October 21, 2020 How to get your ASD child to try new foods
Posted at 18:15h
in Uncategorized
Autistic children tend to be very picky eaters usually and its common to face mealtime challenges like very narrow food choice range, tantrums during a meal and very rigid meal regime.
Researchers believe that the underlying sensory disturbances, increased levels of anxiety may lead to autistic children being such difficult eaters.
How can you help?
- Offer wider choices – The ASD child needs to feel he has control over food, and this can put the child at ease. For example, offer variety of vegetables at one meal.
- Ensure the food texture does not aggravate the child- For example, If the texture of apple doesn’t agree with your child, make an apple smoothie.
- Encourage your child to try new foods gradually by introducing it to the smell and then the touch and ultimately the taste. Do not rush the process.
- Keep calm. It is important to be patient with your child as the ASD child tries out food several times before it is comfortable with it.
- Make food interesting – Experiment with food to reduce the mealtime anxiety. Try different shapes for normal foods etc.
REFERENCES
- Applied Behavioral Analysis. Five Tips for Introducing New Foods to Your Child with Autism. Available at - https://www.appliedbehavioranalysisprograms.com/lists/five-tips-for-introducing-new-foods-to-your-child-with-autism/