Self feeding 22 month old (possible ASD)

[rachndan]

Hi all

DD2 is 22 months old and she is currently being assessed for ASD. This is due to lack of speech, imitation and other social skills. However, another thing is she will not feed herself with a spoon or fork.

She is a fussy eater as it is so most of her eating is finger foods but she does have porridge and yoghurts but will not feed herself. She will just sit there with her mouth open and wait for me to do. If I just leave the spoon with yoghurt on it for her or the bowl she will just throw them.

She feeds herself with her own bottle etc.

Any tips on how to get her to do it herself, bear in mind the ASD and her lack of communication skills. So any advice on assisting her to start talking would be good too. She does babble but wont inimiate or copy any words.

Thanks

Bump

Hi Rachndan, sorry this isn't something I have experience of but hopefully when your DD gets her ASC assessments she will see a SALT who will be able to advise on communication. You might get more answers if you ask on the MN Special Needs - Children board.

My DD is 3 next month and has ASD and is exactly the same. It's a sensory thing, she will only eat sloppy food if I feed her and she won't use cutlery. All related to sensory issues, she isn't really bothered about eating wet foods at all which is why she won't self feed I think. Some foods also make her gag. They can't help it OP.

My eldest is nearly 12, so he was weaned before the baby led weaning thing was popular. I fed him with a spoon because that’s what everyone did. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with spoon feeding her if that’s what she prefers.

Can’t really offer any advice but second the suggestion of having a look at the MN Special Needs Board, yiu might find yiu get a few more posters. MNHQ will move your thread over if you ask them 🙂

If you want her to have the porridge but don’t want to feed her, have you thought about trying porridge fingers? Yoghurt freezes too so maybe try her with a yoghurt lolly?

Thank you.

If this can be moved over to the Special Needs section. Thanks

Hi
how is your dd ? Going through the same

Hi, our daughter is now 8 and a half. So come a long way since this message (she was just under 2 then).
She has finally started talking - not fully verbal like a typical 8 year old.
She started developing language shortly after joining a special needs school in reception year.
Her eating is still limited, fairly bland and beige. Loves nuggets, crackers and crisps.
People say it all the time and said it to us in the past - but it does all develop in time. Slowly. But they do usually get there.
Still a long way for her to go though but she is only 8.
I hope this helps.