trouble eating

Hi I have a 6 yearold daughter who will not try any new foods she will eat pancakes,pizza,grillcheese,frenchfries,or sugar cerals.My wife thinks she has a eating disorder because she gags wenever she puts any new food in her mouth to try. need some advise.

[specialmom]

Hi there. Welcome to med help.  Well, you mention some things I am very familiar with.  The gagging, for example.  My son has sensory integration disorder which involves the nervous system.  Texture and chewing can be problematic for sensory kids.  When my son was little, he gagged a lot.  He has something called 'gag memory' now so that when certain foods his his mouth, he will immediately gag as a reflex.  It's frustrating and hard to deal with at times.

so, my son wants to eat a limited diet as well.

We've handled this by working on it.  We even have worked on it specifically with an occupational therapist specializing in kids eating and issues around that.  

The approach is exposure that seems to work.  

so instead of just giving your daughter her favorites, she expand on it.  Things that are unhealthy like sugar cereal or junk, just eliminate.  Don't buy them.  Then add things in one at a time.  Dipping is really key to kids.  If she likes ketchup or barbeque sauce or rance dressing--  dipping in that can expand things.  Then you give her bits of food in a bowl to try.  Often.  She has to take one bite.  Have a glass of water by it to take an immediate sip.  If she'll eat a chicken nugget, eventually take the breading off and she is eating a regular bite of chicken.  

There is a good book called 'food chaining'.  It may really help you.  good luck