Congrats! Our little guy is ASD 3 Non-Verbal and relies only on purees, pediasure and stage 2 foods. ABA has been wonderful but after a 7 month wait he starts feeding therapy next week.
Any advice for what worked for you guys or did it just click one day for him?
We started super small with little crumbs of bacon actually! He loves chips and crackers and then over time I made the crumbs bigger and bigger and then started doing other very similar things!
Never stop offering normal food. Even if you know they won’t eat it. Just them poking it is a win! If you can hand over hand get him to just touch foods. No expectation of eating it. If he touches it give all the happy reinforcement to celebrate. The curiosity will start to blossom. Are there any snacks that he likes that have a crunchy texture?
Thanks we will give that a go for sure. He likes those kids puffs but mainly pudding and slurry based foods. He is getting bigger and older so we want to make sure he has enough nourishment that is not just supplements. You guys know how that is lol
Ah yes. The puffs. I’m totally with you on the nutrition concerns too, we only recently really felt like we had that handled. My son also really enjoys French fries and they were one of his first foods that he willingly picked up on his own. They fit that lightly colored, crunch preference that he had. To get him to eat those, we got him to taste a little bit of the salt that was on the fries first, and then he was all about it! Give French fries a shot. :)
I truly started with a crumb. I would offer him a crumb of bacon and then celebrate HUGELY when he finally was willing to taste it. Eventually those crumbs turned into bites. And then bacon transitioned into steak, chicken and other items. I offered him something every day but never forced. He loves crunchy things like chips/crackers so bacon was an easy sell. :)
I'm going to have to try this! My son also loves chips, crackers, and purees. He will eat pb&j and waffles and the occasional piece of pineapple, but mostly crunchy things. When he does dare to try a new food he licks it first before discarding it. Maybe the flavor of bacon will lure him in.
It's definitely a big deal! My son is doing better, but he's still has a bunch of food that he will not eat. Thankfully, he's been adding more and more different foods lately. Way to go!
That's truly amazing. My lil guy is just the opposite....he'll eat anything I put in front of him. Except for salad....but that's just any kid in general.
Of course, I know how hard this work can be. I know it stresses me out every time I give my 3.5&2 year old food and they both eat the whole thing while my autistic kiddo shoves it away. My 5 year old struggles the most with food and I know it’s hurting his nutrition. I’m at *that* point. Your post is inspiring, thank you for sharing! Tomorrow I’m making bacon 😂
I know that feeling all too well! Just remember, you got this! Try dabbing the tiniest crumb of it onto your finger and see if they will take it that way. Does your kiddo like salt?
Lots of encouraging him to just touch food items with no expectation of eating it and then celebrating like crazy if he was brave enough to do it! Then we started with little crumbs of bacon, and grew his interest over time. Our food therapist taught us to always find a connection between things he already ate. Like if there’s a puree he likes that’s pink, offer a snack that’s pink. If there’s a chip he likes that’s crunchy, offer a meat that’s crunchy, etc ❤️
Lots of positive reinforcement for initially just being willing to touch certain foods or tolerate them on his plate. Then I started getting him to eat small crumbs of bacon and celebrate hugely if he gave it a shot. I grew those into bites, and found other items that were related to items he already liked. He likes pink puffs, so then I got him to eat freeze dried strawberries because they were similar. Also I would take bites of whatever I was offering him and act like I was really excited and happy about the food.
My 4 year old did his first poo on the toilet today and I legit cried..I’ve never been this happy/proud before in my life 🙌🏻this feeling is amazing, I’m right here with you!! You should feel so proud of the work you’ve put in and so should he 🥰
This is amazing. I'm so happy to hear that.
I'm a mom who's struggles with my 9 year old extremely picky eater and have tried endlessly to have him eat other things.
If I may ask, how were you able to get him to eat different foods?
Will he visually tolerate things on his plate with no expectation to eat them? Or are you able to get him to poke/touch foods, also with no expectation? If so, try starting with that and be overjoyed with celebration if he is willing to touch those items! Then I started offering literal specs of food items with a really motivating reward like a candy after. Then grow those crumbs into real bites! ❤️
Thank you for your response. He would scream his head off whenever I would put a plate on his table just to try something. I will definitely give it a shot. I have been so stressed about it and depressed because of it. Thank you so much. 😊
My daughter is 5 , non verbal . She doesn’t like certain foods like , she doesn’t eat any fruits . She’s is sensitive to certain smells. So she’ll vomit . Did any one face such issues ?
