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Sensory and food issues?
Does anyone have any advice about feeding or getting a child who has MAJOR sensory issues with touch,taste and smell? He is almost 2 and showing the early signs of classical autism(no speech,repitious unusal play etc. I have tried everything(what I call "Guerilla Feeding" getting the spoon in before he can smell the food)Thats no longer working and because he has mild right sided CP we have difficulties with him feeding anyway!! Thanks
Have you tried giving digestive enzymes yet? Check with a nutritionist to see which enzymes would be best for your child, and do try them. These enzymes have been a safe and effective treatment for so many kids with so many related conditions, a "magical" cure for some. Let the nutritionist explain why they work so well, or read up on digestive enzymes. Give them a try. You may be surprised.
Speech therapists participate in "Feeding Teams." Your best bet is to consult your child's Speech Therapist and request an evaluation from a Feeding Team.
The US Dept. of Human Health and Services-National Institutes of Health- recently published a study about boys with autism having thin bones.
https://mail.bucksiu.org/Redirect/www.nih.gov/news/health/jan2008/nichd-29.htm
In the study, restrictive diets, such as the Gluetin-Casein Free Diets were noted in the study. Here is a direct quote from the article:
"The boys in the study who were on a casein-free diet had the thinnest bones. In fact, the 9 boys who were on a casein-free diet had bones that were 20 percent thinner than normal for children their age. Boys who were not on a casein-free diet showed a 10 percent decrease in bone thickness when compared to boys with normal bone development."
"The study authors wrote that bone development of children on casein-free diets should be monitored very carefully. They noted that studies of casein-free diets had not proven the diets to be effective in treating the symptoms of autism or ASD."
It is important for you to make an informed decision in terms of your child's well-being.
The US Dept. of Human Health and Services-National Institutes of Health- recently published a study about boys with autism having thin bones.
https://mail.bucksiu.org/Redirect/www.nih.gov/news/health/jan2008/nichd-29.htm
In the study, restrictive diets, such as the Gluetin-Casein Free Diets were noted in the study. Here is a direct quote from the article:
"The boys in the study who were on a casein-free diet had the thinnest bones. In fact, the 9 boys who were on a casein-free diet had bones that were 20 percent thinner than normal for children their age. Boys who were not on a casein-free diet showed a 10 percent decrease in bone thickness when compared to boys with normal bone development."
"The study authors wrote that bone development of children on casein-free diets should be monitored very carefully. They noted that studies of casein-free diets had not proven the diets to be effective in treating the symptoms of autism or ASD."
It is important for you to make an informed decision in terms of your child's well-being.
When I was around age 5 some things I wouldn't eat such as hard meat because it took too long to chew and I couldn't swallow it.
As a child I had issues if food took too long to chew and got mushy in my mouth. Soggy bread made me gag. It still does to an extent. To get around that, I may order the bun on the side or dab my hamburgers/hotdogs to get rid of as much grease as I can. That way I can put the bun on and not get it soggy. I don't put bread or crackers into my chili or soup.
There's also the possibility if your child likes cheese to put it on food that he doesn't like if it can be served that way. Cheese on ice cream would be a bad idea at least I think...
In 1st grade I didn't like the chicken legs served at school, but oddly enough if I dipped it in the maple syrup I could eat it. Unfortunately I only got to take two bites before a chaperone yanked my tray away and scolded me for playing with my food... I got really mad... After all shouldn't the important thing be that I was starting to eat my food, even if it may look odd... That person insisted that you don't put syrup on chicken... and that’s why she took it from me *sigh*...some people need to learn what is more important…
As a child I had issues if food took too long to chew and got mushy in my mouth. Soggy bread made me gag. It still does to an extent. To get around that, I may order the bun on the side or dab my hamburgers/hotdogs to get rid of as much grease as I can. That way I can put the bun on and not get it soggy. I don't put bread or crackers into my chili or soup.
There's also the possibility if your child likes cheese to put it on food that he doesn't like if it can be served that way. Cheese on ice cream would be a bad idea at least I think...
In 1st grade I didn't like the chicken legs served at school, but oddly enough if I dipped it in the maple syrup I could eat it. Unfortunately I only got to take two bites before a chaperone yanked my tray away and scolded me for playing with my food... I got really mad... After all shouldn't the important thing be that I was starting to eat my food, even if it may look odd... That person insisted that you don't put syrup on chicken... and that’s why she took it from me *sigh*...some people need to learn what is more important…
What foods does he prefer and what foods does he dislike. Is there anything you find in common.
Canned foods: Does he taste the can flavor? I find some canned foods, especially acidic ones pick up the can flavor...
Canned vegtables: Green beans = taste like tears to me. I'm not a fond of salty tears, nor am I a fan of canned green beans. I will eat and enjoy fresh or frozen green beans.
I don't like canned peas either, but I find frozen peas good.
Texture:
I don't like jello with things in it nor do I like tapioca pudding... Thankfully this does not limit my diet that much. I have a dislike for gritty foods, but can overcome some of my food texture aversions if the dish is served just right.
