-
Navigating Health as an Autistic Picky Eater
Like most, if not virtually all autistics, I lived with a variety of sensory sensitivities my entire life. As a child, I was extremely averse to certain visual stimuli (particularly camera flashes), specific kinds of sounds, and the motion of an elevator. Luckily, these subsided as I got older. Two...
-
Beyond Picky Eating: Supporting Lifelong Health in Autistic Children
Picky eating in autism is more than just a childhood phase. Research shows that atypical eating behaviors—such as extreme food selectivity and hypersensitivity to textures—are common in autistic children. One study found that 70% of children with autism display atypical eating patterns,...
-
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...
-
Obesity and Related Issues in Individuals with ASD: The Scope of the Problem and Potential Solutions
Obesity is a major problem around the world and in the United States for individuals with and without disabilities. The World Health Organization (2011) identified childhood obesity as one of the most serious public health risks in this century (Alwan, 2011). Obesity rates in the United States have...
-
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...
-
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...
-
The Costs of Raising a Teenage Son with Autism
Researchers at the Children’s Institute, a not-for-profit organization affiliated with the University of Rochester, NY, studied the connection between autism and the hemorrhage of cash a family endures when one of their own has the condition. “It’s a disorder that seems to have an impact on...
-
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...
