Senses

[Loui]

Hi All,

 

 

I was wondering if anyone has difficulty with food . My daughter has ASD and i'm finding that her food intake is very limited. She won't eat meat, fish. Lately she seems to be living off Pasta and Noodles. She has problems with sensitive hearing and pain sensitivity. Has anyone else experienced this??? Any ideas how i can introduce new foods , I've tried making dinner times fun , but Mia won't have it. She says she doesn't like the feel of the food in her mouth. I so worry about her, her ribs and spine is visible but the doctors say she is not to under weight. I feel if i don't get her eating under control then she soon will be.

 

I'm finding things out everyday and since dx myself and my family have been left to our own devices So any help would be gratefully received.

 

Thanks in advance

[krystaltps]

Hi Loui, I know exactly how you feel. We went through all of that with C. Up untill about 2 years ago he could go all day on half a bowl of frosties or a packet of crisps. He was 3 stone from age 3 until age 7. He was a very big toddler but became the smallest in his class. He also came down with every cold and bug that was going around. He was under-weight and his face looked gaunt.

Nowadays... well, we have the opposite problem: how to stop C eating constantly. His food intake is still very limited but it's a lot better than it once was. Like Mia, C has real issues with texture. What I did was cater to the textures he craves. He is a carbs-aholic and loves salty things and spices - so I would add some beef or chicken stock to his noodles or pasta, he liked the flavour and was still getting some of the goodness from the meat. He also dips his bread into a bowl of gravy (he doesn't take butter and he won't eat sandwiches).

We also discovered small portions were far preferable and here's the mad bit - line the food up along the plate - that way you can set a goal to eat from left to right and once she gets to a certain point she can stop. C discovered this himself.

My mum also discovered that if C wasn't restricted to staying at the table he would eat more - he could distract himself from the chore of eating by wandering off with every mouthful. And although it went against the grain with me - I let him eat infront of the TV - he doesn't even notice he's eating sometimes.

Cereal is great. C doesn't eat any dairy but he eats dry cereal as an alternative to crisps, and all the good brands have loads of added vits and minerals. C sees a dietician due to his limited diet and she recently recommended calcium fortified drinks - flavoured mineral waters that have the equivalent of about a pint of milk.

Also, you can gets loads of goodness into them with fruit juice. C won't eat any fruit or veg but he will drink apple juice. I buy 12 big cartons of it a week!

Peanuts are a good alternative to crisps (so long as there's no allergy and she's old enough) as they contain protein.

Since we made all these changes, C is far stronger and healthier and he now weighs about 4 1/2 stone.

I hope some of these tips help.... they have come from years of trying to find what works.

[Loui]

Hi Loui, I know exactly how you feel. We went through all of that with C. Up untill about 2 years ago he could go all day on half a bowl of frosties or a packet of crisps. He was 3 stone from age 3 until age 7. He was a very big toddler but became the smallest in his class. He also came down with every cold and bug that was going around. He was under-weight and his face looked gaunt.

Nowadays... well, we have the opposite problem: how to stop C eating constantly. His food intake is still very limited but it's a lot better than it once was. Like Mia, C has real issues with texture. What I did was cater to the textures he craves. He is a carbs-aholic and loves salty things and spices - so I would add some beef or chicken stock to his noodles or pasta, he liked the flavour and was still getting some of the goodness from the meat. He also dips his bread into a bowl of gravy (he doesn't take butter and he won't eat sandwiches).

We also discovered small portions were far preferable and here's the mad bit - line the food up along the plate - that way you can set a goal to eat from left to right and once she gets to a certain point she can stop. C discovered this himself.

My mum also discovered that if C wasn't restricted to staying at the table he would eat more - he could distract himself from the chore of eating by wandering off with every mouthful. And although it went against the grain with me - I let him eat infront of the TV - he doesn't even notice he's eating sometimes.

Cereal is great. C doesn't eat any dairy but he eats dry cereal as an alternative to crisps, and all the good brands have loads of added vits and minerals. C sees a dietician due to his limited diet and she recently recommended calcium fortified drinks - flavoured mineral waters that have the equivalent of about a pint of milk.

