Food Phobias

[truevirgo]

My Son has autism and has had issues with food after the weaning stage. He eats only a small selection of snacky food and 1 hot food (from a fast food place)
I cannot get him to try or eat anything else it has got to the point I have given up as it s so stressful! My paediatrician isn't concerned as he is tall, lean and healthy but it is driving me insane and very restrictive. Anybody else in the same position. I have read the book "can't eat, won't eat" and thought thank goodness somebody else is going through this!

Ds was never that bad, but still hates trying new food.
However lately ( he is 12) he will ask to try something that we are all eating that he hasn't had before. Often he decides he doesn't like it, but at least he is trying and that has led to him expanding his repetoire a bit.

Thanks for your response. I wish my son would try a new food it is very rare if he does and they tend to be dry biscuits type snacks.
Poltergoose I see similarities in the daily diet and can see why our dieticians aren't concerned. I just feel awful eating a balanced meal whilst he eats pretzels and cheese, I go through waves of relaxing then guilt.
I will keep trying and hope with age he will broaden his tastes.

There is a good book called Food Chaining that documents a multidisciplinary approach to feeding issues. I am in my phone at the moment but if you want more details I can find a link tomorrow.

There is also a two day behavioural feeding conference taking place in April by a world renowned expert. It is being held in the Midlands I believe.

Thanks that would be great if you could post a link.
I had an e-mail about a meeting regarding food issues but it starts quite near to my school start time and I live quite far. I did e-mail them to see if they would run one during holidays so parents could get there on time.

I will also be waiting with interest for link - have very similar problem with my DS.

Hi,

Sorry for the delay, here is the link to the Food Chaining Book

Here is a link to the 2 day feeding Conference

Hope these help

thanks for the link to the book, v useful, was only aware of can't eat won't eat. there also seems to be a book by Temple Grandin on this topic:- www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Take-Bite-Effective-Challenges/dp/1932565124/ref=pd_sim_b_1

Ooh will get that thanks. I guess I am lucky in that out of 3 kids with autism only one is food phobic (one of the others had anorexia aged 10 but is on an OK curve right now). but that one child- well yes we need help with him! Actually although I can;t do conferences the website looks useful for my own studies so thanks for that also, appreciated.

As for less expert advice at university we are taught the don't panic unless they are underweight or malnourised thing as well and I try and practice it with ds4. In fairness he's fairly healthy and as long s I can get one carb, one protein, one piece of fruit of veg and so on into his diet I try not to panic. I try and ask him to try new foods, one bite is all I ask, and have about a 10% hit rate on agreeing to do that which is a start.

It's possible to get children on the spectrum eating but it can take years toa chieve small goals: for example if a child eats bread you can just sit it near a desired topping, moving ever closer, until you ask child to sniff the topping then lick it then put a microscopic dot on- a process that can quite feasibly take months if not years and is a big commitment.

if your child's diet is lacking in a major food group it's got to be worth a shot, if not then no matter how unappetitsing a restricted, often bland and processed diet might seem to us- it's OK.