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Managing Feeding and Toileting Challenges in Children with Autism
Challenges with toilet training (e.g., frequent accidents, withholding urine or feces) and eating (e.g., food selectivity, getting sufficient nutritional intake) may have a significant impact on the child’s functioning in the home, school, community, and social events. These issues often impact...
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A Selective Eating Program: MEALLS Making Eating A Lifelong Learning Skill
Feeding and eating problems, such as selective eating, is common among individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The prevalence of feeding problems in children with ASD is reported to be as high as 90%, with around 70% of individuals being described as picky eaters (Twachtman-Reilly et al.,...
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Understanding Dietary Distress, Forced Eating, and Food Deserts While Autistic
My name is Sylvia, and I’m an Autistic adult with sensory hypersensitivities that mainly affect my eating, which I’m choosing to call dietary hypersensitivities, or, more simply, food/drink hypersensitivities. For me, these hypersensitivities are oversensitivities based on any combination of...
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Exercise and Dietary Choices: Practical Advice Drawn from a Review of Current Literature
Obesity rates for children in the U.S. have risen significantly over the last decade. Currently one third of all children between the ages of 2 and 19 years in the general population are described as overweight or obese (Curtin, Jojic, & Bandini, 2014). Drawing from data provided in the...
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Common Mealtime Concerns in Individuals with ASD
Feeding problems in children with ASD may include selective eating or “picky eaters,” rapid eating (child takes numerous bites within a short period of time), inappropriate mealtime behaviors (e.g., tantrums), and inadequate intake/food consumption. These behaviors can lead to numerous health...
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Managing Picky Eating in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Chicken nuggets, french fries, chips, cookies, and juice. Chicken nuggets, french fries, chips, cookies, and juice. The cycle repeats over and over again; breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Day after day after day. Sometimes, you’ll try to switch out the regular chocolate chip cookies with reduced...
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An Overview of Strategies to Address Food Selectivity and Refusal in Individuals with Autism
Feeding difficulties are common in typically developing children (2-35%), and are even more common in children with developmental problems (33-80%; Babbitt, Hoch, & Coe, 1994; Burklow, Phelps, et al, 1998). Feeding difficulties in individuals with autism is one of the most challenging...
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Asparagus Syndrome: The Newly Gourmand Life of an Impossibly Picky Eater
Last week, I burned the lasagna. I remember opening the oven, full of anticipation and nervous excitement, only to have my hopes dashed on the rocks at the sight of the undercooked noodles and scorched earth-colored Parmesan cheese. Was it the glass baking pan? Should I not have halved the...
