In the second of our series of blogs about eating and autism we are looking at children who eat a very limited range of foods. Some children with autism are very restricted in what they will eat. They may be averse to certain textures e.g. only eating dry, crunchy foods. They may only consume certain brands of food or they may only eat a few foods.
How to tackle the problem
It will take time to alter eating habits! It needs to be tackled gently and gradually to avoid distressing the child. A de-sensitisation approach is often helpful and using foodstuffs (jelly, cooked spaghetti, rice, shaped pasta, angel delight…anything goes!) in sensory play to reduce tactile defensiveness can be helpful.
Introducing very small amounts of a limited range of foods that are similar to those the child already eats is a good place to start e.g. if they like yogurt, try different flavours of yoghurts, different brands and different textures. Introduce foods but do not place an expectation that they will be eaten at first, allow and encourage the child to explore it with all their senses and reward any progress with this.
Remember to consult your doctor if you are worried your child’s health is affected by a limited diet.
You can find more information through this link.