Mealtime Issues in Autism

It’s common for kids on the autism spectrum to have problems with eating. This can make it difficult for some parents to get their kids to eat a healthy range of foods, and can cause a lot of disappointment and conflict at mealtime.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may experience a number of issues when it comes to food. Some children may prefer foods that feel a certain way in their mouth, such as crunchy foods or soft foods. Children who only eat soft foods may have weak jaw muscles that make eating chewier food unpleasant. Since many children with ASD are very sensitive to textures, they might sit and not eat at meal times while their peers enjoy a meal without issue because of their texture sensitivity.

Understanding what may be behind children's strict eating habits is the first step toward allowing them to become more comfortable with new meals and making mealtime more enjoyable for everyone.

Finding solutions to mealtime challenges for children with autism is like a game of cards. There are so many things you can do, and the strategies you choose will depend on the person and the problem at hand. As mentioned, autism is a type of spectrum disorder. This means that each person will have different challenges and will respond in different ways to intervention strategies.

The techniques listed below may assist parents in providing better eating experiences for their children:

• Explore new food textures

There are many foods that can go a long way toward relieving the symptoms and discomfort of autism. One of the biggest challenges facing individuals with ASD is in basic sensory processing. The individuals often find that warm or cold foods, crunchy or smooth textures, strong flavors and many other physical qualities of a food make eating hard work for them. 

It is, therefore, usually a good idea to give children with ASD foods that are textured in ways they find easier to eat first while leaving aside textures they don’t like. For example, if fish is one of those tastes an individual with ASD doesn’t like then he/she can instead be given fish burgers by their parents or caregivers.

Slowly introduce new things one at a time. Make sure to set realistic expectations of what they are and be sure you're helping out any way that you can!

• Introduce Children to New Foods Gradually

Introducing one's child to new foods or flavors can be something that expands their palate, but it's up to parents and guardians to get kids involved in finding out which tastes they like best.

Typically, children will take between 10 and 20 attempts to decide whether they like a new food. A child with ASD might find it more difficult because of the new experiences that come with eating something (e.g., new smell, taste, feeling when swallowing).

The best tip to remember when introducing new foods, is to be patient. Sometimes it takes time for our children, or even ourselves to discover what flavors they enjoy the most. When looking at recipes, don’t push them too hard, because children will develop a sense of trust in you over time and that’s when you can begin experimenting with new and exotic flavors. Naming specific children can be helpful in developing their palates further.

• Create a Specific Routine

Children with autism often engage in repetitive behaviours. If parents were to remove these types of behaviours, it could only result in negative repercussions elsewhere, since these children wouldn't be able to express how they are feeling. You should instead establish new practices that are beneficial for the child such as having a specific place for meals -such as a child-sized table or high chair- and having consistent times for meals every day.

Environmental cues help all children – and especially those who have autism – learn what they’re supposed to be doing. For example, an animal’s fresh water bowl is an environmental cue for drinking water. Similarly, the family table needs to be for eating meals.

• Use Positive Reinforcement

Providing positive reinforcement is a sure fire way to encourage and nurture good behavior in your child. Becoming specific about what we liked by explaining exactly why food made us happy allows our children to associate this feed with a positive reaction from us in order to increase the chance of them repeating it again in future.

After they've tried new foods, rewarding them with extra time on things they love, such as playing educational games on a computer or tablet, might inspire them to do it again.

In this article, we discussed some of the challenges that children with autism and their parents typically face when it comes to mealtime. We also outlined strategies and solutions to common mealtime issues. One very key thing mentioned here is to be patient, supportive, open-minded and see if you can give a go at strategies that can help promote a positive experience for both your child with autism as well as yourself.

References

https://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/html/g2285/build/g2285.htm

https://www.autismspeaks.org/expert-opinion/autism-and-mealtime-therapists-top-ten-tips-success