Also, you can gets loads of goodness into them with fruit juice. C won't eat any fruit or veg but he will drink apple juice. I buy 12 big cartons of it a week!

Peanuts are a good alternative to crisps (so long as there's no allergy and she's old enough) as they contain protein.

Since we made all these changes, C is far stronger and healthier and he now weighs about 4 1/2 stone.

I hope some of these tips help.... they have come from years of trying to find what works.

[Loui]

Hi ,

 

thanks for your comments. I will certainly try some out. Don't think there is anyway that she will eat meat or fish thou. lol. I just find everything that i offer she turns her nose up at. Mia is 8 now and it's getting worse as she gets older. In fact i think i notice more as she gets older. As she was a late dx (as no one was taking us seriously) I feel that we are so behind on a lot of things. Even thou it's normal for us now. I feel if we had earlier imput that we might be dealing with things like the food issues a lot better. Sometimes i feel i'm letting her down . It was such a battle to get her dx and then when we did they just tossed us into a ocean and left us there to sink or swim. We are swimming but gee it can be so hard sometimes.

[paulathomson]

does your child like soup? i know that son lived on soup.. so it was easy to blend up things and mix in with the soup as the taste is diguised. i found that the ''thought'' of eating certain things just put him off.. so less he knew the better. as long as the soup wasnt green then i could get away with many veggies in it.

also i added lentils which have alot of protein in them..have a bland taste so not easy to detect. my boy is a carb-oholic and loves pasta. but he will now eat with sauce on it. in the sauce i blend up boiled courgette (but have to peel otherwise green skin gives it away) and ''red'' veggies.

[Loui]

does your child like soup? i know that son lived on soup.. so it was easy to blend up things and mix in with the soup as the taste is diguised. i found that the ''thought'' of eating certain things just put him off.. so less he knew the better. as long as the soup wasnt green then i could get away with many veggies in it.

also i added lentils which have alot of protein in them..have a bland taste so not easy to detect. my boy is a carb-oholic and loves pasta. but he will now eat with sauce on it. in the sauce i blend up boiled courgette (but have to peel otherwise green skin gives it away) and ''red'' veggies.

[/quot

Hi , Thanks for your comment. Mia does eat soup, She went mad on it for a while where it was alll she would eat. She has gone off it now.lol I think i will try and but some chick peas and so forth in some soup. Anything is worth a whirl.

[bluefish]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone has difficulty with food . My daughter has ASD and i'm finding that her food intake is very limited. She won't eat meat, fish. Lately she seems to be living off Pasta and Noodles. She has problems with sensitive hearing and pain sensitivity. Has anyone else experienced this??? Any ideas how i can introduce new foods , I've tried making dinner times fun , but Mia won't have it. She says she doesn't like the feel of the food in her mouth. I so worry about her, her ribs and spine is visible but the doctors say she is not to under weight. I feel if i don't get her eating under control then she soon will be.

 

I'm finding things out everyday and since dx myself and my family have been left to our own devices So any help would be gratefully received.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Hi, Ihave only joined today and yours first one I have read. My son is 4 and has ASD food is a daily battle. He will not eat any fruit,veg anything that is red! in fact he lives on toast and marmite. I have tried EVERYTHING. I know I have not been any help(sorry) but I feel much better knowing that I am not the only one. Since diagnosis in May i have found it hard to accept. would love to be able to speak to other parents in same position.

[Frangipani]

Hi Loui,

 

I had to take my daughter to a dietician for help - but my daughter is diagnosed with medical problems causing her to be under weight. If you are really concerned talk to your GP.

 

Basically she needs to have add 3 fruit/milk smoothies in between meals /

and 2-3 serves of fruit . Breakfast Toast juice cereal, lunch sandwich/ soup fruit Dinner meat or fish plus potato or pasta with lots of vege's.

 

There are some good cook books to enourage kids to learn to cook, make it fun

 

F xx

[Suze]

Hi Loui..............have you tried looking in the search engine on the forum??............this subject has been talked about loads of times on the site.You may find some ideas there , hugs suzex

[Loui]

Hi Loui..............have you tried looking in the search engine on the forum??............this subject has been talked about loads of times on the site.You may find some ideas there , hugs suzex

Hi Suze,

 

no i haven't look into the search engine but will do now. I'm new to the site . Still finding my feet.

