Autistic son over-eating

[Buddy80]

Help!

My 7-year old son just cannot seem to stop eating. He is severely autistic with limited language.

He is now overweight and we are in the process of getting a blood test arranged for him.

I think the food he eats and the amount do not match the level of weight gain.

Can anyone help? Or have any strategies, please?

He gets lots of excercise.

Does he have free access to the food, or are you giving it to him? What sort of foods is he eating? A good range, or is he like my 9yo who would munch through an entire pack of hot cross buns if he got hold of it?

DS has a never ending appetite too - but for tasty fattening food. He goes mildly insane if we're at a party and he senses there is sweets nearby.

He's slim now as we control what he eats. Once he's had a reasonable portion and demands more them his only option is an apple or cherry tomatoes.

Worried about the choices he'll make when he grows up

Not sure how out of line it is with non-autistic children

The OT said his stomach is not telling him when it's full - I'm waiting to talk to her again to see what we can do - but id say she'll just tell us to teach DS about healthy diet and exercise

What type of food & drink does your DS have

My Ds is the exact opposite and barely eats or puts anything in his mouth.

OT explained it to me as a sensory thing. At one end of the sensory spectrum there are the over sensitive (avoiders of putting anything in mouth) at the other end there are the under responsive ( everything in mouth)

Some children also cannot 'self regulate' for Ds he has no sensation or feeling of hungry or thirsty. Others have no sensation of feeling full and always feel hungry.

Ds has a sensory diet which has really helped. Also Ds has seen a dietician to rule out any medical problems.

I thought it was just my ds, he seems food obsessed! He can easily eat adult portions and it needs to stop. I worry that as he gets older his self esteem will be low due to his dx, being fat as well will not help him. Only yesterday we started to give him a smaller dinner plate, no seconds, fruit or yoghurt as snacks. He hated it! He thinks we are punishing him! I decided last week that this is just another thing that as a parent we have to decide what is best for him. Just the same as if left to ds he would bath or shower once a week!

Ah, thank you! It is somewhat comforting to read all your replies.

I would say he eats well, meals, some snacks and no fizzy drinks.

He is termed a sensory seeker, so it could be that.

I am getting a blood test arranged just to rule anything out.

It may sound like parental denial, but he does not look fat, just stocky.

What we are doing is rationing his food in good portions more and giving him additional healthy choices.

He would quite happily eat ahl;f a pack of buscuits and then hide the rest. When he gets in from school he just runs to the kitchen.

Safe to say, food it in his top 3 favourite things!

It might be worth asking for an appointment with a dietician, too, since you're unable to rely on appetite as a measure of what "enough" food is. We tend to go by how much would DS1 have eaten, at this age, on a non food-refusing day as a rough guide.

If your Ds is running to the kitchen, as soon as he gets in. Is he eating in school?

Hi there,

Ouryve that is a good idea. We have an appt with the nurse practitioner re blood tests (been told have to book an appt just to get the paperwork started). I will ask her for a referral then.

claw good comment, yes, I have asked school as I thought the same as you. They say that he has a snack before he leaves school.

Seems sensible to rule out any medical causes first. Good luck

My daughter is exactly like this. She is 8. She is actually slim but it gets very wearing with her demanding food all the time and raiding the cupboards and I worry she will gain weight later. I sympathise.