stacking.

One more thing you can do is to change how you present the food by putting the food on a different coloured plate or placing a healthy snack in their favourite lunch box.

Introducing new foods that are similar to other foods is a possibility. Try using food that has a familiar smell, color or texture to their preferred foods. Do note that you may have to do this several times before the child even agrees to try the new dish.

Here is a list of food for that are favorites of picky eaters in general.

1.      Potato chips

2.      Nuggets

3.      Spaghetti

4.      Pizza

5.      Grilled cheese

6.      Mac and cheese

7.      Hamburgers

8.      Peanut butter

9.      Candy

10.   Cookies

11.   Hot dogs

Here is a list of 5 more tips to help with picky eaters

1.      Don’t pressure

2.      Enjoy your meals together

3.      Rely on time, repetition and familiarity

4.      Allow hunger to motivate eating

5.      Use supplements designed for autistic kids

Heres a list of some problems that cause picky eating amongst autistic children

1.      Sensory problems

2.      Delayed oral motor function

3.      Problems swallowing

4.      Pain

5.      Mineral deficiency

6.      Cerebral Folate Deficiency

7.      Fungal overgrowth

8.      Food sensitivities and food addiction

Don’t forget that when your child learns to try new different foods he is learning other valuable life skills at the same time such as learning how to embrace or tolerate change that could help reducing anxieties in other parts of their lives.