 

Thanks Loui

[MichelleW]

I agree with Krystaltps - I know it's against the typical "parent programmes" rules but sitting at a table in front of tv makes a huge difference. Now I sit both boys at small table in font of TV and I sit on settee and eat with them.

 

J used to eat only pasta, then pasta with cheese grated on top. He wouldn't tolerated sauce so I just tried mixing in a bit of cooked sweetcorn. Ok, there is the risk he wouldn't eat any of it at all, but he did. I progressed onto mixed veg in pasta with cheese on top.

 

Soups - again a slow progression. Only tomato soup at first but gradually he began to try tomato and vegetable soup, now we are on to lentil, vegetable and/or tomato. We still have problems though. Today I made pumpkin and bacon soup. He wouldn't even touch it. So I mixed in some with his normal soup - and he could still tell the difference by looking at it. I had to throw it away and give him his usual soup.

 

Try raw vegetables, J eats raw carrots and amazed me a couple of months ago when he asked for a corn on the cob, after I'd just eaten the only 2 I had! So next day I bought some fresh and he still eats one a day.

 

I wouldn't worry about it being a balanced diet as long as you can get them to eat something - if you keep a diary of what she does actually eat, you may be surprised - I was when I did it for J's peadiatrician (bowel specialist not the ASD one!)

 

Michelle

[keepingmesane]

hi,

im not sure i can help much as i am very much like your daughter, all my life i have been a VERY fussy eater and survived on little, i just wasnt bothered by food and to this day it hasnt really changed.

my mum did the best she could and just fed me whatever i was into at the time. as an adult ive been able to control more what i have each day and i have to say that the thought of food really puts me off eating, sometimes the only time i will eat is if it is just put down in front of me.

i go through food fads quite often where thats all i will eat, last food fad has been plain toasted pitta breads (since my youngest daughter was born thats pretty much what ive lived on just cant face much else) its kind of like a pregnancy craving that wont go away and the thought of any other food in its place just makes me feel nauseous.

 

my asd son (4) has real difficulties eating and has very little appetite except for the rare few items he likes from time to time, his twin sister (also suspected asd) is very particular about flavours, has a very bland palate and also eats very little at times. all my hv and i can come up with is to feed them what they want and supplement with vitamins

[Loui]

Hi ,

 

Thanks so much for your comments. I noticed tonight that i'm not sure if it is the texture of the food wiith Mia or the fact everything she eats is the same colour nearly. We have been to the doctor who has recommended a build up drink. Got to give it ago. Trying to explain to Mia, that she should try other things is very difficult as she just doesn't understand. So keep yr fingers crossed that she drinks the build up drinks, least they will give her the nutreints she isn't getting at the moment. Protein is so important and she isn't getting her daily amount. It makes me so sad when i see my other children enjoying the pleasure of different foods.

[elun1]

<'> Hi you have my sympathy! O is 6, autistic and very very fussy with food. Colours, textures etc, they're all a problem for him. Basically he prefers pale/yellow food as a rule. He's on gluten and dairy free diet due to bowel problems. His diet is very restricted but kind of balanced. e.g. all he will eat at the moment is fishfingers (g/f), smiley faces, broccoli (I know! I couldn't believe it either!) , orange juice, gluten free 'breakfast bars' and biscuits (gluten free) He eats soya yoghurt too. Sometimes he'll eat baked beans. I give him multivit supplement each day. That's about it at the mo. I keep trying though, adding bits of other things to his plate and very very occasionally he will surprise me by trying something. He loves to draw at the moment and if he is doing this sometimes he'll eat a lot more if I feed him.

Best of luck, I know it's frustrating

Elun xxx

[JsMum]

Has she had her height and weight checked lately? who said she isnt actually underweight? have you asked for a referal to the dietition to help with what kinds of products to take, build up drinks are not ment to replace meals, they are intended to contribute the meals she already eats, from the sounds of it she is missing massive calorific energy, in turn this will cause serious behavioural difficulties, homestatus, keeping the body warm, cooling down ect.... and dehydration, during sleep it can cause dropping of blood sugar levels, so this does need to be looked into further.

