Autism:
Mealtime War Zone

Many children are fussy about what they eat but if you have a child with autism, mealtimes can be a war zone. Although unexplained yet through research, many children with autism, if they are left to themselves, will eat about a dozen different items - all what is considered "white foods". Unfortunately, this group is considered high in sugars (carbohydrates). This is exactly what you do not want the child with autism to be eating. Sugar, food additives, white flour or gluten and dairy products will do nothing except aggravate their condition.

Put Yourself As the Parent In Your Child's Shoes

Having a child with autism, due to heightened sensory nerves and the recollection that when they try something new they got sick, variety in their diet means "horrible things" happen. Therefore a child with autism prefers to "eat safe".

Creative Ways To Expand Your Child's Diet

• "Hide the New Foods" - while you are making homemade chicken nuggets or a pancake batter, puree some fruits or vegetables and mix it in the batter as part of the liquid ingredient. Stir a pureed vegetable into chicken gravy for noodles. For now, just get inventive, but start slowly. Too many changes too fast will result in "mutiny".

• "Promote food isolation". This may sound like an unusual request but be sure every food on the child's plate does not touch any other food product. While to us this is counter-productive since as soon as it goes into the mouth everything is going to touch anyway, to a child with autism, this is important. Serve in little individual cups or bowls if necessary to help your child adjust to the new routine.

• If the child is old enough, bring them in the kitchen to see, and help with the food preparation. Many children with autism will swear they hate one food (like tomatoes) but they love to eat spaghetti or ketchup.

  Let your child realize, to make that plate of spaghetti, you have to first start with a tomato. You should be making your own sauces from home anyway, if possible. This way you can guarantee there is no added preservatives, colorings, sugars etc. all inside that canned or bottled jar of sauce which will aggravate your child's condition.

• Limit between meal snacks. A hungry child will try harder to eat than a satisfied one. So start by cutting back slowly on in-between meal juices and snacks.

• Make meal times fun. Invest in a set of children's dishes and tableware. Or buy paper/foam plates and cups with colorful designs. Rotate colors, designs and decorations. Add a few of your child's favorite toys. If you are having carrot soup- bring some plush bunnies. If you are trying creamed chicken, bring some "baby chickens" (peeps). The more you can focus your child's attention on the fun part in eating the less they will dwell on the negatives.

• Be realistic. Don't make mealtimes a war zone. Some days your child with autism is just not going to accept your changes. Stay calm and try again with the next meal.

  Creating a scene by forcing them to finish their plate is just going to create further anger, resentment, frustration and negativity which will all carry over into each of the next few upcoming meals.

• Be careful about voicing your own eating likes and dislikes. If you expect your child to try new things you have got to show them by example that you are willing to take the risk also. Do not shy away and complain if you are offered something new and different. Be open to change and make sure your child knows you are willing to experiment also.

Depending who you talk to in today's different fields of medicine, most doctors of conventional medicine swear diet changes is all a bunch of nonsense. According to the majority of the field, you can not "eat away" the condition known as autism.

Then there is the second group of "experts" called the parents. Due to inefficient and ineffective treatment programs, these "experts" often will try anything to help their loved one in the family. So a world-wide movement has been growing among parents bucking the current medical program of drug therapy and trying nutritional therapy instead.

The outcome, reported by many, is slow but often steady results. Withdrawing the adverse reactions of autism is not a quick or instantaneous therapy program. Many, many parents though will say it is something better though than what they had before. The trials, patience, fortitude and rewards of trying this system is outlined in this person's account of their family's struggle to help their child adjust and become an active participant in his and his family's life.

Although this program does not work for everyone, finding a way to withdraw even some of the adverse reactions by the use of a natural remedy for autism, this can actually lead to a more productive life environment for all family members.

So getting a child with autism to expand their diet away from sugars, white flour, dairy products and food additives is important for their general well-being. Many doctors, parents and care-givers report remarkable results can be obtained by just obtaining a more nutritious diet.

Return to "Food Additives" from "Autism".