Autism & Diet: 6 Ways to Tackle Picky Eating
Many parents will inevitably tackle picky eating habits as teens begin developing their preferences and learning how to communicate them. Parents of teens with autism are uniquely familiar with this process, also known as food selectivity.
While data on this phenomenon can be hard to come by, a 2006 study demonstrated 46-89% of teens with autism face some level of food selectivity, making it one of the most common occurrences for teens on the autism spectrum.
As a parent, it is natural to want to provide your teen with healthy, well-rounded meals and to feel defeated after several attempts to introduce new food groups with no progress. If you've found yourself facing these challenges at mealtime, know you are not alone and options are out there. Keep reading for 6 helpful tips to provide your teen with autism with a balanced and nutritional diet and create a more manageable mealtime routine.
1. Understand the Why
Food selectivity often spans beyond the scope of "picky eating" for teens with autism. Ruling out medical and behavioral causes for this selectivity is the first step to overcoming it. If you've ruled these out and your teen continues to only consume a limited number of foods, it's important to understand other root causes behind why this selectivity occurs.
Food is, by nature, unpredictable. Throughout our day, humans consume a wide variety of taste profiles, textures, and combinations. Naturally, this can be overwhelming for a teen who is dealing with sensory-processing issues – the process of eating is primarily sensory!
Sticking to foods that feel safe is a way your teen can exert control over this process. Mealtime can also create an environment with specific social demands and expectations, increasing your teen’s stress around food and eating. Gaining a better understanding of the unique challenges you're facing at mealtime is key to overcoming food selectivity.
2. Start Small
Are you ready to try introducing new foods, but feel defeated about where to start? Starting small is the best way to encourage your teen to try new foods. Rather than cooking a large family dinner full of new ingredients and textures, start by introducing one new food at a time, in manageable portion sizes. This may look like providing half a grape on its own plate with breakfast or a piece of cooked carrot in a separate bowl with dinner. Establishing clear boundaries by keeping the foods separate is another small, but impactful way that you can ease into the process of tackling food selectivity.
3. Create a Secure Environment
We don't often consider how our environment affects our eating habits, but this is crucial for parents who are dealing with food selectivity and autism. Introducing new food groups at a family-filled dinner or restaurant will likely lead to a frustrating result for you as the parent.
Instead, focusing on creating a secure environment, with few distractions or social demands may feel much more manageable for your teen. Establishing structured routines around mealtime can help create an ideal eating environment as well. Prioritizing their safety and comfort at mealtime allows them to process the act of eating at their own speed, making changes to food or new ingredients easier to tolerate.
4. Provide Visual Support
Some parents may find that visual aids help introduce new food groups and routines. Showing your teen photos of the ingredients or meals they are about to consume can help them predict what to expect.
You may find benefit from showing your teen images of their loved ones or a favorite cartoon character eating the new food. Using picture cards or other non-verbal communication strategies to help your teen express how they feel about the new addition may also be a helpful tool in overcoming food selectivity with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
5. Avoid Deception and Tricks
Sneaking ingredients into a meal might seem like the easiest or most clever way to introduce your teen to new food experiences, but this doesn't always yield helpful results. Your teen wants to build a bond of trust and feel safe and in control of their eating habits.
Unexpected surprises build confusion and will only lead them to feel less open to trying new foods so it's best to stick with a policy of openness, honesty, and consistency when it comes to food selectivity. Deception and trickery may do more harm than good.
6. Take Your Time
Managing your expectations is a crucial part of this as well – Rome wasn't built in a day. It may take weeks of slowly introducing a new food to see progress, but it's important to keep at it. Progress flourishes when you take the time to meet your teen where they are at and shift the focus to building consistency.
Battling food selectivity is a daily feat. Some days may be better than others, but every day is progress towards a more balanced future for you and your teen. You got this!
For more practical tips and tools for dealing with everyday obstacles, download our free Autism Toolkit here.
We hope you've found this helpful! For more information or advice for parents of teens with autism, don't forget to check out our blog. If you're considering life beyond high school for your exceptional student, take a look at our LyfeLaunch program and arrange a chat with one of our expert teams.
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