For instance: Tuna. I won't eat it... Taste like can + murky river water.... Mixed with mayo, then I taste mayo + murky river water and can... Mixed with cheese and potato hashbrowns, oddly enough that cancels out the murky flavor and makes eating tuna far better. I wouldn't jump tothe diet as the first resort, but it may be helpful if nothing else suggested here or stuff you try works.
Roughness: Certain cerials, the cambolls chicken noodle soup, unripe bananas tend to tear up the roof of my mouth or my gums when eating... As a result I may avoid those foods and opt for alternatives that don't leave my gums all red. With banans, I wait for them to ripen enough and then eat them.
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In general I am open to trying new foods and will eat a variety unless I have a bad experiance with a food or just get tired of it, then I may not eat it for a while. Food that seems to give me the cramps or the runs is another food I put on my bad list. Right now that seems to be oatmeal. I used to enjoy that food every morning. I stopped eating it, then ate it again and got cramps... Since oatmeal does not always do this to me, I think outside factors may play into it, but I'm not sure what. I may try it again some time to see if it really was the food or perhaps me having a reaction to something else such as a cold or infection...
If I vomit anything or get bad enough nausia, sadly I have trouble eating that same food again even if the cause of the vomiting was something else... I just learned that blood type can make people prone to certain "stomach flu" viruses... I'm one of the unlucky ones... *knock on wood* haven't had an actual event since several years ago, but I have come close other times... As a result, tums no longer taste like candy...they give me a sick aftertaste...
Canned foods: Does he taste the can flavor? I find some canned foods, especially acidic ones pick up the can flavor...
Canned vegtables: Green beans = taste like tears to me. I'm not a fond of salty tears, nor am I a fan of canned green beans. I will eat and enjoy fresh or frozen green beans.
I don't like canned peas either, but I find frozen peas good.
Texture:
I don't like jello with things in it nor do I like tapioca pudding... Thankfully this does not limit my diet that much. I have a dislike for gritty foods, but can overcome some of my food texture aversions if the dish is served just right.
For instance: Tuna. I won't eat it... Taste like can + murky river water.... Mixed with mayo, then I taste mayo + murky river water and can... Mixed with cheese and potato hashbrowns, oddly enough that cancels out the murky flavor and makes eating tuna far better. I wouldn't jump tothe diet as the first resort, but it may be helpful if nothing else suggested here or stuff you try works.
Roughness: Certain cerials, the cambolls chicken noodle soup, unripe bananas tend to tear up the roof of my mouth or my gums when eating... As a result I may avoid those foods and opt for alternatives that don't leave my gums all red. With banans, I wait for them to ripen enough and then eat them.
-------------
In general I am open to trying new foods and will eat a variety unless I have a bad experiance with a food or just get tired of it, then I may not eat it for a while. Food that seems to give me the cramps or the runs is another food I put on my bad list. Right now that seems to be oatmeal. I used to enjoy that food every morning. I stopped eating it, then ate it again and got cramps... Since oatmeal does not always do this to me, I think outside factors may play into it, but I'm not sure what. I may try it again some time to see if it really was the food or perhaps me having a reaction to something else such as a cold or infection...
If I vomit anything or get bad enough nausia, sadly I have trouble eating that same food again even if the cause of the vomiting was something else... I just learned that blood type can make people prone to certain "stomach flu" viruses... I'm one of the unlucky ones... *knock on wood* haven't had an actual event since several years ago, but I have come close other times... As a result, tums no longer taste like candy...they give me a sick aftertaste...
The other thing I noticed with my son when I removed gluten and casein is that he has a much wider range of foods now and he will try stuff he wouldn't even consider before. Previously he always asked for a cheese sandwich and a glass of milk.
What kind of food does he avoid and what kinds does he like?
Some children cannot stand their food to be mixed eg. soups, pies etc and some cannot stand their food to be touching other food items.
Try to keep food simple, bland (my sons complains things are hot and spicy when they aren't, but if they taste that way to him then I can't blame him for not wanting to eat them).
Unfortunately language helps a lot because he will be able to tell you what his experience is. If he continues to be non verbal for time being, have you begun any signing?
Try doing lots of play using things like sand, water, dried rice etc, get him feeling different things.
Also let him explore things through smell.
My son cannot stand the smell of certain things, infact he will run away from it. For instance mushy peas! He wouldn't sit at a restaurant table because his grandad had got mushy peas on his plate.
You might find it useful to read a book by Olga Bogdashina called Sensory and Perceptual Differences in Autism and Aspergers. There is a questionnaire at the back that you can complete to give you a sensory profile of your child. She is a reputable professional who has given seminars to teachers and parents in our city and the questionnaire is used by our autism department for them to get a better understanding of the children.
If he mono-processes, which alot of autistic people do, then you might be able to feed him whilst he is watching his favourite TV programme or DVD because whilst he is 'looking' and using his visual sense he may lose his perception of smell or taste. He might not be able to feed himself whilst watching, but you can spoon it in!
My son also cannot stand the feeling of being sticky from eating, so you could have a wet flannel handing to keep wiping face and hands.
