Feeding & Eating Problems in Autistic Children

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Sensory issues: texture and taste
Most ASD children have sensory problems. Each person’s sensory problem is different. We taste food differently even if it’s the same thing. So imagine a child on the spectrum whose sensory profile is all over the place, some places too sensitive, and some sensory seeking (not enough sensory stimulation). Inside our mouths, we have millions of sensory receptors. One of the reasons for ASD children being picky eaters is because of their oral sensitivity. The tricky thing is we don’t know how a child feels when s/he is eating a certain texture. We don’t even know how it tastes like to them. So we need to keep testing. Use a toothette (or anything equivalent) to assess and normalize the child’s oral cavity. It’s best that you check with a qualified speech therapist for this.

Oromotor Problems
We call it sensorimotor for a reason. If a person has problems with his/her sensory, it would affect motor skills as well. Remember when you went to the dentist and got analgesics for your tooth removal? Well, that numbness causes you to speak in a weird way and in some instances causes you not to eat or taste properly as well. Your child might have problems chewing and managing the food. Maybe that’s why s/he doesn’t want to eat certain foods because it’s too difficult to manage. For some of our students, they don’t know how to chew with their molars and/or manage big chunks of food in their mouths. This has to do with their jaw, lip, and tongue motor skills. Again, get a speech therapist to do an in-depth assessment of your child’s feeding for a better picture.

Rigid Behaviour
Have you ever had a bad experience with something and decided to never do it again? My friend had a stomach ache after eating pork and decided to never eat that meat again. He’s not autistic. Imagine an autistic person or child with all these sensorimotor complications. One bad experience would close the doors to eating certain foods. Making them picky eaters. Not to mention that the first reaction parents tend to do is to keep on trying the same food. This just adds to the bad experience and makes it even harder for him/her to accept new food, especially if it’s you who’s trying to introduce it.