 

Js taste is effected if he has gone long periods without eating or repetativily eating the same products, for J I do what eleun1 has suggested, and just keep in what you know she will eat, if its the same thing it doesnt matter, what matters is calories and fat, I really do urge you to ask for a dietition for further support.

 

I really can not believe she is not underweight with this severe sensory difficulty, I have to recommend a book called The out of syncs child, and the additional book, The out of syncs child has fun.

 

JsMum

Edited October 13, 2007 by JsMum

[Loui]

Thanks again for all your comments i have taken them all on board. Contacted Mia's doctor who dx her today. Told her that we needed to see her ASAp. We explain about Mia's diet, the "stills" and the melatonin not working. Also the fact every follow up with language and speech so forth, we have had no appointments after 9 months and she wasn't happy. So hopefully we will be in next week getting this sorted out once and for all.

 

Keep your fingers crossed

 

Keep u all updated

[pearl]

Hope you get something sorted Loui.

JP had an extremely limited diet as a toddler - basically milk, cereal, crackers, bread & butter. I gave him lots of what he would eat, supplemented with vitamin drops, & made sure he always ate at the table with us.

 

One day, he looked with interest at my spoonful of hotpot.... I gave it him to taste. We never looked back after that. Now, at 18, he will eat anything except chips & raw cheese!

[Nic m]

Hi loui,

My daughter has a limited diet but it is improving i tried to make as little fuss as possible, didnt plan what she would eat but got her to choose something from the fridge when she was younger and at that stage food was in small portions on different plates. Now she has her favourites that change every few weeks, but she will try new foods if she know she doesnt have to eat them if she doesnt like them and she will have juice at the ready to take the taste away. She drinks lots and loves dry cereal and smothers food in tomato sauce.

Good luck

Nicola

[Loui]

Hi all thanks so much for all your comments. I havebeen in touch with Mia's doctor. We have shared our concerns regarding her eating habits, her very poor sleep even with the max dose Melotonin 9mg. She is also concerned and has no arrange for Mia to have some more blood tests. Told me in the mean time to get her multi vits. She is going to get her checked out at the local hospital. Regarding her sleep she feels there mabe more going on and is arranging for her to go to the sleep clinic. She has had digital ambukatory done, so not sure if they are going to go down that route again. Keep your fingers crossed. Hoping they finally find out whats going on. Mia's sleep patteren is sooooooo bad i feel like i have 2 babies in the house and not one. I will keep you informed.

 

Thanks again i find your comments very helpful.

 

Lou

[Cat]

I have food issues and sleep issue with both of my sons. Both have a restricted diet and while one eats for england the other could quite happily live without food altogether - except we all know that he could not live.

 

Food issues are very common for anyone with an ASD and more so in girls. A word of warning here because there are a high percentage of anorexic and bulimic young women who are also autistic. Obsessions and phobias are all part and parcel of autism and if food becomes the focal point of an obsession it can really get out of hand quickly. I am not suggesting that you sit back and do nothing but be careful not to let your daughter see your level of anxiety here because she could well feed on that.

 

I really do know about lack of eating as my youngest sometimes does not eat for an entire day. He does this because there are other things that are occupying his mind on those days and food simply does not register on his radar. I cook the food, give him the food and he ignores it. He tends not to like cooked food at all and would happily live on raw carrot, crisps and apple.

 

We lost a lot of time with our middle son who was 13 when he got his dx and I did spend time thinking 'if only' but then I realised that by doing that I was waisting even more time. I don;t think that the food issues would have been any different to be honest with you - well not with my son. Our youngest was diagnosed when he was 3 and so we did have the awareness and understanding with him and yet he is the little chap who eats the least and has the most issues. It's learning to accept that what is the norm in an NT child is not the norm in and ASD child and having one who rarely sleep before 7am and only then has a three or four hours sleep, I have given up on that to and now go with the autistic flow.

