Children often tend to be fussy eaters, but when your child has an Autism Spectrum Disorder, they can be far more selective for various reasons. Autistic children may even display severe discomfort or pain and experience severe meltdowns at mealtimes due to this food aversion.
If this is not managed correctly, this can lead to many health difficulties such as nutrition deficiencies, poor growth rate and weight loss. Here are some top tips to help parents navigate meal time with their autistic children:
Relax Before Mealtime.
Mealtime might be a stressful situation for many kids with asd. That’s why it might encourage your child to participate in mealtime if you help them reduce this stress beforehand. To do so, you could play a game before mealtime, read the child’s favourite book, tell them stories, etc.
Create A Structured Mealtime Routine.
Routines can be crucial for autistic children as they help them know what they can expect. This structure can be just as important when it comes to mealtime. This is why experts recommend that you designate specific areas for mealtime so that they know what is expected of them during every mealtime.
Build Acceptance For New Foods With Gradual Exposure.
Slowly introduce your child to new foods. You can do this by adding the new food to regularly eaten food so they can build familiarity with the new foods slowly. Children will also often react strongly to how certain foods look, feel or even sound. These reactions can even be due to severe fears that should be taken seriously and managed carefully, such as the fear of eating in front of others.
Try To Accommodate Physical Problems.
Sometimes eating challenges arise from other medical issues that can make eating unpleasant for them. Parents must pinpoint these medical issues and accommodate them when creating meals. These issues can include cavities, chewing difficulties, acid reflux, IBS, etc.
Encourage Food Play.
How can you assist children in enjoying mealtimes? You can motivate your child to explore new food options by encouraging them to play during mealtime. You can create play foods and shapes out of fruits or ask them to identify the colours of foods and equate them to other objects of the same colour. You can also try to identify the textures, smells and colours of foods as a game or ask them to help you while preparing the meal.
Manage Your Expectations.
Everything takes time. Still, it can be frustrating when your child refuses to eat or has meltdowns every mealtime. That is why you must remain patient with your child. Often, tantrums are just an autistic child’s way to try and communicate their feelings. Meet your child where they are, give them positive feedback on their progress and take your time. Positive language about foods may also encourage positive behaviour during mealtime, so avoid terms such as “slimy” while at the eating table.
Talk To Doctors About The Best Diets For Your Child.
As with most other things, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, diet for autism or “autism food list” for autistic children. Make sure you consult your doctor before choosing a diet for your child. Your doctor will be able to tell you how to get an autistic child to eat when they refuse and what the dietary needs of your child may be, ensuring that they receive the proper nutrition even as you are accommodating their mealtime issues.
However you choose to go about navigating mealtimes in child care for ASD, remember that there are many resources available to help. For more information and resources, contact Autism Centre for Kids today.
