Common Eating Problems

Does your child have one of these common eating problems?

Food Selectivity:

• Selectivity by type of food
  • Your child eats only bacon, an occasional grape, and drinks only formula. He refuses all other foods and liquids.
• Selectivity by color
  • Your child eats only beige or light-brown foods, such as dry cereal, French fries, and chicken nuggets.
• Selectivity by brand
  • Your child eats only certain brands of food and will refuse to eat if the packaging displaying the brand was not visible or had changed.
• Selectivity by texture
  • Your child eats only pudding, yogurt, and baby food every day. Or eats only dry, crisp foods, such as cereal. Or avoids mixed textures such as stew.
• Selectivity by appearance
  • Your child refuses to eat a food item if it has a burnt spot, discolored area, or any type of blemish.

Other Eating Problems:

• Chewing-skill deficit
  • Your child has never learned to chew. As a result, he eats only oatmeal, pudding, and yogurt.
• Excessive fluid intake
  • Your child drinks up to 90 ounces of fluids per day and eats minimal amounts of solid food. Or drinks only high-calorie formula and eats little to no solid foods.
• Adipsia
  • Your child eats only solid foods but refuses all liquids, regardless of how they are presented.
• Insistence on eating only with certain utensils or dishes
  • Your child will only eat from a specific bowl, using a specific spoon.
• Refusal to sit at the table
  • Your child refuses to sit at the table for meals. She will only eat while walking around the house or while watching TV.
• Food refusal
  • Your child eats a progressively smaller variety and volume of food.
• Refusal to self-feed
  • Your child refuses to hold utensils or drink from a cup.
• Refusal to eat in public places
  • Your child will only eat at home, and refuses to eat even his favorite foods at school or in other public places.

Some eating problems are relatively minor, having little effect on the child or family; however, some are so severe that the child requires a feeding tube, or the family's mealtime and daily functioning is severely disrupted. It is important to know when to seek help from a healthcare professional, and to rule out any potential medical conditions with your child's primary healthcare provider prior to attempting an intervention.

Next up, when you should do something about your child's eating problems.

Source:

Williams, Keith E., and Richard M. Foxx. Treating Eating Problems of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities: Interventions for Professionals and Parents. PRO-ED, 2007.