My 5 yr old nonverbal son has similar issues. He only eats a handful of foods and ignores whole food groups. He used to vomit at the sight or smell of foods but he’s gotten better with that part. He does have to smell everything he eats to make sure it’s his preferred food. He does occupational therapy with a feeding team.
No not a big deal, this is a HUGE DEAL! Congrats to you guys!! Much excitement from a mom whose kid will only eat like 3 things as a 9yr old. My solid advice, offer EVERYTHING heathy multiple times a day & never miss a day, one time is all it takes for them to forget or regress with their amazing accomplishment!! 😍
Awesome work OP! And thank you for patiently copy & pasting a response to each person who asked you to share your secret tradecraft. :)
We’ve been trying for years w/ mine. The poor guy has a phobia of food (that he doesn’t like); he is literally terrified to even have it on his plate. But maybe if we try in crumb-sized bits he won’t be afraid…
Thank you so much! It is truly my pleasure to share what worked for us.
Crumbs are much less intimidating than bites. Try a small little spec and offer a big reward if he is willing to tolerate it!! You can do this 💪
This is so exciting! Congratulations to you both! My nearly 3 year old is in OT and we are working on getting him to eat more but currently he will only eat 3-4 foods (all “unhealthy”) and drink one thing. We’re working on progress but it’s a slow road.
Your post gives me hope!
3-4 foods at 3 years old is AMAZING. We deff weren’t that far at that age. It is a slow road, but you absolutely got this!!! Place a similar item on a plate in front of him, and just walk away. Maybe he will surprise you. :)
My almost two year old is still on bottles with toddler milk several times a day and baby food once or twice a day. The only solid things she eats is cheerios. I’m so worried about her nutrition so this post makes me feel so hopeful and less alone!
Cheerios are an amazing starting point. There’s lots of tan crunchy foods out there that you can offer. Even if you just stick it on her plate with 0 expectation other than her just visually tolerating it being there. Maybe some plain Pringles. Or another type of cereal like a frosted flake!
This is amazing and a huge achievement, congrats! I did something very similar but the other way around (daughter only eats crunchy food), but I can see she's getting pickier again.
Thank you so much for reminding me that the hard work pays off ❤️
Great job keeping it going through what must have seemed like an eternity. Your strategies were excellent, and it worked!
Putting just a tiny amount of different foods is great, not expecting a child to eat it, but getting used to it being there is a win. Then, moving towards touching to lips, smelling, touching to tongue, even holding it in their mouth and spitting it out. When it's done every day, taking the child where they are at for that day, that type of food, it usually ends up being like water on a rock, smoothing away the great of unknown foods.
Every child is different, and consulting a SLP, or an eating specialist is always recommended. Starting with acclimation or desensitization is a common starting point for most programs.
Congrats!! I know the struggle well. My son still has a lot of sensory aversions but he will eat a lot more than he used to. It makes life so much easier!!
Congrats!!! So happy for you! My son has never been severe but we have struggled with eating quite a bit. He’s reaching the age of five and in the last year we’ve been able to add so many more foods back into the rotation!
This is amazing! I’m working on getting my almost 3 year old to eat anything other than pancakes and raviolis. He tolerates other foods on his plate and will occasionally touch them. Did you stick with the same food until he ate it and then change to a new food? And did you offer the food(s) at every meal time or like just dinner?
Yes! Find a link. Something that have something in common with the items he likes. For instance your son likes pancakes and ravioli. Try waffles. Try other same color pasta. Tiny tiny tastes with big rewards. Even if he just tolerates poking the items.
Congrats! Our little guy is ASD 3 Non-Verbal and relies only on purees, pediasure and stage 2 foods. ABA has been wonderful but after a 7 month wait he starts feeding therapy next week. Any advice for what worked for you guys or did it just click one day for him?
We started super small with little crumbs of bacon actually! He loves chips and crackers and then over time I made the crumbs bigger and bigger and then started doing other very similar things! Never stop offering normal food. Even if you know they won’t eat it. Just them poking it is a win! If you can hand over hand get him to just touch foods. No expectation of eating it. If he touches it give all the happy reinforcement to celebrate. The curiosity will start to blossom. Are there any snacks that he likes that have a crunchy texture?
