Anyone had dealings with PICA?

[imawigglyworm]

DS3 is SN (GDD, microcephaly, severe s&l delay, etc) and have now had a referal for DS2 4 1/2yrs old for probable PICA and mild/common s&l problems & possibly behaviour delay/problems.
Has anyone had any 'dealings' with PICA and treating it etc so as I can get an idea on what to expect. Have read a bit online about it but there doesnt seem to be a great deal of information about it.
Any help appreciated, TIA

It can be related to low serum iron which can occur despite normal serum haemoglobin. This is not a common cause but is recognised and it is always worth checking serum iron particularly where the pica is limited to the ingestion of one particular thing eg coal/ice/grass. Just a tip.

Hi there- my DD 8 has Pica- we've always been told that it's part of her autism diagnosis and never been offered any treatment (apart from emergency treatment when she's ingested dangerous substances).

Googling it, I can see behavioural interventions mentioned, although I've not heard of anyone who's tried/ been offered these.

The only thing I do is supplement with minerals (esp zinc) as some parents I know found this helped their ASD kids.

Sorry not much help, would be interested to know what other people have done about it.

My ds has pica. Originally we were told it was because he had an iron deficiency. So he had iron suppliments. His iron levels came up to normal but the pica didn't improve. So then we were told it was a learnt behaviour and we should treat it as a naughty behaviour to get rid of it. That was 2 years ago. DS is now 5 and still has pica and we've given up getting help for getting it under control. But CAMHS have noted it as a problem for my ds but whether they give us support with it when they've reached their final conclusions I don't know.

Sorry, not much help really am I.

thank you though not many people seem to of heard of it so any info is great even just having someone to chat to about it.
Will push to get his iron levels tested then thanks for the advice. referal isnt until July though.
Ds has been this way since I can remember hes always chewed on toys books etc but the last few years hes been eating all kinds of stuff, leaves, stones, wood, wallpaper the list is endless (a whole side of A4 which im preparing for the appointment).
As for his behaviour, it might be nothing just normal 4yr old stuff but im not convinced especially as DS3 has a un DX so far its making me wonder- I suspect some sort of autism is in there with DS3 with all of his other problems too but no one has actually told me this yet possibly due to his age almost 2yrs.
Hv who pushed for the referal says it sounds like PICA and that it sounded more like habit so I assumed that they would use behaviour therapy as thats what most websites said was the common treatment. Sounds like this will be another fight to get answers/help then .
Weve tried everything we can think of, he cant even explain why hes doing it, he says he doesnt know, its just so frustrating.