Autism and Food

Food is another big issue for people with autism. Often times they can fixate on a few select foods, refusing to eat anything else. They can be very sensitive to the smells, texture, and tastes of different foods. Some children are on special diets to help with allergies or food sensitivities. Many children with autism are either over or underweight, because the parents are struggling to control the eating issues at one extreme or the other. This is one area we are very blessed with Ashley. I know some people would consider her a picky eater because she can be so selective in what she will eat at any given time, but overall she is a great eater. She has a wide variety of foods (although somewhat odd) she will eat. She eats foods from all the different food groups. She does not like a lot of sugary foods. She is neither over or underweight. Some of her favorite foods are chicken, turkey, eggs, almost all fruits, quite a few vegetables, picante sauce, and lots of cheeses. We think it is crazy that she has always loved raw onions. She does love coke and Dr Pepper, which isn't great, but I can think of bigger problems. We tried several diets (like gfcf) at different points in her life, but they never make much of a difference. We always give them 6 months, and then if we don't see any change, go back to what she loves. Food is a huge motivator for Ashley, so it is often used for rewards. I know this would be a terrible habit for a neurotypical child, but it works well for Ashley. We do use food enzymes because they seem to cut down on her constant grazing. The only eating problems we have with Ashley is she wastes a lot of food, and once she gets what she wants in her head; she can be very persistent. Also she does not eat well at gatherings with a lot of people; I think it is overwhelming to her. We always feed her before and after these events, and if she gets hungry enough, she will eat something. Considering all the complaints I hear from other parents of children with autism, I am thrilled with Ashley's eating. My son's eating habits are definitely worse than hers! Like us on Facebook Originally posted April 2012