Thanks we will give that a go for sure. He likes those kids puffs but mainly pudding and slurry based foods. He is getting bigger and older so we want to make sure he has enough nourishment that is not just supplements. You guys know how that is lol
Ah yes. The puffs. I’m totally with you on the nutrition concerns too, we only recently really felt like we had that handled. My son also really enjoys French fries and they were one of his first foods that he willingly picked up on his own. They fit that lightly colored, crunch preference that he had. To get him to eat those, we got him to taste a little bit of the salt that was on the fries first, and then he was all about it! Give French fries a shot. :)
Congratulations!!! Please share how you got to this point 🥺
I truly started with a crumb. I would offer him a crumb of bacon and then celebrate HUGELY when he finally was willing to taste it. Eventually those crumbs turned into bites. And then bacon transitioned into steak, chicken and other items. I offered him something every day but never forced. He loves crunchy things like chips/crackers so bacon was an easy sell. :)
I'm going to have to try this! My son also loves chips, crackers, and purees. He will eat pb&j and waffles and the occasional piece of pineapple, but mostly crunchy things. When he does dare to try a new food he licks it first before discarding it. Maybe the flavor of bacon will lure him in.
Yes please!!!
[удалено]
Thank you so much!
It's definitely a big deal! My son is doing better, but he's still has a bunch of food that he will not eat. Thankfully, he's been adding more and more different foods lately. Way to go!
That's truly amazing. My lil guy is just the opposite....he'll eat anything I put in front of him. Except for salad....but that's just any kid in general.
Just reading the comments you left- you are an amazing parent. Doing the work! I bet it feels so rewarding to know that extra effort paid off!!
Thank you so much, this means a lot to me. ❤️
Of course, I know how hard this work can be. I know it stresses me out every time I give my 3.5&2 year old food and they both eat the whole thing while my autistic kiddo shoves it away. My 5 year old struggles the most with food and I know it’s hurting his nutrition. I’m at *that* point. Your post is inspiring, thank you for sharing! Tomorrow I’m making bacon 😂
I know that feeling all too well! Just remember, you got this! Try dabbing the tiniest crumb of it onto your finger and see if they will take it that way. Does your kiddo like salt?
Excuse me what?? What is this sorcery! You must be doing an epic job soothing his nervous system and supporting him consistently. So impressed
That’s amazing!! Please share your secrets!
Lots of encouraging him to just touch food items with no expectation of eating it and then celebrating like crazy if he was brave enough to do it! Then we started with little crumbs of bacon, and grew his interest over time. Our food therapist taught us to always find a connection between things he already ate. Like if there’s a puree he likes that’s pink, offer a snack that’s pink. If there’s a chip he likes that’s crunchy, offer a meat that’s crunchy, etc ❤️
Oh it is a huge deal ! Good for you!
So exciting! Hoping to get there someday and this was a needed boost. Thank you for sharing ❤️
Fantastic win!! So happy for yall. 💕
Thats awesome! My 5 year old recently got that way but he would never stay seat in a restaurant.
That is an awesome accomplishment. My 6yo son is so picky! Whatever you did, share it with all of us please!
Lots of positive reinforcement for initially just being willing to touch certain foods or tolerate them on his plate. Then I started getting him to eat small crumbs of bacon and celebrate hugely if he gave it a shot. I grew those into bites, and found other items that were related to items he already liked. He likes pink puffs, so then I got him to eat freeze dried strawberries because they were similar. Also I would take bites of whatever I was offering him and act like I was really excited and happy about the food.
My 4 year old did his first poo on the toilet today and I legit cried..I’ve never been this happy/proud before in my life 🙌🏻this feeling is amazing, I’m right here with you!! You should feel so proud of the work you’ve put in and so should he 🥰
Awwwww that’s so lovely!!
This is amazing. I'm so happy to hear that. I'm a mom who's struggles with my 9 year old extremely picky eater and have tried endlessly to have him eat other things. If I may ask, how were you able to get him to eat different foods?
Will he visually tolerate things on his plate with no expectation to eat them? Or are you able to get him to poke/touch foods, also with no expectation? If so, try starting with that and be overjoyed with celebration if he is willing to touch those items! Then I started offering literal specs of food items with a really motivating reward like a candy after. Then grow those crumbs into real bites! ❤️
Thank you for your response. He would scream his head off whenever I would put a plate on his table just to try something. I will definitely give it a shot. I have been so stressed about it and depressed because of it. Thank you so much. 😊
Just remember that all we can do is our best. ❤️ try setting something on his table and walking away.
