My child was developing as expected until about 18 months. I noticed a drastic change in his diet and behavior between 18 and 24 months. My pediatrician encouraged us to wait 6 months, but there was no improvement. We were at a point where all he ate was peanut butter sandwiches. That was a scary and challenging time for us.
We didn't know what had caused the change and why. Or even how to help him. Our pediatric visits indicated he was growing, but he was on the smaller side for his age. After diagnostic testing, he was diagnosed with a severe speech delay and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
This is a long and winding road to increasing my child's diet. However, I am happy to report at 8 years old, my child is eating and trying more foods! This is more than I could have ever hoped for when I saw his drastic regression. I say that to say, that even when you feel like your child might have reached the maximum level of potential, there could always be more growth around the corner.
Some of the things I believe helped my child continue to grow are therapies, giving preferred foods, and introducing new foods several times. I offer even if there is no eating. Or if he takes a bite and puts it back. One of the hardest parts is time. I didn't know my child would significantly improve from where we started. I had to keep at it without knowing if things would ever get better or if that was all he would eat for the rest of his life. I simply had to see what would happen over time.
Another hard one is mindset. I had to focus on the things I could do and the things I could control. It was easy to get overwhelmed and fall down a rabbit hole of what the unknown future holds. That kind of fear is paralyzing. I realized it was okay to acknowledge and feel those negative emotions of failure, weakness, disappointment, and fear in myself. But, I couldn't dwell there long for the sake of my autistic child, my other children, and myself.
|
Age |
Foods My Autistic Child Eats |
|
2 (Regression) |
Grains: Oatmeal, Peanut Butter Sandwiches Treats: Yogurt Melts, Fruit Snacks, Whip Cream,
Fruit Cups (occasionally) |
|
8
Therapies: Speech Occupational ABA |
Fruits: Tomatoes, Grapes, Strawberries, Blackberries,
Bananas Veggies: Sweet Potatoes, Corn, Corn on the Cob,
Cucumber Protein: Scrambled Eggs (sometimes), Roast Pork
(usually), Popcorn Chicken (sometimes), Chicken Wings (sometimes), Chicken
Nuggets (occasionally) Grains: Honey Nut Cheerios, Peanut Butter & Honey Sandwiches, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Rice, Stouffer's Frozen Macaroni, Lean Cusine's Frozen Macaroni, Spaghetti, Muffins, Cornbread, Redlobser's Frozen Cheddar Biscuit Rolls Treats: Applesauce (sometimes), Yogurt Melts, Carmel Rice Cakes, Fruit Cups (usually), Chocolate Chip Granola Bars, Nutella Sandwiches, Fruit Snacks, Pudding, Cookies, Chips (occasionally), Whip Cream, Cakes, Pies (a little), Ice Cream (a little), Frozen Yogurt (a little), Italian Ice (a little) |
Last edited: November 27, 2024
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