How can I help my 3yo boy with ASD eat more/different foods?

[crokky]

My DS is 3.8 and I am sure he has an ASD. My brothers have (diganosed) Aspergers and although my DS does not yet have a diagnosis, I am almost certain and so is my mum. I believe from a thread I posted on MN that the ASD is the cause of his poor eating and I don't know how to help him with it. I wondered if anyone had successfully helped a young child with ASD eat more stuff.

He will usually eat: cheese sandwich, marmite sandwich, cheese alone, ham alone, juice, water, crackers, innocent smoothie, banana, apple, organix baby snacks, chocolate and mcD chips (nothing else from mcD), toast and marmite

He will sometimes eat: milk, yoghurt, grapes, cucumber, carrot (raw), cake

So it appears that he will not eat hot or wet food, with the exception of McD chips and yoghurt.

He goes to a mainstream school nursery and has refused every single hot school dinner this term and last term so he is offered large amounts of food that he will not eat. The nursery is very good with him (also believe him to have ASD) and sits him between 2 boys who eat very well every day to try and help him.

I don't know how to help him, I just want him to eat and would be really grateful if anyone has any suggestions for me.

my ds has a lot of sensory issues and needs constant movement etc and also loves playing with things like play doh, though more often than not would prefer to flood the bathroom, mix coffee into yoghurts, pour things from one thing to another etc etc but we have found by getting him to help to cook things he will try them, often he doesnt eat more than one taste but occassionally he will eat a little more, mashed potato works well as is fun squashing it and gives him all the feelings he loves, he only eats a mouthful mostly but i feel its better than nothing so i do it all for a very tiny mouthful to be sucked and often spat out but in the hope than one day he will swallow it and have some more, occassionally happens and for that reason i spend my life making food with him that he doesnt eat but hey hoping for a success one day, just an idea but might work for you?

crokky - my ds is 4.3 months, was formally dx ASD at 3.7 months. We have just finalised the statementing process and are currently deciding his school placement for Sept 2010 (we deferred his mainstream placement due to start last Sept and transferred him from the nursery setting he was attending to an integrated nursery). We have massive problems with food! Although he eats a well balanced diet nutritionally its from a small amount of dishes. He doesn't tolerate lumps or more accurately he doesn't tolerate lumps where he doesn't think they should be! So he won't eat lumpy versions of meals that were first served to him pureed. He is also over sensitive to smell and therefore if he doesn't like the smell it won't even get to his mouth. I cooked a batch of Shepherd's Pies the other day (a favourite of his) but couldn't get our usual brand of tomato puree - I used a different one and based on smell alone he refused the meal (I'd made enough for 10 meals ).

But with respect to your original post and his refusal to eat at school - I had to reply to let you know some remarkable progress we've just had. Like your son, my ds has consistently refused to eat at Nursery - this has been going on since he started in September 2008! The integrated setting he transferred to in June 2009 had some very little success (one bite here and there) but no real success to speak of despite implementing various strategies to assist. Last Thursday we had our second Home Visit from a Consultant Behavioural Psychologist who is very well thought of in this area - we first met his during the original MDA. When we discussed this with him, he said that ASD children often refuse food when they feel stressed/anxious in a group setting but this is often missed because the child is not displaying that emotion. His advice was to take the child away from the group, into a quiet corner with a teacher/assistant who sits with him but does not actively encourage/interact with the child so he does not feel any attention/pressure to eat. Nursery did this with my son the very next day - the teacher actually sat by the side of him but read a book. He ate his whole sandwich - the teacher said she was desperate to interact/praise him but instead when he finished she just gave him his crackers - he ate all 3. Again she just calmly gave him his yougart - and he ate it all!

When I picked him up he was wearing a 'good eating' sticker and the teachers were celebrating! Obviously its only one day so far but he has never ate more than a 'nibble' since Sept 2008 in a group setting and he always showed signs of being perfectly content/happy sat with the other children but I suppose inwardly he felt under pressure/that the spotlight was on him!

Sorry very long post - but wanted to share the strategy with you. I can't wait for Monday and hopefully more success! Good luck with anything you try but the above idea is worth a go - we couldn't believe it.

crokky - my ds is 4.3 months, was formally dx ASD at 3.7 months. We have just finalised the statementing process and are currently deciding his school placement for Sept 2010 (we deferred his mainstream placement due to start last Sept and transferred him from the nursery setting he was attending to an integrated nursery). We have massive problems with food! Although he eats a well balanced diet nutritionally its from a small amount of dishes. He doesn't tolerate lumps or more accurately he doesn't tolerate lumps where he doesn't think they should be! So he won't eat lumpy versions of meals that were first served to him pureed. He is also over sensitive to smell and therefore if he doesn't like the smell it won't even get to his mouth. I cooked a batch of Shepherd's Pies the other day (a favourite of his) but couldn't get our usual brand of tomato puree - I used a different one and based on smell alone he refused the meal (I'd made enough for 10 meals ).

But with respect to your original post and his refusal to eat at school - I had to reply to let you know some remarkable progress we've just had. Like your son, my ds has consistently refused to eat at Nursery - this has been going on since he started in September 2008! The integrated setting he transferred to in June 2009 had some very little success (one bite here and there) but no real success to speak of despite implementing various strategies to assist. Last Thursday night we had our second Home Visit from a Consultant Behavioural Psychologist who is very well thought of in this area - we first met him during the original MDA. When we discussed this with him, he said that ASD children often refuse food when they feel stressed/anxious in a group setting but this is often missed because the child is not displaying that emotion. His advice was to take the child away from the group, into a quiet corner with a teacher/assistant who sits with him but does not actively encourage/interact with the child so he does not feel any attention/pressure to eat. Nursery did this with my son the very next day - the teacher actually sat by the side of him but read a book. He ate his whole sandwich - the teacher said she was desperate to interact/praise him but instead when he finished she gave him his crackers - he ate all 3. Again she just calmly gave him his yougart - and he ate it all!

When I picked him up he was wearing a 'good eating' sticker and the teachers were celebrating! Obviously its only one day so far but he has never ate more than a nibble since Sept 2008 in a group setting and he always showed signs of being perfectly content/happy sat with the other children but I suppose inwardly he felt under too much pressure/that the spotlight was on him!

Sorry very long post - but wanted to share the strategy with you. I can't wait for Monday and hopefully more success! Good luck with anything you try but the above idea is worth a go - we couldn't believe it.

in big hurry, but just wanted to say thankyou to everyone who has posted, will be trying everything with DS hoping that something will work!