Feeding Therapy and Autism

Picky eating among individuals on the autism spectrum is common; feeding therapy is one way to help.

If you ask parents of a child with autism about their eating habits, the large majority will confirm that yes, their children are picky eaters. This goes beyond the typical picky eating habits of a two year-old and often stretches well into childhood. It is not uncommon to have a five year old child on the autism spectrum that will only eat a handful of food items. Tactile defensiveness, a sensitive gag reflex and low oral motor muscle tone are just a few conditions that lead to this level of picky eating.

Parents are often concerned that the child isn’t getting adequate nutrition. Conventional ideas of supplementing via vitamins or the theory that the child will eat when he is hungry don’t hold true among these children. Many times there is no way to get a vitamin into the child as his sense of smell and taste are so strong he notices if something is being snuck in to a favorite food.

The most severely affected children may end up with a feeding tube in order for them to take in an adequate intake of calories. Before that step is taken, however, many of these children have been through feeding therapy. The feeding therapy may occur with a nutritionist, occupational therapist or speech therapist and usually involves the gradual introduction of new foods into the child’s repertoire. This does not immediately mean eating the food, sometimes just having the food in the presence of the child without an adverse reaction is a huge step in the right direction.