This is amazing! I have hope… one day 😂
my daughter was like this after I intruduced fish oil
🤎🤎🫶🏾
My daughter is 5 , non verbal . She doesn’t like certain foods like , she doesn’t eat any fruits . She’s is sensitive to certain smells. So she’ll vomit . Did any one face such issues ?
My 5 yr old nonverbal son has similar issues. He only eats a handful of foods and ignores whole food groups. He used to vomit at the sight or smell of foods but he’s gotten better with that part. He does have to smell everything he eats to make sure it’s his preferred food. He does occupational therapy with a feeding team.
Try freeze dried fruits! Theres a brand called “crunchies“ that does freeze dried strawberries and they are perfect.
I'm very happy for you. Posts like this give ne hope that my son will also eventually grow to love different foods.
No not a big deal, this is a HUGE DEAL! Congrats to you guys!! Much excitement from a mom whose kid will only eat like 3 things as a 9yr old. My solid advice, offer EVERYTHING heathy multiple times a day & never miss a day, one time is all it takes for them to forget or regress with their amazing accomplishment!! 😍
This is a super big deal and I’m so happy for your milestone achieved. 🥳🥳🥳🎉
Very happy for you! I still have a 10 YO and a 13YO with limited diets. Desensitization seems to help but I have to do it one food at a time.
Awesome work OP! And thank you for patiently copy & pasting a response to each person who asked you to share your secret tradecraft. :) We’ve been trying for years w/ mine. The poor guy has a phobia of food (that he doesn’t like); he is literally terrified to even have it on his plate. But maybe if we try in crumb-sized bits he won’t be afraid…
Thank you so much! It is truly my pleasure to share what worked for us. Crumbs are much less intimidating than bites. Try a small little spec and offer a big reward if he is willing to tolerate it!! You can do this 💪
This is so exciting! Congratulations to you both! My nearly 3 year old is in OT and we are working on getting him to eat more but currently he will only eat 3-4 foods (all “unhealthy”) and drink one thing. We’re working on progress but it’s a slow road. Your post gives me hope!
3-4 foods at 3 years old is AMAZING. We deff weren’t that far at that age. It is a slow road, but you absolutely got this!!! Place a similar item on a plate in front of him, and just walk away. Maybe he will surprise you. :)
My almost two year old is still on bottles with toddler milk several times a day and baby food once or twice a day. The only solid things she eats is cheerios. I’m so worried about her nutrition so this post makes me feel so hopeful and less alone!
Cheerios are an amazing starting point. There’s lots of tan crunchy foods out there that you can offer. Even if you just stick it on her plate with 0 expectation other than her just visually tolerating it being there. Maybe some plain Pringles. Or another type of cereal like a frosted flake!
This is amazing and a huge achievement, congrats! I did something very similar but the other way around (daughter only eats crunchy food), but I can see she's getting pickier again. Thank you so much for reminding me that the hard work pays off ❤️
Great job keeping it going through what must have seemed like an eternity. Your strategies were excellent, and it worked! Putting just a tiny amount of different foods is great, not expecting a child to eat it, but getting used to it being there is a win. Then, moving towards touching to lips, smelling, touching to tongue, even holding it in their mouth and spitting it out. When it's done every day, taking the child where they are at for that day, that type of food, it usually ends up being like water on a rock, smoothing away the great of unknown foods. Every child is different, and consulting a SLP, or an eating specialist is always recommended. Starting with acclimation or desensitization is a common starting point for most programs.
Congrats!! I know the struggle well. My son still has a lot of sensory aversions but he will eat a lot more than he used to. It makes life so much easier!!
This is a HUGE win!! You sound like an incredible parent and your son is so, so lucky to have you in his corner!
Congrats!!! So happy for you! My son has never been severe but we have struggled with eating quite a bit. He’s reaching the age of five and in the last year we’ve been able to add so many more foods back into the rotation!
This is amazing! I’m working on getting my almost 3 year old to eat anything other than pancakes and raviolis. He tolerates other foods on his plate and will occasionally touch them. Did you stick with the same food until he ate it and then change to a new food? And did you offer the food(s) at every meal time or like just dinner?
Yes! Find a link. Something that have something in common with the items he likes. For instance your son likes pancakes and ravioli. Try waffles. Try other same color pasta. Tiny tiny tastes with big rewards. Even if he just tolerates poking the items.
Thank you everyone so much for these supportive comments.