Edited October 28, 2007 by Cat

[Loui]

I have food issues and sleep issue with both of my sons. Both have a restricted diet and while one eats for england the other could quite happily live without food altogether - except we all know that he could not live.

 

Food issues are very common for anyone with an ASD and more so in girls. A word of warning here because there are a high percentage of anorexic and bulimic young women who are also autistic. Obsessions and phobias are all part and parcel of autism and if food becomes the focal point of an obsession it can really get out of hand quickly. I am not suggesting that you sit back and do nothing but be careful not to let your daughter see your level of anxiety here because she could well feed on that.

 

I really do know about lack of eating as my youngest sometimes does not eat for an entire day. He does this because there are other things that are occupying his mind on those days and food simply does not register on his radar. I cook the food, give him the food and he ignores it. He tends not to like cooked food at all and would happily live on raw carrot, crisps and apple.

 

We lost a lot of time with our middle son who was 13 when he got his dx and I did spend time thinking 'if only' but then I realised that by doing that I was waisting even more time. I don;t think that the food issues would have been any different to be honest with you - well not with my son. Our youngest was diagnosed when he was 3 and so we did have the awareness and understanding with him and yet he is the little chap who eats the least and has the most issues. It's learning to accept that what is the norm in an NT child is not the norm in and ASD child and having one who rarely sleep before 7am and only then has a three or four hours sleep, I have given up on that to and now go with the autistic flow.

[Loui]

Hi,

 

i understand what you are saying. Mia never sees or hears any of my worries. Funny you should say about anorexia., my neice has dyspraxia is 16 and has just been dx with anorexia. I will keep a eye out for sure as Mia is very thin, she looks gaunt and very pale. I get tired of people asking me if she is sick.

 

Thanks again i have taken what you said on board.

[Cat]

I was not trying to imply that your daughter will become anorexic more that sometimes our fears about their food intake can actually tip the scales in that direction. I know an autistic woman, who herself battled anorexia in her teens and who has since done some research on this issue, and she says the fact that her family were so worried about what she was eating applied even greater pressure to her and made food and even bigger focal point in her life.

 

Food is 'not' and issue with our youngest at all. He just has no interest in food. I have decided that I will not make it an issue. He to is very pale with dark circles around his eyes and every doctor we see comments on his paleness. I find myself saying yes but he is always this pale. Paleness and autism again go hand in hand and is usually down to a food intolerance. It is often an intolerance to a food that the child will eat making it doubly difficult to sort out. My son also suffers from cyclical vomiting syndome and we have on many ocassions ended up in A&E because of this as he will neither eat nor drink when he has this syndrome. It can last for many days. Once Christmas he went the whole of the holidays on one bourbon biscuit and half a packet of crisps. I was out of my mind with worry and so were the medics but they could not pin point where the problem was or is. And again this is autism. Many people go into the biomedical side to find answers. We have tried this but got no conclusive answers. I even have Paul Shattock in my patch and once carried my son into his office to see if he could shine any lights - it can be a bit like looking for a needle in a haystck.

 

I decided that if my son was otherwise fit and healthy that I would not make food an issue unless I have to. He will drink milky tea with sugar and so I let him do this because we then cover milk and sugar (which must give him the energy that he has bags of)

 

Cat

Edited October 28, 2007 by Cat

[Loui]

I was not trying to imply that your daughter will become anorexic more that sometimes our fears about their food intake can actually tip the scales in that direction. I know an autistic woman, who herself battled anorexia in her teens and who has since done some research on this issue, and she says the fact that her family were so worried about what she was eating applied even greater pressure to her and made food and even bigger focal point in her life.

 

Food is 'not' and issue with our youngest at all. He just has no interest in food. I have decided that I will not make it an issue. He to is very pale with dark circles around his eyes and every doctor we see comments on his paleness. I find myself saying yes but he is always this pale. Paleness and autism again go hand in hand and is usually down to a food intolerance. It is often an intolerance to a food that the child will eat making it doubly difficult to sort out. My son also suffers from cyclical vomiting syndome and we have on many ocassions ended up in A&E because of this as he will neither eat nor drink when he has this syndrome. It can last for many days. Once Christmas he went the whole of the holidays on one bourbon biscuit and half a packet of crisps. I was out of my mind with worry and so were the medics but they could not pin point where the problem was or is. And again this is autism. Many people go into the biomedical side to find answers. We have tried this but got no conclusive answers. I even have Paul Shattock in my patch and once carried my son into his office to see if he could shine any lights - it can be a bit like looking for a needle in a haystck.

