Hi, are there any adult autistics here to advise on probable eating disorders of young autistic children? My son, 6.5, eats only when I feed him, only two or three foods. If anyone else offers him to have dinner, he would rejects. I can't go to work, leave him with anyone, becasue in the end of the day he is so hungry. I don't know when it will finish, and I am very concerned as this impacts his independence.
My guess is anxiety from being away from you. I had bad anxiety problems when I was about his age. I never stopped eating from it, but I know lots of animals will refuse food if they're under a lot of stress.
I was put into therapy which eventually led to a psychiatric evaluation and a diagnosis of Asperger's. For the anxiety, I was put on Paxil for a couple of years.
I'd recommend talking to a psychologist or a psychiatrist.
guardian001, I don't mean to sound mean, but I can barely understand your post. In the future could you try to spell a little bit better? What is "nutatatit"?
I agree about both the sensory issues being a problem and the anxiety. It could be he is just so used to taking food from you that he doesn't want it from anyone else. Does he take food from others when you are nearby? Could you try to ease him into accepting food from others?
I myself am a very picky eater so I have some insight to share there. For me it is a combination of sensory issues and not wanting to try new things. It is very very hard for me to make myself try something I have never had before, so I don't expand my existing diet, which is a problem. But also, I dislike many textures that are common in food. I only eat vegetable soups if the vegies are chopped so small they are almost pureed and my sense of taste is so powerful that I can differentiate between different brands of the smae food, and can differentiate between milk that has been kept in glass and milk that has been kept in plastic. The stuff in plastic has a TERRIBLE taste which I hate! It's possible your son is experiencing something similar.
He's probably really attached to you, but I don't know how you might solve this problem.
I have always been particular with food. When I was this boys age and now. When I travelled north with my family as a child and we stopped at Little Chef for breakfast, I would order cod and chips, to some very odd looks. Today I still eat plain meals although I do like more sauce on meat than I used to. I hate public eating. I tend to feel sick whilst eating and either choke or get lock-jaw from anxiety. Eating alone or in familiar surroundings improves this.
I guess you could bribe him to try other foods. Starting with similiar textures and tastes, of course.
After all, the point is to get him to try them, and if you have to bribe him, then do it. The more experiences he can tolerate, the better.
Is he routine-oriented? If you could integrate eating into his routine, it might become a reassuring part of his day that just happens at the same time every day...
Vitamin/mineral supplements are important if your child has a restricted diet.
Good luck
Many of us here still have restricted eating at adulthood, but we are generally more diverse than just one or two foods.
Or maybe try and get him to try some foods while you're gone but talking to him on the phone or something like that?
Well, again, I am useful not because I have the experience of a parent, but that of the child. I too am a very picky eater. I eat almost exclusively grain group and dairy group foods. There are exceptions to this like shrimp, calamari, and breaded chicken. The commen link is that I like breaded things when I do eat meat/chicken. Of anything, I dont like meat at all. I will not eat it and sometimes when I do ahve to eat a little, kind of get a gagging reflex. I am not so bad with fruits or vegetables, but dont like vegetables. So I have very picky interests. Once i tried to vary it but then my parents REALLY pushed by having like burgers every day and I just gave up. I would start by a little every day, or even every other day. Then slowly increase other foods and you not feeding him. ALthough I dont care about who feeds me, (I feed myself) I do care about the food. This is similiar to the deep touch therapy used on people sensetive to touch. If I were to try and vary my diet again, which I eventually will try again hopefully, I am going to take it slow and build up a resistance/tolerance slowly and not let myself get overwhelmed like last time
Or maybe try and get him to try some foods while you're gone but talking to him on the phone or something like that?
Ooh... I wonder if you could gradually get him to eat while you're gone? Just start out not actually touching him, and gradually back away until you're out of the room, then on the phone, then not there at all... Kind of like you get a kid who's scared of dogs to be OK with petting one, you know?
Or maybe try and get him to try some foods while you're gone but talking to him on the phone or something like that?
Ooh... I wonder if you could gradually get him to eat while you're gone? Just start out not actually touching him, and gradually back away until you're out of the room, then on the phone, then not there at all... Kind of like you get a kid who's scared of dogs to be OK with petting one, you know?
Thank you guys for sharing your thoughts. I agree, it is mix of sensory and ritualistic issues. I don't know how we will overcome this, whether we ever will, but it is very useful for me to know how a person can feel about non-desired foods. I guess I shouldn't expect this will be all gone one day.
is the a pattern to the food he likes?does he like a surtain flavor or texture to his food that he will eat?if so it could be a senery issuse like the feel on shis touge or the smell of the food. at about the same age as your son i adored smother foods like soupsand creamy peanutbutter and to this day i hate vegisbules becuase of thier smell. if there a nutatatit issuse try a milk based vitiam drink like Ensure, ask his doctor if that would be right for him.
He likes foods that are easy to be chewed: processed meat, soft bread... He wouldn't eat something that requires mouth work, like a steak. Also, he sticks to the same view of food: he eats spaghetti, but no other shapes. He hates everything with traces of milk, but occasionally would eat some cheese, may be 1 inch every 3 months. His problem is that he cannot seat for mealtime, but jumps and dances around the table, and I follow him with food. Noone else can do it without getting irritated. I tried to stopit and to not feed him, but then he stopped eating for two or three days, and I started to do it again. After every bite of main food he takes some juice or bite of orange, otherwise his mouth gets tired fast, and he chokes.
He doesn't sound like he has an eating disorder but more of a picky eater due to sensory issues and that can be helped by both a nutrionist and an occupational therapist. I had anorexia/bulemia in mid to late teens on top of being a picky eater all my life and I'm 33. I wouldn't recommend a psychologist and meds until you find out what is causing the sensory issues and resolve them with an OT's help.
Have you tried packing a meal for him. I would pack a bag for my son and show him the contents before he left for daycare. It worked and he ate what I provided for him. Now that he is in montessori school half-days, he eats all his meals with me and my parents, and he won't eat snacks at school unless it is our day to prepare them for the class. You could also pack some other new foods in there, or do what we do, which is every Thursday is "try a new food day." Sometimes it is a familiar food at a new place, but he does try.
Don't give up! Of course this will pass. Autie kids inevitably and gradually learn to tolerate things, especially if they are supported by parents like you. He may never be able to tolerate great variety; but gentle pushing should be enough to allow him to have a nutritious diet, at least to the point where he won't truly need supplements anymore. It can help if you organize things so that he knows which tastes and textures to expect... such as always having carrots on Tuesday lunches... Can he read? A menu wuold be helpful, I think. Or else if he can't read yet you could use a picture menu. (Depending on how visual he is, even a literate child might benefit from pictures...)
Regarding anorexia: Anorexia nervosa is very uncommon in boys, and even less common in boys only six years old. I think you can assure yourself your son does not have an "eating disorder"; more "texture/taste sensitivity". "Anorexia" meaning lack of appetite, yes... but then, simple lack of appetite affects a lot of us at some time or other.
I had an eating disorder. This one didn't make me get extremely thin...it made me balloon in weight. As a matter of fact, I weighed 295 pounds at the beginning of the school year and now I'm 267. I attribute my success to better diet, more exercise, and a desire to avoid weight-related problems I have in my family such as Hypertension, High Cholesterol, & Type 2 Diabetes. Hopefully, I'll never get those.