Need Help

[Lexy1773]

I have a topic that I feel needs addressing:

Kaden is 4 and will be 5 in April and I have a problem.
He went from eating almost anything to almost nothing:
He has his favorites which are: chicken nuggets, oreo cookies, popcorn, and occassionally a B&J sandwich (not often).
Has anymore gone through this...I can't get him to eat other foods except cheese pizza and I'm worried about his health if he won't eat anything but junk.

He sometimes get very upset when we don't give him the junk food and he tries to hit and throws a fit...very confused parent as I'm trying to make sure he stays healthy.

Please help me with this as I'm at a loss.
Thank you

[Joanna]

Hello. An idea for the pizza- you could make your own pizza and blend vegetables into the tomato sauce base.

[Lexy1773]

thanks sounds like a plan i can try

[Janice Adamson]

It sounds as though your son has SPD's (sensory processing disorders) This is not uncommon as I can tell you that Four of my five children as well as myself also suffer from the same things in varying degrees. It is not uncommon to have a co-existing disorder along with his other disorder(s) and/or Syndrome(s). I did locate a forum in Asperger's World that has many ideas to help with sensory processing.I have found a company that provides weighted blankets vests, lap mats, chew bracelets and necklaces as well as textured spoons to help the brain think "texture". Does your son have an occupational therapist to help with his eating habits. I have the same problem with three of my sons who have a regimented menu of what they will eat. They are very sensitive to (re: foods) tastes, textures and smells. I also hear that aroma therapy is beneficial to help in the calming process.My children often have meltdowns as well. You are not alone, even though you feel that you are. Sometimes I feel like very overwhelmed with my situation(s) I encounter and deal with on a daily basis.I try to provide different foods for them to try, but am not upset if they don't.Pick your battles, and ask yourself if it is worth a meltdown?.I have experienced getting food thrown at me, thrown on the floor and overturned tables.I empathize with you and truly understand your deliemma as I cannot even get my boys to take vitamins. My doctor even suggested that I make them peanutbutter cookies as they are rich in both calories and nutrients.I also make lots of muffins and cupcakes, and loaves in which you can "hide" some healthy ingredients in! I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any luck, all my best, -Janice

[Joanna]

Lexy1773 Wrote:thanks sounds like a plan i can try

Hope it helps let me know thank you.

[Janice Adamson]

I'm not sure what other products they have there, in the UK. In Canada we also have vitamins that taste and look like gummy bears (candy).I also make allocations for my children, much to the dismay of others who like to offer "advice" without understanding the situation I deal with on a daily basis. For example during Christmas dinner there was a vast array of food present. Ham, turkey, perogies, mashed potatoes, salad, cabbage rolls , meatballs, etc. My children approached my grandmother and asked if she had cereal.Grandma has since passed, but the rest of the family was appalled at the time and noone really seems to understand about this deliemma.I try to integrate all of the food groups into their diet-albeit in unconventional ways.Don't worry too much as they grow they start to try new things, and if they aren't starving, or losing weight then don't dispair .An occupational therapist is trained to deal with sensory issues, so if ou don't already have one then talk with your doctor about getting a referral for one. -Janice

[sara sylvara]

Hello,my sonhas a limited menu.He lives on hotdogs and some pasta.There is one child in his class at school who atsnothing but bread andonly a certain kind any other kind of food goes in his mouth but soon turns to liquid and still wont swallow it.So I am greatfull for the food my son does eat.he goes through food stages,when he asks for a certain kind of food we will go to the store and get it.Autistic kids are very picky eaters.Which gives me a guilty feeling some times when I am eating some thing really good and he looks but dosnt eat he will get a bowl of cold cereal or a hot dog.We have tried spiking his food with vitamins but he is very wise to that he will and has disected a sandwitch or treat if it dosnt taste right to him.So hang in there.

[Thajocoth]

Speaking from the other side of this... I'm 26 and due to my sensory issues, I eat a diet of pizza, pasta, mac & cheese and lots of milk (I drink half a gallon of 1% per day.) It's a horribly unhealthy diet. I'd eat fruit if I wasn't so horribly lazy (it takes forever to prepare and goes bad in minutes afterward) This is the one negative issue of my Asperger's that I haven't been able to either fix or use the good points of Asperger's to nullify for myself.

For reference... Imagine food that smells so strong it makes you sick. Food that tastes like they dropped a brick of spices in instead of a pinch. Food that, even the texture of is multiplied. This is where we are, every day. When I see somebody pull out a paper bag or plastic food container, a wave of pure fear and panic goes through my system, because I know that there's a very real possibility that, from across the room, that person opening that container can make me feel horribly sick from the stench. As disgusting as it sounds, the best comparison to our reaction to such food is the same as your reaction would be if it was poop. This concept seems to be very difficult for other people to understand.

-----

Having said that, try giving him a choice between multiple healthier options. That is, choose 2 or 3 things you could potentially cook and ask him which he'd prefer. As part of the decision, this might help make the result more palatable. At least, that's what a developmental psychology professor once taught me. I have no idea if this will still work with people like me. I know that today it wouldn't.

Also, I would recommend fruit. They're sweet, but healthy. Natures candy, in a sense... You can find fruits to cover most of the nutrition people need. The problem with fruits tends to be either time or texture. At least, for me it is... Slicing can often help with that.

As an avid fan of Oreos myself... Make them a rarity. It's harder to take other food seriously when you have access to something so sweet...

If you modify a recipe AT ALL it's noticeable. I can tell the difference easily if somebody tries to give me pasta that wasn't made with Prego Traditional tomato sauce.

As time went on, I've only removed more & more from my diet, getting worse. (Though, finding plastic in your hot-dog is pretty bad... I still blame Nathans for that one. It happened twice...) It's very difficult for somebody like me to care about things like vitamins and minerals, so expressing their importance will be a very difficult thing.

[Mamanne]

Wow, thank you Thajocoth. That has really helped me to understand my son so much more. If he sees the table being set or food coming out of a bag/container he does a runner. Even if we go out for a picnic, he runs away and just stands and waits a 'safe' distance while we eat and then returns once we've packed everything away. I hope it's been useful for you too, Lexy.

My son's diet is limited to plain rice, cucumber, smarties and strawberry milkshake. The only thing I am able to do is sneak a crushed up vitamin tablet into his milkshake (which he doesn't notice!). It's so frustrating, I know, but we just have to be patient and keep trying new things. I can very occasionally get my son to eat some apple or raw carrot by sitting next to him while he's watching his favourite DVD, I start to eat it myself then hand it across to him without looking at him or saying anything. For some reason he sometimes takes it and proceeds to eat it! I think it's good to think outside the box and realise that traditional strategies may not work with our children.

Try not to worry too much, maybe you could get a health check done on him just to reassure yourself. I did with my son and found he was totally healthy and not lacking in anything. It made me feel alot better and accept the situation a bit more.

Stay strong!

[GagAMarcUs]

He has his favorites which are: chicken nuggets, oreo cookies, popcorn, and occasionally a B&J sandwich (not often).Has anymore gone through this...I can't get him to eat other foods except cheese pizza and I'm worried about his health if he won't eat anything but junk.