Breaking the Cycle of Food Selectivity: How MEAL PlanR Supports Autistic Children and Their Families

• By: E. Emilie Weiner, MA, BCBA Alexis Bancroft, PhD Cynthia Martin, PsyD The Child Mind Institute
• April 4th, 2025
• feeding challenges, food selectivity, interventions, nutrition, parent-mediated therapy, picky eating, Spring 2025 Issue, therapy
• 223    0

Limited and picking eating is a common occurrence for children with autism. Feeding challenges include food selectivity, food refusal, behavioral rigidity during meals, and limited dietary variety (Sharp et al., 2013). Upwards of 89% of autistic individuals have feeding difficulties (Cermak et al.,...

Navigating Health as an Autistic Picky Eater

• By: Karl Wittig, PE Aspies for Social Success (AFSS)
• April 4th, 2025
• actually autistic, diet, early intervention, food, food aversion, health, picky eating, selective eating, sensory sensitivities, Spring 2025 Issue, wellness
• 121    0

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

• By: Marta Chmielowicz Autism Speaks
• April 4th, 2025
• children, eating, eating and food, feeding challenges, food, food selectivity, health, healthy eating, mealtime routines, nutrition, picky eating, sensory issues, sensory sensitivities, Spring 2025 Issue
• 208    0

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,...

Evaluating and Treating Restrictive Eating in Children with Autism

• By: Alana Telesford, PhD Shannon Santoro, MS Cynthia Martin, PsyD Autism Center at the Child Mind Institute
• July 19th, 2022
• assessment, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, children, evidence-based treatment, food acceptance, food preferences, picky eating, restrictive eating, Summer 2022 Issue
• 8292    1

Picky eating is common for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autistic individuals often show atypical eating patterns and have more difficulty with mealtime behaviors in comparison to their non-autistic peers (Christensen et al., 2019; Mayes & Zickgraf, 2019; Sharp et al., 2013)....

Managing Picky Eating in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

• By: Diana A. Wolf, MA, BCBA Verbal Beginnings
• October 1st, 2013
• diet, eating, fall 2013 issue, feeding problems, food, myths, picky eating
• 3443    0

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...

Asparagus Syndrome: The Newly Gourmand Life of an Impossibly Picky Eater

• By: Amy Gravino, MA, CAS A.S.C.O.T. Consulting
• January 1st, 2011
• actually autistic, cooking, eating, food sensitivities, picky eating, winter 2011 issue
• 2416    0

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...