Pica and autism in toddlers8/7/2023 ![]() Some autistic children will mouth or eat non-food items, like dirt, hair, coins, soap or fabric. exploring new foods through play – for example, by squashing, painting, stacking or smelling.Īs your child becomes more comfortable with new foods in these contexts, you can start introducing new foods at the table.looking at recipes and preparing meals together.visiting the supermarket or grocery store together to look at new foods.If you can introduce new foods away from the kitchen or the family table, it can reduce the pressure your child feels about trying new foods. ![]() putting a healthy snack in a favourite lunch box.putting food on a different colour plate.Making small changes to the way you present food might encourage your child to try new and more foods over time. Also, having regular meals and snacks sends the message that healthy eating is part of your family’s routine. This encourages a better appetite at mealtimes. ![]() Offer your child meals and snacks at regular times. You might have to do this over several meals before your child is willing to even take a bite of the new food. ![]() Just let your child know that they don’t have to eat the broccoli. You could also let your child sniff or lick the broccoli to get used to the look, feel and smell of it. For example, if your child won’t try broccoli, you could try putting the broccoli near some cauliflower. Try putting the new food near the food that they like. You can help your child to accept new foods by introducing foods that have a similar texture, colour or smell to other foods that you know your child enjoys. If your child finds change difficult, they might take a while to get comfortable with new foods. Introduce new foods that are similar to familiar foods Let your child decide whether they want to try the new food. When you’re using this approach, give your child food that you know they’ll eat as well as new foods. You also avoid rewarding fussy eating behaviour with separate or special meals. When you share regular meals and snacks with your child, you model healthy eating habits and a varied diet for your child. Here are ways you can encourage your child to start trying new foods. Also, your child might be more willing to try different foods as they get older. This is because it can take time to find new foods that work for your child. It might be a while before you see improvements in your child’s fussy eating habits or diet. How to handle fussy eating and encourage varied diets for autistic children and teenagers You can find out more in our articles on healthy food for preschoolers, healthy food for school-age children and healthy food for teenagers. Your child needs a wide variety of fresh foods from the 5 healthy food groups – vegetables, fruit, grain foods, dairy or dairy-free alternatives and protein. So it’s almost always best to use strategies that encourage a varied diet and help your child gradually get comfortable with new foods. Also, your child’s fussy eating is unlikely to go away or change by itself, so ignoring the behaviour probably won’t work.īut forcing your child to eat a new food can make things worse, because your child might refuse to eat altogether. Your child needs a variety of fresh, healthy foods for good health and development, so it’s important to work on fussy eating. Working on fussy eating in autistic children and teenagers: why it’s important has become preoccupied with a particular type of food.finds it hard to try new experiences, including eating new foods.is focused on how food looks and wants the food presented in the same way every day.likes routines and wants the same food at the same time every day.has sensory sensitivities and prefers food with particular textures.If tummy problems aren’t the cause, the selective eating might be because your child: So it’s always best to speak with your child’s GP or paediatrician if your child has gastrointestinal symptoms like slow weight gain or growth, diarrhoea or tummy pain. Some autistic children’s fussy eating habits are caused by gastrointestinal problems. This can help you manage your child’s eating behaviour. If your child has fussy eating habits, it’s good to understand why. This means children eat only a limited range of food. Some autistic children and teenagers have fussy eating or selective eating habits. Fussy eating habits: why they happen in autistic children and teenagers
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