How to stop/cure phobia of fruit?

[chicaguapa]

DD (8) is developing a chronic fear of fruit. She's never eaten it and has always made a fuss when it's about. But she's turning it into a bigger problem and now says she feels like she's going to be sick when she sees a picture of it in a book. We have tried ignoring it but it's getting worse and I think the longer it goes on for, the harder it will be to cure. Or will she just grow out of it? She has ASD tendancies so it isn't always so straightforward.

My ds is the same, he's dyspraxic and this seems to be part of it. I'm not sure there is a whole lot you can do, but I'm sure someone who more knowledge of ASD stuff will be able to help.

I haven't had any direct experience of this, but whenever I've seen 'Freaky Eaters', a TV prog on BBC3, they get really good results by making the tasting into a game and blindfolding the person while they're tasting.

It seems to really make a difference that they can't see the food and therefore don't have any negative thoughts about what they're about to do.

Is there anything you can pinpoint that might have made her feel like this about fruit?

It's because she has an acute sense of smell and never liked to be around it as she could smell it. But it has just escalated.

Exactly OP, it has physiological base (call it hypersensitivity) which is not something they can control, but it is possible to stop them fixating on it? That is the question.

Have you investigated bodybrushing? I'm looking at it at the moment for ds, and it seems to have some good results, but little clinical data. There are some other threads about it on MN.

I'll be watching this thread with interest, as my dd (4) seems to be developing the same thing. If her little brother eats a banana she won't let him near her for about half an hour afterwards. apparently she got very upset at nursery when they made a fruit salad- terrified they were going to try to make her eat it.

At the moment I am ignoring it, and have told the nursery etc NOT to pressure her to try fruit etc. She eats veg, and likes dried fruit and fruit juice. I had thought she might just get past it, but now I'm wondering if I should be doing something more, in case it gets worse rather than better.

ds used to cry when in reception they had their healthy snack time. the smell of satsumas etc was just too much for him.

Now he will only drink apple juice, and no other fruit at all (he is nine) but he eats loads of veg, so clearly his pickiness is down to hypersensitivity (borne out by tests) rather than being "difficult".

Ie, its not his choice, its not a power thing, its just that the smell and taste of fruit generally is deeply unpleasant to him.