When he gets older you maybe able to persuade him to try things. I managed that with my son on the agreement that if he didn't like it he was able to spit it out onto a piece of paper towel. This helped him try some new things without the pressure of thinking he had to swallow it.
It does sound like his sense of smell and taste (which are closely linked) are hypersensitive. Are there any occasions when you think it fluctuates to hypo ie. times when he tastes or eats things that should not taste nice. Does he avoid smells or seek smells?
Olga makes the suggestion in her book that sometimes senses can become hypersensitive because another sense is not functioning enough for them to perceive through it and therefore the child is trying to 'confirm' their environment using another sense. If you consider that, and as you say he does some repetitive hand movements in front of his eyes, it might be worth considering Irlen Syndrome (google it to get an idea of what it is). There are alot of people especially those with autism/aspergers and dyslexia that have Irlen Syndrome (I have it too but to a much lesser degree). It affects your visual perception. Some people can only see things in fragmented images, others have problems with sensitivity to light or problems with depth perception. The tinted lenses are used by alot of autistic people and it helps reduce sensory overload.
If your son does have visual perception problems then the glasses may reduce this and have a knock on effect on his other senses leading them to be less sensitive.
My son wears the lenses and they have helped.
If you feel your son is seeking certain foods it might be down to a food intolerance. But I would honestly check out the other possibilities first and then consider (after advice from a nutricianist) if you want to try a gluten or casein free diet.
My son is also gluten free/casein free. I haven't noticed a huge behavioural change. I have noticed less headaches, he's a bit more social and his concentration is better. I do sometimes allow him food he is not supposed to have eg. parties. Tonight we went to the cinema and he had some coke and some chocolate. Tonight he has a headache!
Some children cannot stand their food to be mixed eg. soups, pies etc and some cannot stand their food to be touching other food items.
Try to keep food simple, bland (my sons complains things are hot and spicy when they aren't, but if they taste that way to him then I can't blame him for not wanting to eat them).
Unfortunately language helps a lot because he will be able to tell you what his experience is. If he continues to be non verbal for time being, have you begun any signing?
Try doing lots of play using things like sand, water, dried rice etc, get him feeling different things.
Also let him explore things through smell.
My son cannot stand the smell of certain things, infact he will run away from it. For instance mushy peas! He wouldn't sit at a restaurant table because his grandad had got mushy peas on his plate.
You might find it useful to read a book by Olga Bogdashina called Sensory and Perceptual Differences in Autism and Aspergers. There is a questionnaire at the back that you can complete to give you a sensory profile of your child. She is a reputable professional who has given seminars to teachers and parents in our city and the questionnaire is used by our autism department for them to get a better understanding of the children.
If he mono-processes, which alot of autistic people do, then you might be able to feed him whilst he is watching his favourite TV programme or DVD because whilst he is 'looking' and using his visual sense he may lose his perception of smell or taste. He might not be able to feed himself whilst watching, but you can spoon it in!
My son also cannot stand the feeling of being sticky from eating, so you could have a wet flannel handing to keep wiping face and hands.
When he gets older you maybe able to persuade him to try things. I managed that with my son on the agreement that if he didn't like it he was able to spit it out onto a piece of paper towel. This helped him try some new things without the pressure of thinking he had to swallow it.
It does sound like his sense of smell and taste (which are closely linked) are hypersensitive. Are there any occasions when you think it fluctuates to hypo ie. times when he tastes or eats things that should not taste nice. Does he avoid smells or seek smells?
Olga makes the suggestion in her book that sometimes senses can become hypersensitive because another sense is not functioning enough for them to perceive through it and therefore the child is trying to 'confirm' their environment using another sense. If you consider that, and as you say he does some repetitive hand movements in front of his eyes, it might be worth considering Irlen Syndrome (google it to get an idea of what it is). There are alot of people especially those with autism/aspergers and dyslexia that have Irlen Syndrome (I have it too but to a much lesser degree). It affects your visual perception. Some people can only see things in fragmented images, others have problems with sensitivity to light or problems with depth perception. The tinted lenses are used by alot of autistic people and it helps reduce sensory overload.
If your son does have visual perception problems then the glasses may reduce this and have a knock on effect on his other senses leading them to be less sensitive.
My son wears the lenses and they have helped.
If you feel your son is seeking certain foods it might be down to a food intolerance. But I would honestly check out the other possibilities first and then consider (after advice from a nutricianist) if you want to try a gluten or casein free diet.
My son is also gluten free/casein free. I haven't noticed a huge behavioural change. I have noticed less headaches, he's a bit more social and his concentration is better. I do sometimes allow him food he is not supposed to have eg. parties. Tonight we went to the cinema and he had some coke and some chocolate. Tonight he has a headache!
Could you try and give him the Spoon and let him eat doing it himself, as he repeats everything let him get into this habit, put the food he loves in front of him direct his hand onto the spoon,in fact you could have a dish like him, and a spoon for you, show him,how to feed himself ,over and over, Blow the Mess put a mat under his chair.Keep trying its wonderful when youy get a break through, make his meals interesting and the time fun.
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