 

I decided that if my son was otherwise fit and healthy that I would not make food an issue unless I have to. He will drink milky tea with sugar and so I let him do this because we then cover milk and sugar (which must give him the energy that he has bags of)

 

Cat

[Loui]

Hi Mia, has no interest in any foods other then pasta, noodles, chocolate,onions, she does seem to have fads where she wlll eat nothing but noodles for days. I am aware that Mia food issues are more to do with the texture of her foods. I wouldn't have said all children with ASD are pale and gaunt looking. I do feel however that Mia looks the way she does cause she isn't getting the protein she needs hence the hospital appointment. I have started to not give her a choice of what she eats. I still give her , her much loved noodles, but i put a little bit of everything on her plate 1 fish finger some beans one sausage a nugget. Just to see wether or not whe will try any of them. No making much of a issue when she does or doesn't.

 

lou

[dooday24]

hi loui

reece has lots of problems with food too he eats weetabix 4 breakfast (wen he eats breakfast!!) and chocolate spread and crisp sarine together!!

for dinner and tea have been to a diatician but they r not worried as weight is ok...

i have been asked to vary the choc spread he has sometimes he wont eat it if i change it..

have given up worrying about his poor diet they have taken bloods to see if he is laking in anything and they all came back ok... i dont know how!!!!

we just hope he will get bored in the end but this fad has gone on for months before that it was garlic bread for brakfast dinner and tea!!!!

goodluck...

how old is mia??

love donnaxxxx

[Loui]

hi loui

reece has lots of problems with food too he eats weetabix 4 breakfast (wen he eats breakfast!!) and chocolate spread and crisp sarine together!!

for dinner and tea have been to a diatician but they r not worried as weight is ok...

i have been asked to vary the choc spread he has sometimes he wont eat it if i change it..

have given up worrying about his poor diet they have taken bloods to see if he is laking in anything and they all came back ok... i dont know how!!!!

we just hope he will get bored in the end but this fad has gone on for months before that it was garlic bread for brakfast dinner and tea!!!!

goodluck...

how old is mia??

love donnaxxxx

[Loui]

Hi Donna, Mia is 8 so this as been going on for ever now. They dx her very late and she does have major issues with sleep and possible seizures. I have had the garlic bread fad with mia also.lol I can only hope that it will pass, but somehow i don't feel it will. It's been going on since she could eat.

[elainem]

Hi,

 

Ian Jordan might be able to help as some of the senses can be altered through vision.

 

Elaine

[Cat]

The foods that your daughter is eating could be the foods that are making her pale and sorry paleness and autism do go hand in hand as the paleness is usually down to a food intolerence and it is often the only food that the child will eat. Taken for this site http://www.autismmedical.com/gateway_2/article/6/symptoms If you type autism and pale skin or paleness into a search engine you will get lots of information about this.

 

Symptoms

When some children start sliding into autism they modify their diet, becoming picky eaters. They limit the foods they eat and consume them to excess. The foods they crave are the very foods causing the mischief and their menu often reads: milk, bread, pasta, chicken nuggets, and yoghurts. This is usually in sharp contrast to the normal diet they enjoyed from birth. In addition these children can also display many physical problems such as: ?

 

Breaking wind frequently

Red face and/or ears

Pale skin/pasty face

Giggling/screaming for no apparent reason

Eats non-foods e.g. earth, sand, paper, soap

Excessive sweating, especially at night

Craving/dislike for certain foods

Inability to control body temperature

Dark shadows under the eyes

Allergy in the family (Asthma, Eczema, Hay fever, Migraine)

Gut disorders in the family

Allergy in the family (Asthma, Eczema, Hay fever, Migraine)

Inability to control body temperature

Craving/dislike for certain foods

Bloating

Swollen tummy

Diarrhea

Constipation